I'm reminded of the time that a well-meaning friend pointed out that yeah, Germany did some bad things in WWII, but that the USA had internment camps, too. I had to blink a half-dozen times before I could point out that, while the interning of the Nisei was a monstrous evil, at least they could exit their camps via the gate, rather than the chimney, and that that was a fairly important difference.
The very fact that we are hand-wringing over this stuff says something about that ol' stock-footage bogeyman, Post-Enlightenment Western Culture.
Anyhow, without further ado, on to the fisking. "jesperskibbey" writes:
As no one else would touch this one, I thought I would add my $0.02.
I think nobody else was touching this one because everybody else saw the absurdity of protesting being labelled a bomb-throwing maniac by... actually throwing bombs.
The problem with the cartoons is that they are designed to offend and stereotype Muslims.
Why, yes. Yes, they are. And, taken in a vacuum, that's wrong. Of course, there's also the countervailing viewpoint that these cartoons are meant to lampoon a very specific kind of Moslems.
Lets[sic] lump them all into the same category. They all hate women, they all plot mass murder. The cartoons remind me of Nazi propaganda with caricatures of Jews with oversized lips and huge noses shaped like a number 6.
Five sentences in and I could already invoke Godwin's Law and declare victory, but let's keep going for argument's sake.
Sure, you can post a cartoon that others find highly offensive, but what good does it do? I could take a crap on Chesty Puller's casket flag in front of the local VFW, then whip out a Zippo and set the colors ablaze, but what good would it do?
Not a bit of good. But anyone trying to give you a hug while wearing a Semtex sweater would be prosecuted. Speech is speech, even if hateful speech, and thus protected in an enlightened and modern society.
Such an act will not change their minds, I will only increase their resolve, and perpetuate the stereotype.
Perpetuate what stereotype? That a certain spectrum of whack jobs hiding behind the skirts of a religion are willing to call for the murder of innocents at the drop of a hat? Is that the sterotype we're talking about?
Dialog, and respect will change the world for the better, not a "Look what we can do, and you can't stop us" attitude.
A "look what we can do" attitude? What can "we" do? Threaten to bathe Copenhagen in blood because one of the cartoonists working for a local paper has questionable taste?
The Danes, French, Belgians, Dutch and many Americans are blind to their own racism, and it was easy for them to post racially insensitive cartoons.
How about religiously insensitive cartoons, since that's what's really being discussed, here. BTW, who issued the Fatwa over Dancing Jesus? Oh, that's right, there wasn't one...
It is easy for us to perform renditions on Imams who don't like our policies. It is easy for our servicemen to pile up naked prisoners and take pictures.
For which they were court-martialled. Who held the court martial for the people who took pictures of prisoners naked of, not only their dignity, but also their noggins?
It is easy for us to fly hooded and drugged "suspected terrorist" to Egypt and Bulgaria to be tortured by foreign intelligence agencies. Why? For the same reason it was easy for law abiding Germans to follow orders and send Jews to the gas chambers.
Godwin's Law redux.
Like the Jews were to the Germans they have become less than human to us. Welcome to Club Gitmo.
Is the mention of "Gitmo" a knee-jerk reaction, or, like those who justify equating Auschwitz with Poston, is your moral compass needle completely demagnetized?
This is why I allow no politica on my "public" journal. It's too infuriating.
ReplyDeleteSomeone needs to inform jesperkibbey that the infidels that the enraged musselman throng wish to decapitate include *him*.
Just because you "feel their pain" doesn't mean you aren't going to feel their pain.
This comment by your troll made me laugh,
ReplyDelete"Dialog, and respect will change the world for the better"
Will it?!!!
I wish I were so naive as to believe it. Was this written by a 4th grader?
I usually enjoy reading your blog, however as a long-time resident of Turkey (99% Moslem and an ally of the US) I find the cartoons extremely offensive.
ReplyDeleteBey Efendi
Tried to compose myself reading that brilliantly funny analysis. But I couldn't.
ReplyDeleteThe muslims who make death threats and rail about how offensive the cartoon images of Mohammed are make me laugh. These are the same people who have no problems denigrating other religions without a moment's hesitation or apology. A bit intolerant, are we?
ReplyDeletehttp://mauser98.com/islamcontradiction.gif
Nicely written Tams.
