Bad Consequentialism and Good Consequentialism


Bad Consequentialism is when people vote on the basis of the ends justifying the means and support some evil that we disapprove of. So, for existence, an American people generally tired of all things conservative (because of the war) throws the rascals out and, for good measure, throws support behind behind every pro-abort person and policy they can find, just to make it stick.

Message: our sense of fear and lack of security are the most important thing in the world. All other considerations, including the intrinsic moral evil of abortion, be damned. Sometimes you have to use brutal, unjust measures to stay safe.

Good consequentialism, on the other hand, is when people vote on the basis of the ends justifying the means and support some evil that we approve of. Which is why something like this is greeted with cries of both "good!" and "liar!" by people who have not the slightest clue about the facts in the case but who do feel safer knowing that the CIA has the power to rendition and torture perceived enemies, yet do not want to admit that they feel this way, nor that the CIA in fact does such things. So they both affirm the goodness of torture while pre-emptively denying that torture happens.

Message: our sense of fear and lack of security are the most important thing in the world. All other considerations, including the intrinsic moral evil of torture, be damned. Sometimes you have to use brutal, unjust measures to stay safe.

(Nota bene: Yes, yes, I realize that in this particular case it is an open question as to whether the alleged victim's claims are true or not. In other cases, it is a documented fact. The point *here* is not the factuality of the alleged victim's claims, but of the reaction of those who, having no idea of the facts in the case, both cheer for torture and vehemently deny it ever happens at our hands. Much like pro-aborts who cheer for abortion while denying that anybody is ever getting killed, it reveals the divided conscience and incoherent thinking that always attends those who make the Faustian Bargain of embracing an intrinsic moral evil for the sake of some perceived good. In short, it turns out that *all* consequentialism is Bad Consequentialism.

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