08-30-2003, 09:16 AM
Quote:To call martyrdom stupid is, in my opinion, to assume that all persons have the same world view.
No, not the same. To call martyrdom stupid is to assume some world views are better than others. (For myself this is not an assumption, but as I offer no proofs here your usage is correct.)
My real problem here is calling suicide bombers 'martyrs'. A martyr should have an unyeilding devotion to ideals, but that only leads to death when compelled to choose between life and ideals. Rushing to death instead of their ultimate ideal sucks all the heroism out of their life. The same with hunger strikers and people who pour gasoline on themselves and light a match in order to prove a point. Suicidal people in general are just trying to attract attention to themselves, not accomplish anything practical. I am not impressed by such false martyrs.
As you said, Americans take risks but don't do guaranteed suicide missions just to hurt the enemy. There are instances of soldiers falling on grenades to save their buddies, and of risky and reckless attacks, but none with death guaranteed with no positive result. That is not in our "world view."
Growler
"To excuse such an atrocity by blaming U.S. government policies is to deny the basic idea of all morality: that individuals are responsible for their actions." -- Salman Rushdie writing of September 11th
"To excuse such an atrocity by blaming U.S. government policies is to deny the basic idea of all morality: that individuals are responsible for their actions." -- Salman Rushdie writing of September 11th