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Originally posted by jaguar
Evil. That’s an odd word to associate with violence in all cases.
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Distinguish here between "violence" and "agression". Not all violence is agression.
That's one serious problem with the Asmov quote lifted out of context. While the last refuge of the incompetant may indeed be violence, it does not follow that all violence is the acts of desparate incompetants...which is the implicit argument when somebody trots that quote out. This is called
"affirming the consequent" , and it's a logical fallacy.
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I don't see how countervailing something is a tool either....but I digress.
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<blockquote>
<i>To act against with equal force, power, or effect; to thwart
or overcome by such action; to furnish an equivalent to or
for; to counterbalance; to compensate.</i></blockquote>
An umbrella countervails against rain. A flashlight countervails against darkness. A fire extinguisher countervails against fire. An antibiotic countervails against disease. A weapon used defensively countervails against agression.
Of course, a tool can be used agressively as well. I could try to poison you with a pharmaceutical, or try to smother you with a fire extinguisher.
Evil intent will find a tool. Gun prohibitionists ban guns, and then claim success when firearms crime is displaced by violence with other weapons, in greater volume because the victims are known to be disarmed.