Thursday, February 23, 2006
Danish Cartoons
First, let me say that any group of people that is willing to kill other people over a cartoon is nothing more than a mob. Second, let me point out that we (the west) have been asking for this for a long time, and the whole cartoon thing is long overdue. Anyone that thinks this is just about some cartoons is an idiot.
You can't interfere with another culture, with the way that other people live their day to day lives without consequence. When an area remains depressed long enough, certain things begin to happen. Radicals begin to have a stronger voice. Religion becomes very important to people. Why is it that rioters in the middle east attacked a KFC (American Corporation) after the publication of cartoons in Denmark? Hm. Could it be that the publication of said cartoons was just the straw that broke the camel's back? (Forgive me.)
The west, not just the United States, has been interfering in the lives of other cultures for too long. It's one thing to interact with other people, but this is colonialism. Sure, sure. America isn't a colonial empire. Yeah right. We let local governments run the show except and until they make us angry, then we march out the army and trample them into the dust. There is nothing noble in it. At all.
One of the terrible things in all this is that the US Military hasn't really done anything wrong. Let me say that again, because it really, really bears repeating: The US Military hasn't done anything wrong. The US Military has done its job, performed its difficult function. The fault, every inch of it, belongs at the feet of our elected government. The US Military doesn't decide which wars to start, the US Government does.
Does it make anyone else sick that the cowards in the White House and Congress hide behind the troops when we criticize official policy? The assertion that criticism of the policies that have lead us to war is somehow disrespectful to the troops is evil. I don't actually believe in evil, but such actions are so wantonly destructive, selfish and ultimately ruinous that they can be called nothing else when they are performed so willfully.
Not that our media is helping at all. At all. The shining lights of truth in the media are The Daily Show and NPR. And NPR is hamstrung right now since the people who need criticizing hold almost all their purse strings. And the Daily Show is a mock news program dedicated to parodying the news media. Gosh.
I can't watch CNN, it makes me angry. I could probably watch MSNBC if Don Imus wasn't the only thing on the air before I went to work. The local news here is infuriating, I only turn it on when we have some especially nasty thunderstorms rolling through. Don't even talk to me about Fox News.
In some ways, America is just returning to old form. We're going back to a time when media outlets were horrendously biased, and you listened to whoever was spouting the opinion you agreed with anyway. The only real danger lies in the misinforation fed to the public. (Because if you're grinding an ax, no matter how good you think your intentions may be... You're skewed, some more than others.) Why is this a danger?
Because a misinformed public allows an evil, corrupt, cruel, and idiotic government to continue behaving in an abominable fashion. Because our people don't know/don't care, the US Government will continue to torture prisoners illegally, interfere with the affairs of other sovereign nations, and murder innocent civilians. Some estimates of war dead in Iraq are up near 200k. War dead isn't just people who are shot or blown up. It includes people who die because they can't get adequate hospital care because the roads are destroyed. It includes mothers who die in childbirth because they can't get to help. It includes deaths caused by starvation, dehydration, and poor sanitation. It includes people who die of heatstroke because there's no electricity. It includes people who die in looting. It includes people who die in mundane ways that are amplified through the lack of modern technology.
So, yeah, sure Muslims are rioting because of a cartoon. Sure. Uh huh. Whatever.
You can't interfere with another culture, with the way that other people live their day to day lives without consequence. When an area remains depressed long enough, certain things begin to happen. Radicals begin to have a stronger voice. Religion becomes very important to people. Why is it that rioters in the middle east attacked a KFC (American Corporation) after the publication of cartoons in Denmark? Hm. Could it be that the publication of said cartoons was just the straw that broke the camel's back? (Forgive me.)
The west, not just the United States, has been interfering in the lives of other cultures for too long. It's one thing to interact with other people, but this is colonialism. Sure, sure. America isn't a colonial empire. Yeah right. We let local governments run the show except and until they make us angry, then we march out the army and trample them into the dust. There is nothing noble in it. At all.
One of the terrible things in all this is that the US Military hasn't really done anything wrong. Let me say that again, because it really, really bears repeating: The US Military hasn't done anything wrong. The US Military has done its job, performed its difficult function. The fault, every inch of it, belongs at the feet of our elected government. The US Military doesn't decide which wars to start, the US Government does.
