Friday, July 28, 2006

Bellum Omnium Contra Omnes

Here are AP's transcriptions of the Bush Blair News Conference:

Text: Bush, Blair News Conference, Part 1

Text: Bush, Blair News Conference, Part 2

Go read. These two arrogant self-satisfied fools have just made it crystal clear that as far as they're concerned that they're engaged in a global struggle to conquer the world for their ideology and that "the enemy" is similarly motivated. They're openly talking of a war of ideology which may soon become "a war of all against all." The last such war in Europe was called the thirty years war.

Hobbes described it thus:

"Whatsoever therefore is consequent to a time of Warre, where every man is Enemy to every man; the same is consequent to the time, wherein men live without other security, than what their own strength, and their own invention shall furnish them withall. In such condition, there is no place for Industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently no Culture of the Earth; no Navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by Sea; no commodious Building; no Instruments of moving, and removing such things as require much force; no Knowledge of the face of the Earth; no account of Time; no Arts; no Letters; no Society; and which is worst of all, continuall feare, and danger of violent death; And the life of man, solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short. … …

To this warre of every man against every man, this also is consequent; that nothing can be Unjust. The notions of Right and Wrong, Justice and Injustice have there no place. Where there is no common Power, there is no Law: where no Law, no Injustice. Force, and Fraud, are in warre, the two Cardinall vertues. Justice, and Injustice are none of the Faculties neither of the Body, nor Mind. If they were, they might be in a man that were alone in the world, as well as his Senses, and Passions. They are Qualities, that relate to men in Society, not in Solitude. It is consequent also to the same condition, that there be no Propriety, no Dominion, no Mine and Thine distinct; but onely that to be every mans, that he can get; and for so long, as he can keep it. … …"

markfromireland



Update: Text: Bush, Blair News Conference, Parts 1 and 2 as released by the White House Press Office