A lethal kind of logic

One of the greatest strengths of the human mind is the ability to rationalize
cause out of intent. It gives us the ability to take any impulse, and find
causality which may or may not be true, and create a justification for the
rational or irrational. Elevated to collective social levels, this is referred
to as politics.

When destruction or self-destruction is the impulse, altruism (or
the appearance thereof) or other forms of self-lessness are used
to excuse the impact of such acts. The simple adoption of a
cause which can appear to have some positive impact then
becomes justification for mayhem at any scale. Mayhem
may not be the goal, but it is certainly, and clearly the impulse.

Three examples:
1) A reckless dictator needs to be deposed before he inflicts
further harm on the people he `leads' or his neighbors
(in a geographical or global-political sense). The apparent
benefit in bestowing freedom on his people is clearly
a moral imperative, while other benefits (restoring the
free flow of commerce) are controlled by the initiator
of the conflict.

2) Selecting a companion for a relationship based on the
potential for long-term harm, be it emotional, financial,
or epidemiological, as long as the companion benefits
in the short or immediate term;

3) Suicide as a public service. By removing oneself from
the community, one removes the burden or threat one
poses to the community. Ultimately, the community
is better served by the decreased drag on it by this
individual.

In point of fact, none of these justifications elevate the
act. Mayhem remains mayhem, damage remains damage,
loss remains loss. When actions are undertaken out of
ego, is the aftermath merely sophistry made manifest?