> > What I was trying to say was that killing can often times solve problems, contrary to "killing doesn't solve anything." It shouldn't be the first resort, and it shouldn't be done for anything but the most serious purposes, but when used in this fashion, it is effective. For example, who would argue (other than my friend, and yes she did argue this point) that killing Hitler in 1935 would have avoided the Holocaust? Notice that I'm not arguing that it would have prevented WWII - it may have, but it could have happened anyways, on a smaller scale or something - but I figure the odds of the Holocaust happening without Hitler in charge would be very small.
> >
>
> I agree fully - However, you have to have a pretty good crystal ball...
>
> Beside, there is no telling what would have happened otherwise. Anyway... Except in SWATesque intervention, killings rarely stop things that have already started.
>
> Etienne


I don't agree. Of course, the actual Holocaust incident (!) would have been prevented, but it is my firm conviction that someone else would have come along instead, maybe at a later time, given it another name, but essentially do the same thing. Why do I think this? Hitler was not the problem. Hitler was the extreme manifestation of the problem. Therefore, killing Hitler would not have solved the problem, it would merely be dammage control. It's the same thing when murderers are electrocuted or whatever. The problem is not solved. The problem is that someone innocent was murdered. This is not rectified by executing the murderer, but you can hope to limit the number of people who might do it later on. Similarly, killing all terrorists will not end terrorism. If you do not solve the problems that "created" terrorism, terrorists will come back. You know what problems I'm thinking of, and you know why I put "created" between quotes. If you don't, ask someone, but I can't be bothered right now.

In conclusion, killing doesn't solve problems. At most it controls them, which is not the same. This is precisely *why* we all say that it should only be the last resort.

jul"Oh no! Look at the mess I've got myself into again!"ian