But Mommmmmm!

This comment was posted by Christopher under this posting at Who Is Ioz? There's no permalink (I could swear there used to be permalinks for the comments there), or I'd just link to it. But it's the perfect rational response to an argument we've all heard, not just about Israel but about the US.

Only assholes use "There are worse things out there, you have no right to complain about anything until you've complained about those."

A while back I was working and a piece of wood fell over and landed on my head. I swore, because it was painful, and the people around me asked if I was okay.

What's notable is that not one of them said "Hey, what the hell are you complaining about? Do you know how many people out there wish their biggest problem was getting hit in the head with a board?"

Evil does not somehow become acceptable because something worse happened somewhere else.

So I kind of think you're granting too much to Friedman, Mr. IOZ; Friedman is arguing that we can't arrest a man for killing his wife and kids if there are serial killers running around. It's a bullshit logic only employed by people who are trying to wriggle out of some deserved punishment.

The magnitude of Isreal's crimes has nothing to do with what other countries are doing.

Though as a matter of fact, most of the people I agree with have "complained about those" -- the worse things out there. It's probably impossible to complain about all the bad, even the totally worsest things in the world, but few of the people I know of who have criticized Israel have been silent about the crimes of other nations. It's only when someone criticizes Israel or the US that these clowns wake up and start yammering.