Sometimes, Violence Really Is the Answer

Listen to Sam Harris skillfully eviscerate the “both sides” argument in the Israel-Hamas war: “The boundary between antisemitism and generic moral stupidity is a little hard to discern, and I’m not sure it’s always important to find it. I’m not sure it matters why a person can’t… Show more

This awful past has resonated deeply with me for months as I have watched the unfolding of the conflict between Israel and Hamas and the outrageous toll that it has taken on civilians on both sides—first against Israelis, and then in vastly larger numbers against Palestinians. Dower argues, I believe convincingly, that one only arrives at a state o... See more

Sam Harris articulating why "using human shields" versus "being deterred by them" tells you "everything you need to know about the moral imbalance between Israel and her enemies." TRANSCRIPT: The truth is that everything you need to know about the moral imbalance between Israel… Show more

The doctrine of deterrence has taken a beating. Few doubt that Israel can strike back at Gaza in a very powerful way, and yet that wasn’t enough to stop the attacks. I am still trying to digest this one.

Provoking the enemy to action without eliminating any of his weapons or options is an act of desperation, taken only when there is no other option. Whenever it is possible to inflict serious material damage, nobody gives that up in favor of mere terrorism. If in December 1941 the Japanese torpedoed a civilian passenger ship in order to provoke the

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Like terrorists, those combating terrorism should also think more like theater producers and less like army generals. Above all, if we want to combat terrorism effectively, we must realize that nothing the terrorists do can defeat us. We are the only ones who can defeat ourselves, if we overreact in a misguided way to their provocations. Terrorists

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