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chaotic_nippleBy way of analogy: Suppose that you were a person who, despite general opposition from all experts in a given field, engaged in an action that was not really necessary, but that you insisted was an absolutely wonderful idea. In the course of this action, you accidentally run over a guy's dog, burn down his house, and drop a load of bricks on his wife and kids. It's worth noting that lots of other people warned you that your Glorious Undertaking was a bad idea from the very beginning, but you ignored them.
Now, if you're not a total shitbag, you would feel obliged to make amends. But would you really invite your victim to live in your own home? He might just decide that the best "amends" possible would be to tie you up in your sleep and pour drano down your throat. Especially if you keep insisting to him that you never did anything _wrong_, that his suffering was a completely unforeseeable consequence of your well intentioned and absolutely necessary, nay, HEROIC plan.
Yes, we owe Iraqi refugees restitution, probably more than we'll ever be able to pay. We don't have to put ourselves at risk trying.
Now, the translators are another story. Their lives are in particular danger because of the services they did us. We should take in as many of them as we can, if only to encourage others to cooperate with us in the future.
Now, if you're not a total shitbag, you would feel obliged to make amends. But would you really invite your victim to live in your own home? He might just decide that the best "amends" possible would be to tie you up in your sleep and pour drano down your throat. Especially if you keep insisting to him that you never did anything _wrong_, that his suffering was a completely unforeseeable consequence of your well intentioned and absolutely necessary, nay, HEROIC plan.
Yes, we owe Iraqi refugees restitution, probably more than we'll ever be able to pay. We don't have to put ourselves at risk trying.
Now, the translators are another story. Their lives are in particular danger because of the services they did us. We should take in as many of them as we can, if only to encourage others to cooperate with us in the future.