“A. We are more numerous than they are, therefore we have a right to their [resources].
B. They are more numerous than we are, therefore they are wickedly trying to steal out [resources].
C. We are a mighty race and have a natural right to subjugate their puny one.
D. They are a mighty race and are unnaturally trying to subjugate our inoffensive one.
E. We must attack them in self-defence.
F. They are attacking us by defending themselves.
G. If we do not attack them today, they will attack us tomorrow.
H. In any case, we are not attacking them at all. We are offering them incalculable benefits.”
WHO? T. H. White in The Once and Future King.
He’s describing the logic used on the ant population by one set of war-mongering ants that want to attack another hill of war-mongering ants. The original said “mash” instead of “resources” but I thought the arguments used sounded familiar.
posted at 8:12 am
on Sep. 6, 2005
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