From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!npoiv!alice!rabbit!jj
Newsgroups: net.misc
Title: Re: Re: Reagan,Libya,G.Sidra,insanity - (nf)
Article-I.D.: rabbit.669
Posted: Sat Aug  7 14:02:37 1982
Received: Sun Aug  8 00:26:47 1982
References: uiucdcs.313 hplabs.618

	I think we've seen enough arguement about the difference between
Khaddafi and Reagan.  While it is clear to any reasonable person that sailing
through a part of the sea that has been considered open sea
for 250 years (since tripoli, etc.  was first destroyed) is a reasonable act,
there are clearly a few people who will keep on posting deliberately
misleading arguements otherwise.  I don't know what they have to prove, but
they are clearly willing to show their basic lack of reason in the process.

For the record, the entire gulf has been considered "High Sea" ever since the
original pirate kingdoms were destroyed.  The fact that Khaddafi wants to
reestablish a pirate state certainly doesn't change the fact that the
rest of the world will ignore him, and resist if he trys to stake his
claim by murder.  Replying to the arguement that the act of sailing into the
gulf was deliberate provocation:  The provocation was ONLY in the mind of
the  (admittedly insane) person who was attempting to reestablish his pirate
state.  If that constitutes deliberate provocation, so does trying to 
hospitalize any other murderous paranoid, and we are all guilty for
not allowing them to run loose among the rest of society.

I suggest that the reasonable persons on the net just drop the arguement, 
since there is little more to be said, since this arguement has become nothing
other than a recognized forum for unreason.

Whatever your viewpoint of Reagan, making a comparison between him and
an acknowleged madman is going to help no-one, including Reagan's detractors.
Remember:  "Discord among the ranks serves only the enemy." 
(Who said that, trivia lovers?)