> Of course you are overlooking the fact that the unintended consequence was the training of a group of people who have become the Taliban and Al-Qaida who were such "wonderful" people then and are such "awful" people now. Give me a break. The ends do not justify the means.

All actions have unintended consequences, quite often for the worse. There aren't any real "perfect" solutions to most problems-just trade-offs.

The argument pacifists always use against all wars is that lives will always be lost. What most rational people have to consider though, is what option will mean more loss of life. Peace and complacency has its dangers-as September 11th showed.

A study of safety regulations in the U.S. showed that driver and passanger fatalities in accidents decreased after seat belt laws, although pedistrian injuries increased, after drivers began driving less cautiously. It was a negative unintended consequence, but it was the better of the two situations.

When studying policy and international issues, you have to keep in mind that inaction can be more dangerous than action in some cases. You can argue against any policy, strike, or war on the basis that some innocent people will be adversely affected. Heartless as it may seem, policymakers also have to consider what's best for the most people.

Mark"Funny, a while back, that was me"N