Less Encouragement please

Okay, new memo...

Given that:

1) Our presence on the planet "encourages" the extremists because we are breathing.
2) Our staying or leaving Iraq would "encourage" someone to do something.
3) Our staying hunkered down in bases would "encourage" someone to do something.
4) Our being active out in the community would "encourage" someone to do something.

Therefore be it resolved that:

We should stop using physics laws to govern human socio/politcal interactions.

Look, can we PLEASE stop using the word "encourage" to describe every possible consequence of every possible action or inaction?

That's what we're talking about here. Consequences. And like it or not, there is no consequence free way to exist. But using the term "encourage" implies that we are advocating a response by our actions or inactions. The thing is, we're not. Flip it around and you'll see what I mean.

Do you think the insurgents are "encouraging" the US Army by their actions or inactions? Do you think US Army troops are jumping for joy when a car bomb goes off, giving them ANOTHER "encouragement" to go out on patrol? Does that make sense to you? Do you think that patrol would be canceled if the car bomb didn't happen?

Of course it wouldn't. The Army, and the bad guys, are both going to do what they do for their own reasons. While you can affect the morale of each to some degree, you can't change their goals or actions by random "encouragement". The army WILL patrol, the baddies WILL plant IEDs, and no action or inaction by the others is going to change that.

This whole thing comes out of a misapplication of Newtons second law, the ol' "to every action there is always opposed an equal reaction". WHICH DOES NOT WORK WHEN IT COMES TO HUMANS! Seriously. Ever seen a battered woman DEFENDING her boyfriend/husband? There you go. Not everything we do (or don't do) is going to have an impact on the insurgents. And those things which do have an impact may have a completely different impact than expected. The point is, that using the term "encouragement" means that everything we do, or don't do, causes some sort of a foreseeable reaction with the insurgents. And that's just hokey.

So we need to just give up the idea of holding ourselves hostage to the "encouragement" our actions or inactions may cause. It's pointless, counter-productive and a bit morale sapping. It twists responsibility for the insurgents actions and places it all on us. And while we bear some responsibility for some things, especially if our troops act undisciplined or hurt innocents, no way do we bear all the responsibility for everything. The bad guys have free will too. They don't need any "encouragement" to do what they do.

Regards,
-Bouncer-