Re: [ba-unrev-talk] TELL THEM THEY ARE BEING ATTACKED
Dear Teemu, (01)
I agree with most of the facts you presented, and even with many of their
interpretations. However, I also agree with Henry and Gary that reality is
much more complex. I am currently in the US, and observing what's
happening 'from the inside out'. (02)
I do think you are being overly harsh, though: my sense is that most
patriotic Americans do sincerely believe that they are on mission, working
for the common good. They are bitter that the rest of the world is so
ungrateful. Yet at the same time, there is a 'European perspective', that
the goal of overthrowing Hussein may be just, but that negotiation is much
more effective than brute force, and an Arab perspective, that this brute
force is another insult to their pride leading to more US-domination. (03)
In fact, these three perspectives are caricatures: in reality there are a
multitude, partially overlapping and contradicting. What Henry has made
clear with his careful and valuable arguments, is that these conflicting
perspectives can even exist in a single person's mind. (04)
To focus on the goals of this list: we need instruments that support
clear argumentation on 'wicked issues' (e.g. IBIS), but equally
important, those instruments should help identify - and compare - the
perspectives from which these argumentations are produced. (05)
Aldo (06)
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IN|F/OLAB phone +31-13-4662914/3020, fax +31-13-4663069
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Dr. Aldo de Moor
Infolab, Dept. of Information Systems and Management - Tilburg University
PO Box 90153, 5000 LE Tilburg, The Netherlands
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