In a message dated 07/28/2003 9:05:20 AM Eastern Standard Time, mpruddy@msn.com writes: > > My fellow Yankees and Rebels, > If you can´t beat em join em... > > I have been following the most recent version of the most old debate with > great interest and before I become mindless or listless, I would like to > step out of my sideline role as moderator of the non-moderate for a moment > and, with my "lingua" planted firmly on the lateral-side soft tissue > surrounding my ingestion orifice, I would like to make a "Modest Proposal" > (apologies to Jonathan Swift) > > There is in the question "Did the South have a legal right to secede from > the United States?" a similarity to another more modern question "Did the > United States have a legal right to attack Iraq?" > > Both of these questions point past the (hopefully) obvious fact no one is > really trying answer the question in order to solve the problem. The result > of those acts is irreversible in both cases -- we cannot un-secede the South > any more than we can un-invade Iraq. Debating such faites acomplis (for my > Francophone friends who have all but disappeared, I hope I got that plural > right) isn´t really fruitful unless there is a purpose. Since it is > inconceivable to think this debate is a well thought out monumental waste of > time perpetrated on the rest of us by those who persist in prolonging it as > a test of our will to stay subscribed, I prefer the much more positive view > that the "legality of secession" debate has one of two much more > Hi Mike, I must say that was one of the most humorous post that I have read lately. It sure does put our bickering into perspective...guess we just get caught up sometimes in our own viewpoint, and forget we are beating a dead horse...but it is fun, and does make you do your research and learn. Carolyn