Does it make anyone else sick that the cowards in the White House and Congress hide behind the troops when we criticize official policy? The assertion that criticism of the policies that have lead us to war is somehow disrespectful to the troops is evil. I don't actually believe in evil, but such actions are so wantonly destructive, selfish and ultimately ruinous that they can be called nothing else when they are performed so willfully.
Not that our media is helping at all. At all. The shining lights of truth in the media are The Daily Show and NPR. And NPR is hamstrung right now since the people who need criticizing hold almost all their purse strings. And the Daily Show is a mock news program dedicated to parodying the news media. Gosh.
I can't watch CNN, it makes me angry. I could probably watch MSNBC if Don Imus wasn't the only thing on the air before I went to work. The local news here is infuriating, I only turn it on when we have some especially nasty thunderstorms rolling through. Don't even talk to me about Fox News.
In some ways, America is just returning to old form. We're going back to a time when media outlets were horrendously biased, and you listened to whoever was spouting the opinion you agreed with anyway. The only real danger lies in the misinforation fed to the public. (Because if you're grinding an ax, no matter how good you think your intentions may be... You're skewed, some more than others.) Why is this a danger?
Because a misinformed public allows an evil, corrupt, cruel, and idiotic government to continue behaving in an abominable fashion. Because our people don't know/don't care, the US Government will continue to torture prisoners illegally, interfere with the affairs of other sovereign nations, and murder innocent civilians. Some estimates of war dead in Iraq are up near 200k. War dead isn't just people who are shot or blown up. It includes people who die because they can't get adequate hospital care because the roads are destroyed. It includes mothers who die in childbirth because they can't get to help. It includes deaths caused by starvation, dehydration, and poor sanitation. It includes people who die of heatstroke because there's no electricity. It includes people who die in looting. It includes people who die in mundane ways that are amplified through the lack of modern technology.
So, yeah, sure Muslims are rioting because of a cartoon. Sure. Uh huh. Whatever.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Reboot
Okay, I'm rebooting this blog. Why? Eh. I wanted a clean start, a place where I could yak about the things I find important/interesting. For the most part, this will be about comics/webcomics. It may also be about politics, religion, or whatever strikes me as interesting.
Caveat Numero Uno:
I am likely to spout off and write something that is either out and out wrong, or out and out silly. Do me a favor and tell me, as nicely as you can. I actually appreciate being told when I am wrong.
Caveat Numero Dos:
Telling me I am wrong does not mean I will agree with you. I will assess your grievance/complaint myself and come to a decision based upon what I know and what you present. This means that if I think you're full of baloney, I won't concede to you.
Caveat Numero Tres:
I am not a liberal, I am not a conservative. I do not believe in God, and I think that people who believe in science need to have their heads examined. I am pretty sure there's no such thing as ghosts, Space Aliens, angels, chakras, or good/evil. However, if infallible evidence to the contrary were to be presented, I would by all means be willing to accept such views.
Caveat Numero Quatro:
There are subjects for which I have no opinion, because I lack enough information to come to a cogent conclusion. If I have an opinion, there's a reason for it.
Caveat Numero Uno:
I am likely to spout off and write something that is either out and out wrong, or out and out silly. Do me a favor and tell me, as nicely as you can. I actually appreciate being told when I am wrong.
Caveat Numero Dos:
Telling me I am wrong does not mean I will agree with you. I will assess your grievance/complaint myself and come to a decision based upon what I know and what you present. This means that if I think you're full of baloney, I won't concede to you.
Caveat Numero Tres:
I am not a liberal, I am not a conservative. I do not believe in God, and I think that people who believe in science need to have their heads examined. I am pretty sure there's no such thing as ghosts, Space Aliens, angels, chakras, or good/evil. However, if infallible evidence to the contrary were to be presented, I would by all means be willing to accept such views.
Caveat Numero Quatro:
There are subjects for which I have no opinion, because I lack enough information to come to a cogent conclusion. If I have an opinion, there's a reason for it.
