Dumbledore WAS: Re: Love and Joy vs. Hate and Despair

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 190947

 
> Nikkalmati
> 
> But having one guy decide what is best for everyone else is just wrong.  Plus the ethical canon "the greater good" is subject to severe misuse and can excuse much bad behavior.
> 

Pippin:
I'm confused. In your earlier post you mentioned mob rule, and now you say that having one guy decide for everyone else is just wrong. But if one person does not stand up to protect the innocent against the mob, who will?

I wish there was an ethical canon that wasn't subject to severe misuse and had never been used to excuse bad behavior -- unfortunately clever people like Dumbledore can always find a way to rationalize their decisions no matter what ethics they subscribe to. 

BTW, there was certainly enough evidence to arrest Sirius, though I agree he should have been tried. But there is not the slightest chance that anyone would have believed his story, and even if Dumbledore had investigated it, what proof could he have found? 

Dumbledore would try not to abrogate or disbelieve the charges just because it's his friend who is being accused. That would be favoritism.  He investigates when he believes that someone  has been accused without evidence, or to get evidence when he knows that someone is guilty (such as when he administers veritaserum to Fake!Moody). 

Sirius must have protested his innocence many times while Dumbledore was looking for the spy -- so why would Dumbledore think that he needed to hear more of it? That was a mistake, but there were  many people being sent to Azkaban on Crouch's say-so, or even being killed out of hand. Dumbledore would surely think they were  more deserving of his limited time and protection than Sirius was. 

Dumbledore says he knew that Harry would have a bad time at the Dursleys. He wasn't trusting that Petunia wouldn't do too badly, in fact he expected to find Harry in much worse shape than he was. But Petunia was just barely willing to take Harry, in the belief that she and Vernon could "stamp out that dangerous nonsense." Tell her she can't do it, and who is going to protect Harry, who will let Dumbledore protect Harry, especially when most of the WW believes that Voldemort is gone for good and everyone is safe? That belief did not spare the Longbottoms and it wouldn't have saved Harry either. 

Pippin