&gt; This statement is about a career government official cynically using the murder of a large number of people for his own ends<p>Which sort of takes for granted the idea that the government official&#x27;s position -- which no one doubts precedes the attacks -- is not honestly held for the reasons presented, and that the official does not honestly believe that the attacks represent the kind of problem that adopting the policies he advocates would help prevent.<p>It doesn&#x27;t seem to me that this style of argument serves much except to win kudos from people who already agree with the ideas behind it and oppose the policies being advocated.