Do the ends justify the means?

Well, what else could justify any action, other than accurate assessment of the consequences?

The problem, as is the case with all moral issues, is one of limited scope of awareness. We can never foresee all the direct and indirect consequences of our intended actions, nor can we fully assess the full consequences after the fact.

Therefore, the best we can do is to evaluate within the largest possible context, and to act within the smallest effective context.

What might this imply about the Fermi paradox...?

Notes:

expediency
near term versus far term

Sun Dec 22, 1:12 PM ET

By CALVIN WOODWARD, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Today's claims about Iraq could become tomorrow's call to arms. But not all the statements coming from the Bush administration have been supported by evidence, and some that haven't are central to the question of whether Americans should go to war.

The overarching claim, that Iraq possesses weapons of mass destruction, may have the weight of probability behind it, but it has yet to be backed by proof shared with the public.

Behind that is a cast of supporting allegations, some veering off into murky territory.