Common Sense Knows No Boundaries: Neither does Bureaucratic Vindictiveness

This post does not relate directly to the War on Terror. It is, however, a tribute to common sense and individual responsibility.

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"The Man Who Saved the World by Doing Nothing"

The remarkable tale of Stanislav Petrov. If you're alive, you probably have Mr. Petrov to thank.

Without his common sense and willingness to think, back in 1983, the Soviet Union might have launched a 'counter-attack' to an American nuclear strike that never happened.

The Soviets had recently shot down Korean Air Flight 007, killing hundreds of people, including an American congressman. Soviet leadership seems to have thought that America would launch a nuclear attack as a result. Psychologists call that sort of thing "projection."

And yes, the account of Stanislav Petrov's good sense, and the price he paid for saving the world, seems to be true.

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I contrasted Soviet and American responses in "Six Years Ago, Tomorrow: Remembering 9/11" (September 10, 2007). People who honestly believe that America is an imperialistic, militaristic, warmonger oppressor with no regard for human life might benefit from comparing the fates of Korea Air Flights 007 and 85.