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The Single Best Argument Against Introducing Luigi Mangione to a Lamppost Comes from Abe Lincoln…

Posted: December 13, 2024 by datechguy in culture
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…who said this about executing deserters in a letter to Ernastus Corning:

“Must I shoot a simple-minded soldier boy who deserts, while I must not touch a hair of a wiley agitator who induces him to desert? This is none the less injurious when effected by getting a father, or brother, or friend, into a public meeting, and there working upon his feeling, till he is persuaded to write the soldier boy, that he is fighting in a bad cause, for a wicked administration of a contemptable government, too weak to arrest and punish him if he shall desert. I think that in such a case, to silence the agitator, and save the boy, is not only constitutional, but, withal, a great mercy.”

If Luigi Mangione died tomorrow I would not want to be him facing St. Peter, but if the choice was between being him before St. Peter tomorrow and being the professors at his college who radicalized him on the day of judgement I’d take my chances as Luigi.

Update: I should point out that both Mangione and the professors in question are like all others, one sincere confession away from avoiding the fire.

The “Self Interest” Argument to Those Insisting that Murdering CEOs Is Justified

Posted: December 12, 2024 by datechguy in culture
Tags: ,

Jesus answered him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Then stepping forward they laid hands on Jesus and arrested him. And behold, one of those who accompanied Jesus put his hand to his sword, drew it, and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its sheath, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.

Matthew 26:50-52

About 35 years ago or so I was approached by a young lady I knew who wanted some advice. She was approached by a fellow I knew and was interested but wanted my opinion on jumping in so to speak.

Now there was a time when the obvious answer: “He’s married!” would have ended the conversation before it began but as this fact had not dissuaded her I decided arguing on moral grounds would fail so instead I made a point concerning self interest noting that if he was willing to abandon a wife and kids to score with you how much faster would he drop you for the next willing woman without those incentives to stay faithful.

And that brings us to the question at hand.

Not too long ago it would have been a given that gunning down a person in cold blood is wrong and that would be the end of the conversation but apparently for the modern college student who is being indoctrinated by leftist Marxist professors who have abandoned the idea that life is sacred such an argument isn’t going to work so let me make one based on simple self interest to those who are cheering over this murder:

1st of all if you are a college student doing this you can kiss goodbye any prospect of getting hired by any significant company for any responsible position but given that many of the folks leading the cheers are already from families with dough that might not be enough of an incentive so let’s get down to the nitty gritty.

If you’re argument is that the “harm” or “potential” harm that a CEO is doing to you or others in a justification for murder then by that same argument a CEO can look at every single person endorsing such murder, every college professor defending such murder and honestly conclude that such people present a clear and present danger to their lives and the lives of their families and thus have a legitimate justification to kill any such person based on self defense.

Furthermore given that a CEO is likely to have a pretty fair sized checkbook it would not take a lot of effort for such a person to obtain a person willing and able to carry out such an assignment who could act discretely without implicating his employer and unlike a CEO who can afford protection it’s very likely that many of these fools cheering this murder on has no such protection and thus could not only be eliminated but could be taken care of in such a way to make that vulnerability clear to all those others cheering over blood.

Now all of this would be so much easier if we returned to the idea that humans are made in the image of God and murdering people who are not an immediate threat to you and yours is an evil thing to do, but since a segment of the population has abandoned this idea let just point out that it’s rather rash to provide an incentive to a person with power and money to kill you or to encourage a group of people with power, money and connection to do so, but hey that’s just me, what do I know compared to college kids being egged on by his professors on this kids of stuff, but hey that’s just me.

That Didn’t Take Long

Posted: December 10, 2024 by datechguy in Uncategorized

As we’ve been noting for a bit the world is treating Donald Trump as if he was already president. He said this about Syria yesterday:

Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!

Less than 24 hour later the Biden Administration does this:

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) launched a series of precision airstrikes against ISIS in central Syria this Sunday.

The operation, which allegedly targeted key ISIS camps and operatives, comes at a critical juncture as the embattled regime of Bashar Assad teeters on the brink of collapse.

I can’t say if this was justified or not but I find the timing….interesting

Syria: Four Perfect Sentences and A Countdown

Posted: December 8, 2024 by datechguy in Always look at the bright side of Trump, middle east
Tags: , ,

Pat Wheeler: Son, l……asked you over here because the Sheriff’s a friend of mine. He’s got trouble. He can use a good man.

Colorado Ryan: To go against the Burdettes, Sheriff?

Sheriff Chance: That’s right.

Pat Wheeler: I told him you were one of the best.

Colorado Ryan: Well…I’ll tell you what I’m a lot better at, Mr. Wheeler… that’s minding my own business. No offense, Sheriff.

Sheriff Chance: No offense.

Pat Wheeler: I never expected that.

Sheriff Chance: He showed good sense. like to have him.

Rio Bravo 1959

There were a lot of parables that Jesus told during his time teaching on earth. One of the most important ones is often ignored. It’s about prudence.

Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’

Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.

Luke 14 28-32

While it’s about the costs of discipleship it’s also about knowing what can be done and what can’t

And that brings me to Syria, one of the best evaluations of the situation that I read is in Arabic

https://twitter.com/Ibrahim_3eissa/status/1865709633647616057

It Translates thus:

Assad is another Arab dictator who has not learned from history. There is not a single dictator who has learned from history. The tragic thing is that the dictator falls and the state collapses and disintegrates, chaos spreads and overthrows, because the dictator creates a state of paper, and an authority of straw, based on oppression and repression. He crushes any alternatives or civil opposition, and then the terrorists come and crush him and crush everything. Syria is on its way to another Libya, another Taliban, or another Turkish-Brotherhood hegemony, but it will not return to the first Syria.

This is spot on. It’s a mess and it’s going to be messier. You know who also sees things in Syria as they are? Donald Trump:

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1865434273953509462

Here is the full tweet, and note the last four sentences emphasis his:

Opposition fighters in Syria, in an unprecedented move, have totally taken over numerous cities, in a highly coordinated offensive, and are now on the outskirts of Damascus, obviously preparing to make a very big move toward taking out Assad. Russia, because they are so tied up in Ukraine, and with the loss there of over 600,000 soldiers, seems incapable of stopping this literal march through Syria, a country they have protected for years. This is where former President Obama refused to honor his commitment of protecting the RED LINE IN THE SAND, and all hell broke out, with Russia stepping in. But now they are, like possibly Assad himself, being forced out, and it may actually be the best thing that can happen to them. There was never much of a benefit in Syria for Russia, other than to make Obama look really stupid. In any event, Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!

The evaluation of Russia’s situation is good but what’s even better is his declaration that the United States should not get involved in that fight.

It’s not our mess and all that will happen if we get involved in it will be a lot of money and dead Americans for no return.

The good news is that in 43 days we’ll have a president who understands this.

The bad news is that until then we don’t know what the people who are currently running the country will do. I would not put it past them to try to get us in this mess just to mess up Trump.

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