SerialCoder wrote:To address coerst's origial post:
I would contend that in a country like the US, morality is dynamic. Or perhaps "flexible" is a better way to say it. This may be a bit of a stretchy argument but I would base that on our morals coming from our pseudo Christian roots. From my vantage point, our country is a massive contradiction. id est, we claim to be of high moral stock and then we perpetrate all kinds of horrific acts against ourselves and others. So I guess I would have to claim that water boarding is moral if it is the flavor of the moment and it is immoral if enough of us find it offensive and show our dissent.
The empathy comments I could not agree with more. I think that a lack of empathy (and even an understanding of what it is) in our culture is a root of much of this crap.
I am new here so I hope this isn't considered "flaming" but the notion of "whatever it takes" being OK is just barbaric and stupid.
my 2 cents...
An article in Sunday's op-ed section of the New York Times speaks of the dumbng down of the American culture. Therein lay the rub. Our culture has a strong anti-intellectual element and any effort at inellectual activity is attacked. The problem is that we are a nation of ignorance and proud of it.
