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Originally Posted by Parabellum
Arguing that you can't make this decision unless you have been emotionally affected by it (actually seeing the carnage in front of you) is the definition of irrationality.
Irrational - to disregard or act against reason.
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How is that irrational? I'm simply stating that a person's opinions / beliefs are shaped by their experiences. It's one thing to talk about this on an internet message board. It's another thing entirely to talk about it after a friend, a co-worker, a family member or even yourself, has been DIRECTLY affected by the actions of these extremists.
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Originally Posted by Parabellum
CTanddc's post was nothing more than an appeal to emotion.
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I don't get that one. But I guess if you are well insulated from these issues, then it would seem as an "appeal to emotion".
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Originally Posted by Parabellum
I'm not an internet tough guy, just a guy who values reason and logic over emotion.
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It's the internet..so I take it as such..but from the context of your post, it seems like you might be inferring that I am coming off as some sort of "internet tough guy". If that's the case, you are way off target. I served my country in the military for more than a few years. That was my choice alone. In some of the positions that I was put in, I experienced things that many people never will....let me rephrase..I , and the many people I served with, experienced things that I hope no other person has to experience. But regardless of that fact, EVERYTHING that happens in your life, helps to shape the person you become. That's a simple fact.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Parabellum
EDIT: And we do this all the time. The US has a strict NO NEGOTIATION policy on kidnapping and ransom demands. We do tell the families of kidnapped citizens that we will NOT negotiate a release. Usually the people telling the families that are members of the military, or former military members now working for the government....so please do not try to sell me the "if you had been there you wouldn't be able to do the same" argument. People could and would tell a family that lost a loved one that we will NOT resort to torture to obtain shaky information. I would do it if I was in that position, and I don't expect you to believe me, since you clearly place emotion > reason.
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We made quite a jump here.
And since you "clearly" place reason over emotion, then please don't ASSUME that you would make certain decisions. How can you use "reason" to assume you'd make certain decisions in positions / environments that you have never been in? That's called an assumption. With no facts to back that assumption. NO ONE can predict how they will react to certain situations. And you may call it "emotion" but decisions made by human beings in stressful situations are influenced by "emotion". It's what makes us human in the first place.