ReplyDeleteWhen's your book coming out? :)
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete...Dang html tags...
ReplyDeleteMoral Relativity: It isn't just for Einstein anymore...
You start with an insult. You must be upset. Also, it’s not Moral Relativity, that’s a stretch even with the Einstein reference.
If one never visited Democratic Underground, one might never be aware of their existence[sic], except for the fact that they have keyboards too.
Moral Pluralism, look it up. It is different that Moral Relativism. You got them mixed up.
I think nobody else was touching this one because everybody else saw the absurdity of protesting being labelled [sic] a bomb-throwing maniac by... actually throwing bombs.
Another insult, followed by an obvious statement with a nested insult.
... Yes, they are. And, taken in a vacuum, that's wrong. Of course, there's also the countervailing viewpoint that these cartoons are meant to lampoon a very specific kind of Moslems.
Like the kind that follow Mohammed?
Five sentences in and I could already invoke Godwin's Law and declare victory, but let's keep going for argument's sake.
Instead of commenting on the actual point, you sidestep again, with another implied insult. You ignore the point entirely. You then rush headlong to unfurl the big banner declaring: “Mission Accomplished”, alas you jumped the gun. Where have seen that before? Can I buy a T-Shirt with “Mission Accomplished” and a big W on it at the Republican home page? Oh, rats they don’t sell those anymore.
...Puller's casket flag in front of the local VFW, then whip out a Zippo and set the colors ablaze, but what good would it do?
Not a bit of good.
So, you agree. I am right.
But anyone trying to give you a hug while wearing a Semtex sweater would be prosecuted. Speech is speech, even if hateful speech, and thus protected in an enlightened and modern society.
You sidestep again. What benefit for humanity has there been in the publication of the cartoons? The topic of my post was the offensive nature of the Danish cartoon, it was not an argument that suicide bombing is a moral, legal, intelligent or even sane manner of protest.
Perpetuate what stereotype? That a certain spectrum of whack jobs hiding behind the skirts of a religion are willing to call for the murder of innocents at the drop of a hat? Is that the sterotype[sic] we're talking about?
You let your emotions control your verbiage. I am talking about the stereotype that is perpetuated by drawing a bomb in Mohammed’s turban, a man considered a prophet by all Muslims, not just the rabid fundamentalists. I am talking about the same Muslim stereotype that leads gun mag writers to use terms like: “Good for killing minute-of-raghead” when describing their latest optics.
A "look what we can do" attitude? What can "we" do? Threaten to bathe Copenhagen in blood because one of the cartoonists working for a local paper has questionable taste?
Ah, Tam, you finally admit that the Danish cartoonist and his editor had questionable taste in printing the cartoons. Does that mean that you had questionable taste in reprinting them? What about the cartoons makes you say that they are of questionable taste?
How about religiously insensitive cartoons, since that's what's really being discussed, here. BTW, who issued the Fatwa over Dancing Jesus? Oh, that's right, there wasn't one..
Perhaps you don’t have an answer, so you sidestep again. I am talking about Religiously insensitive cartoons depicting a Semitic race.
For which they were court-martialled[sic]. Who held the court martial for the people who took pictures of prisoners naked of, not only their dignity, but also their noggins?
No one, they are terrorists. What was our excuse for mistreatment? Oh, I’m sorry, it was just interrogation that became a bit too “Free-Wheeling”, as the Bush Administration called it.
...orders and send Jews to the gas chambers.
Godwin's Law redux.
Once again, you sidestep my question. I asked why it is easy for us to mistreat prisoners. You have even started to recycle your sidesteps.
Is the mention of "Gitmo" a knee-jerk reaction, or, like those who justify equating Auschwitz with Poston, is your moral compass needle completely demagnetized?
Ha! Godwin's Law! Ok, just kidding.
We have locked away prisoners and denied them legal counsel. We have tortured them, several have died in our custody as the result of injuries sustained at the hands of their American guards. And you think this is good? Next you accuse me of having a faulty moral compass? Hmmm. Who is the moral relativist? Take a good look at yourself Tam, think about it a while. Here is a hint, take into account basic human rights, avoid the presumption of guilt and leave out religion. You will come to the conclusion I have.
For the record: If convicted of being an Unter-Mensch and given my druthers, I would take Poston, then Gitmo. Oświęcim would have to be the last on the list, for obvious reasons.