I don't think Joe Offer sounds wise at all. I think he sounds as dangerously naive as everyone else spouting peace and humanitarian rhetoric.

Apparently, people here haven't studied much in the ways of peace and reconciliation efforts in hard places like South Africa, Northern Ireland, El Salvador, Somalia, Bosnia, etc. In every one of those countries, there has been a recognition of the need for justice to be administered WITHOUT vengeance, in order for peace and and stability to take hold. Those societies which have foregone vengeful retribution have also been the more successful with their transitions from war to peace.

The idea that the word justice is equatable with vengeance is pretty strange, to my way of thinking. And I don't think I am necessarily in the minority because I hold that view.

When I hear the word justice, I think of many things such as "what is just" or "rule of law" or "determining right from wrong" or "what is merited or due"--the concept of punishment and vengeance don't even come to mind, to be honest.