Socrates visits an anti-war rally
Socrates- using the Socratic Method against liberals and for innocents in Iraq.
Socrates is regarded as the father of political philosophy, contributing to the West the nebulous origins of the Scientific Method through his dialectic technique of seeking understanding. Better known as the Socratic Method – asking question after question to expose faulty logic - it can be frustrating in that it forces one to examine not only their beliefs but the very soundness of those beliefs. How would a war protestor fair against Socrates?
War Protester: War is evil and we must get our troops out of Iraq.
Socrates: Why is war evil?
War Protester: Because innocent people suffer and die.
Socrates: And why must we pull out of Iraq?
War Protester: So more of our soldiers won’t die because of George Bush’s mistake.
Socrates: Were people dying in Iraq before the war?
War Protester: Well, yes- Saddam was responsible for the deaths of at least half a million of his own people, and more if you count who died during his wars of aggression.
Socrates: Were those people not innocent?
War Protester: Sure, but it was none of our business to get involved.
Socrates: So, war is evil because innocent people suffer and die?
War Protester: Yes.
Socrates: And should mankind oppose evil?
Protestor: Of course!
Socrates: And so opposing evil would be akin to opposing the killing of innocent people?
War Protester: Obviously.
Socrates: If not by war, then what would you have tried to do to put an end Saddam’s killing of innocent people?
War Protester: Sanctions, maybe.
Socrates: Were sanctions ever tried?
War Protester: Uh, yeah they were.
Socrates: And did they put an end to the killing and the suffering?
War Protester: Well, no. They actually led to the starvation and anguish of a lot of Iraqi’s.
Socrates: And this suffering was in addition to the suffering inflicted by Saddam?
War Protestor: Yes.
Socrates: Since sanctions did not work, is there anything else that could have prevented Saddam from murdering innocent people?
War Protester: There had to be some way of doing this without putting our troops in harms way.
Socrates: And what way would that be?
War Protester: I do not know.
Socrates: Does anybody know?
War Protester: Congress, maybe.
Socrates: Did Congress vote to approve the war?
War Protestor: Well, yes- but some of them now claim they made a mistake.
Socrates: And have the offered another alternative to war?
War Protestor: No. And I just want them to bring our troops home.
Socrates: What would happen if the US withdrew its troops?
War Protestor: Iraq would likely descend into a bloody, violent civil war.
Socrates: Would this lead to more deaths and more suffering than is occurring now?
War Protestor: But our troops should be brought home!
Socrates: I ask again, would withdrawing US troops lead to more deaths and more suffering than is occurring now?
War Protestor: Yes, but our troops! They should not be there!
Socrates: So now you claim it is not good to oppose the killing of innocent people?
War Protestor: Yes- I mean no! I mean, not by war!
Socrates: How then would you oppose the killing of innocent people?
War Protestor: By opposing war.
Socrates: Did your opposition to war end Saddam’s mass murders or close his rape and torture rooms?
War Protestor: No, but I just can’t support war!
Socrates: Why?
War Protestor: Because war is wrong!
Socrates: If war is wrong because innocent people die then is doing nothing also wrong if, by your inaction, innocent people die?
War Protestor: I just have to oppose war!
Socrates: So, you oppose the only method that proved successful in ending the autocracies of Saddam?
War Protestor: I would not put it that way but yeah, two wrongs don’t make a right.
Socrates: But if in doing nothing people continue to suffer and die then is that not also a wrong?
War Protestor: (Becoming agitated)- I guess. I mean, whatever- war just isn’t the answer, man.
Socrates: How do you know war is not the answer since you have already claimed that you do not know what the answer is to ending the suffering and dying in Iraq?
War Protestor: Beginning to breathe heavily and speak angrily makes unintelligible sounds…
Ah, if it really were this simple to show liberals how ignorant they are.
December 5th, 2007 at 7:50 pm
Yeah, if only it was so easy it would be a better world.
If this was a real “conversation” with a liberal, at about the 3rd question, Socrates would have been yelled at as a warmonger, facist, biggot and all around bad guy then had a bucket of blood thrown on to his toga.
The the liberal would then be proudly led away with wrists bound to the applause of his fellow rent-a-crowd liberals with full coverage in the next mornings tablets…
December 6th, 2007 at 4:39 am
Perhaps the chief difference between “Jeffrates” and Socrates is this: Socrates admitted “I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance.” “Jeffrates” is not so humble or wise. It is hardly Socratic to rigorously analyze the views of others and not one’s own.