Re: License to....

["Brad Wilson" <bradw@pobox.com>]

>Pity the Germans that have to live with this "legacy" for the rest of their
>existence............

It is not proper, nor rational, to attribute the sins of a government to all
its people.  You must deal with people as individuals, not "subjects of an
evil government".  My country (US) had slaves.  Perhaps even someone I am
distantly related to had slaves (though it's not very likely, since we've
been primarily a northern family).  Even so, I am not a racist.  I am not a
slaver.  And I am NOT responsible for the past sins of my country.  I didn't
do it, I don't agree with it.  Don't blame me.

>every German carries with him a seed of this evil (if
>my father could do it, could I?...............given the "right
>circumstances"......)

"Determinism" (what you're espousing here) is a horribly misguided
philosophical "excuse" used by those who need a convenient "out" for the
things that they do.  On a smaller scale, we assert that children are
"genetically pre-disposed" to do things like murder.  Bulls**t.  People are
sentient, volitional beings.  They do what they want to.

ObAudi: mmm, just saw an A8 cruising around today.  *wishes he had the
money*  *wishes the unusual 75 degree day today would stick around for
another week, rather than just another day*

-- Brad Wilson ----- Student of Objectivism ----- Mercenary Programmer --
Email: bradw@pobox.com   Radio: KA8RJS   Web: http://www.pobox.com/~bradw

"C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot;  C++ makes it harder, but
when you do it blows your whole leg off." -- Bjarne Stroustrop, inventor
of the C++ programming language