From: Grant Callaghan (grantc4@hotmail.com)
Date: Sun 17 Nov 2002 - 06:22:43 GMT
>
>Grant ...............
> >We, as a society, don't accept offers we can't refuse.
>
>Is that fair grant, it would seem that you, as a society, are quite adept
>at making them. IMHO it starts with your kids at Halloween; a suspect meme
>that has gained a toxic toehold in hy fair nation. A friend of mine refused
>the blackmail and had her car covered with egg and brake fluid. is this
>USAnian terror exported to another sovereign nation?
>;~> Jeremy
>
Pardon me if I fail to see the relevance of your comparison there. An offer
you can't refuse is one in which a gun is held to your head and if you
refuse you die. Being punished for refusal is not quite the same. "Go to
your room or I'll spank you." is not an offer you can't refuse. It's just
an offer with unpleasant consquences based on refusal.
As a government position, we don't pay ransome to kidnappers, for example.
If we pay, they'll continue to kidnap. That's the type of refusal I'm
talking about. When the Muslims in the Philippines kidnapped some
missionaries and demanded ransome or they would behead the missionary, we
sent troops instead. The missionary died. That the American reaction to
that kind of demand. Summed up historically, I believe, with "Millions for
defence but not one cent for tribute."
Or words to that effect.
Grant
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