"History shows that you have to commit a small barbarism to prevent a bigger barbarism."

That was a quote today from right wing extremist Anders Breivik, used as justification for the cold-blooded murder of 77 people at a summer camp for the Norwegian liberal party.

Almost all of them were children.

Now, there are a portion of you who will read this and shake your head at the lunacy of Breivik's rationalization. This message is not directed at you. It's directed at the other portion out there.

The ones who will immediately start fidgeting. "But, but, but..." And they'll be searching for just the perfect rebuttal to my post, just the perfect example.

If you find your mind working to come up with that perfect rebuttal it's because you agree with the sentiment and just can't come out and say it in so many words. Maybe not in a thread where you and a mass murderer are so clearly sitting on the same side of the table, anyway. But as the song goes, "I'll be seeing you in all the old familiar places..."

And in those other threads you'll work that angle hard, pass it off as a kind of wisdom- if you can get away with it. "History shows that you have to commit a small barbarism to prevent a bigger barbarism."

And you'll do this because, deep down, both you and Anders know you're right...right?



PB