Re: On removing files and "git-rm is pointless"

Linus Torvalds [off-list ref] writes:

If it doesn't match HEAD, we can't get it back as easily, so maybe that's 
the case when we want to have "git rm -f filename".

Hmph.  Wouldn't this lossage the same as the lossage we are
removing the "safety valve" for, when "commit --only" jumps the
index?