Tuesday, January 29, 2008

from John Strawson

Via Engage, comes this interview with John Strawson. I recommend it, though I'm not sure yet how much of it I agree with.

By the way, take note of this article Strawson wrote in 2006 on the inappropriateness of the apartheid analogy. In the new interview, Strawson makes brief use of a limited version of the analogy in a very specific way - that specificity is part of the difference between his pointed and incisive criticism and the demonization others engage in. And, while at it, you might want to see Irshad Manji on the wall (I'm not sure how completely I agree with her, either):
Since the barrier went up, suicide attacks have plunged, which means innocent Arab lives have been spared along with Jewish ones. Does a concrete effort to save civilian lives justify the hardship posed by this structure? The humanitarian in me bristles, but ultimately answers yes.

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