Certainty a past relic

I'd like to thank Mr. Frank Richardson for his reminder of how eloquent and persuasive those who argue for appeasement can be in his letter titled Nihilistic madness published in The Jakarta Post, Dec. 19, 2001. It is ironic that great intellects often align themselves with peace efforts that later prove to be ghastly mistakes. Millions upon millions died in the twentieth century, as Mr. Richardson points out. My question is how many millions more would have ultimately died had we not fought World War II?

Let's set aside, for the sake of argument, the complete stupidity of World War I, which was begun by some of the most arrogant and idiotic national leaders of modern history. Instead, consider where Mr. Richardson's arguments would have put us in the face of World War II? He would have been most welcome at the negotiating table in Munich.

And today, certainly any modern terrorist would be swayed after considering Mr Richardson's arguments, if he was begging for his life in the aisle of a hijacked airliner or praying over the body of a loved one in a bombed pizza parlor.

Let's not confuse the inherent problems of past conventional warfare with our newfound battle and its larger societal implications. More original thinking than this is going to be required when confronting the new challenges the world is facing.

Somewhere between the jingoistic, flag-waving bellicosity of Fox News and the well meaning, but misguided voice of peace sounded by Mr. Richardson is where we will continually find ourselves in the coming years. Because of the horrors foisted upon us last September, the world has been condemned to that great gray abyss of ethical purgatory where no one (with a brain) will ever feel comfortable and no decision of national and global importance will ever be totally right or entirely wrong.

EDWARD PRESSMAN

Jakarta