The author's complaints always focused on students who didn't seem to have an opinion about the ramifications of their own areas of interest.
For instance, the student who was asked about nuclear weapons was "a student who started a chapter of Global Zero at his university"; surely someone so involved in the issue should be able to comment on the probably outcome of their stated goal.
Likewise, "a young service academy cadet who is likely to be serving in a war zone within the year" should probably be able to discuss why it's worth doing what they'll be doing (i.e. potentially killing people for America).
I can't comment on the answers to these questions, or how accurate the author's recounting of their responses was (perhaps they were just idealistic, not ignorant of the arguments)... but I think if you're applying for a Rhodes Scholarship you should be able to discuss the consequences of your beliefs and actions.
For instance, the student who was asked about nuclear weapons was "a student who started a chapter of Global Zero at his university"; surely someone so involved in the issue should be able to comment on the probably outcome of their stated goal.
Likewise, "a young service academy cadet who is likely to be serving in a war zone within the year" should probably be able to discuss why it's worth doing what they'll be doing (i.e. potentially killing people for America).
I can't comment on the answers to these questions, or how accurate the author's recounting of their responses was (perhaps they were just idealistic, not ignorant of the arguments)... but I think if you're applying for a Rhodes Scholarship you should be able to discuss the consequences of your beliefs and actions.