Is politically motivated violence acceptable?

[hollodero]

(10-02-2020, 12:11 PM)GMDino Wrote: Isn't that where it gets gummy though?

Iran thinks Trump is a terrorist.  We kill terrorists.  They can justify a killing as some who is "extreme". 

I get Hitler is an extreme example but had we captured him would that be worse?  Of course we'd have sentenced him to death and killed him anyway.

It's why I have a hard time with it.  Not that I think Trump is the same as Hitler or Kim but that humans use their own justifications for such actions.  We all do.

Sure it is gummy (never heard that word, but I assume I get the meaning). And of course I chose an extreme to somewhat counter a principle.

As for Hitler, the US killing him is one thing, but the assassination attempts came from several German people within, that didn't have an alternative to killing him. So they engaged in an act of violence that usually gets condemned in principle, but in that extreme case, I can no longer uphold the principle. Eg. I wish he would have gotten killed in '39 by a politcally motivated assassination. 

And because of that, I can not really claim that I think acts like those are the wrong choice in virtually every case. Not in this one.