Comments | moose_noise: Pathos, Bathos and a Joke in Episode 3

moose_noise

Pathos, Bathos and a Joke in Episode 3

Feb 17, 2009 15:57

They [Strathclyde University researchers led by Prof. Tim Bedford] found that although most of the missions failed to meet their original objectives, they could still be seen as strategic successes because of unplanned or unforeseen consequences. Researchers noted that despite Columbus's failure to reach Asia, his planned destination, he did ( Read more... )

Comments 5

class_worrier February 17 2009, 21:37:54 UTC

I think I may be guilty of employing the same logic.
I once convinced a deflated J that failure wasn't always bad as we wouldn't be together if our past relationships were entirely successful.

moose_noise February 17 2009, 22:16:43 UTC

There's a difference between saying "every cloud has a silver lining" and doing something stupid and declaring it a success because some unforeseen good arises from the ensuing chaos. Although, nothing ventured, nothing gained, etc.

mcgazz February 17 2009, 23:01:01 UTC

I believe in "Presidents don't make history, history makes Presidents", but I'm not sure what unintended consequences the Bush era threw up.

Mind you, if you're an Iranian, Dubya did good - he got rid of Saddam Hussein (permanently) and the Taliban (for a bit) and left the USA too militarily tied up to do anything else.

moose_noise February 17 2009, 23:44:05 UTC

I'm not sure if "hurrying on the end times" counts as unintended.
The way I hear it, Bush helped the Iranian theocrats in particular. I've also heard that latterly he thwarted Cheney's desires to bomb Iran, but I don't know how much truth there is in that.

lemonandlatte February 22 2009, 01:04:24 UTC

I meant to say when I saw this post, Gavin, y'know, my globe trotting mate, was in Panama in November and he went to the area where the attempt was.

Don't think he tried to reclaim it for us.

So Scottish though, that whole snatching defeat from the jaws of victory plus we would have to try the hardest part to colonise really. To think, we could be a global power...well we were...Gavin is about to go Brazil for 6th time and near Santos is what was the world's first moutain side scaling railway - built by Scots. And is was the Scots connected to that project who brought football to Brazil. I think. Although I also think perhaps Hibs were the first European side to go to Brazil.