QotD: a template for a simple right-wing philosophy

An pseudonymous commenter takes Chris Bertram to task (unjustified) on a Crooked Timber thread and manages to come up with a template for a simple right-wing philosophy:

Those designated to be on the receiving end of the violence will surely be intimidated and desist, no matter what their ideology. This is because they are thought of primarily as physical objects. And those designated to be on the delivering end of the violence will be judged primarily on their good intentions, quite apart from the actual effects of what they do. They are thought of as people with spiritual nobility. Two kinds of people. That’s the philosophy, in a nutshell.

Though jdw is too harsh on Bertram, there is a kernel of truth in their more general observation. You can see this philosophy in action with Tony Blair when he explains how because his intentions were pure, he can’t be held accountable for the War on Iraq…