About Me
- Name: Nick W.
- Location: Wisconsin, United States
Libertarian observations from within the Ivory Tower by an archivist, librarian and researcher.
Email me at
libertarian_librarian@hotmail.com
Worth a visit or two
- Andrew Sullivan
- The Ornery American
- Iraq the Model
- Dennis the Peasant
- Tim Blair
- James Lileks
- Views from the other side of the aisle
- Views from the XX side of genetics
Archives
- February 2005
- March 2005
- April 2005
- May 2005
- June 2005
- July 2005
- August 2005
- September 2005
- October 2005
- November 2005
- December 2005
- January 2006
- February 2006
- March 2006
- April 2006
- May 2006
- June 2006
- July 2006
- August 2006
- September 2006
- October 2006
- November 2006
- December 2006
- January 2007
- February 2007
- March 2007
- April 2007
- May 2007
- June 2007
- July 2007
- August 2007
- September 2007
- October 2007
- November 2007
- December 2007
- January 2008
- February 2008
- March 2008
- April 2008
- May 2008
- July 2008
- August 2008
A university is just a group of buildings gathered around a library. ~Shelby Foote
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Danish Cartoon Update
UPDATE II: Wow-- just discovered that the whole controversy is a result of Little Green Footballs and other right-wing blogs! Who knew? Seems everyone who thinks that a newspaper has a right to publish cartoons without having to worry about death threats is just trying to get the extremist Muslims to riot. All part of the upcoming invasion of Iran, natch. Truly a mind-bending experiment in how everything-- absolutely everything-- is the right's fault. Ride at your own risk.
UPDATE I: I have edited this piece a bit since I have had time to simmer down and to read around. I think the key piece that has somewhat changed my perspective is the knowledge that the newspaper tried to be provocative-- mission accomplished! They probably shouldn't have published the things in the first place. That said, the Muslim response has been absurd and totally out of proportion to the offense, and I do still hope you will all buy some Danish products should the opportunity present itself.
There is a nice summary of the current situation, plus a timeline of how it got to be an issue in the first place, over at gagwatch. In addition, Mojo points out that the State Department's response to the situation was not quite as lame as I initially thought-- my apologies for taking newspaper accounts at face value. I should know better by now.
Above and beyond, to date the "condemnation" of the riots, arson and death that have resulted from the ridiculous over-reaction of Muslims around the world has been pretty weak. Imagine what the world reaction would have been if Catholics and other Christians had responded by burning things down after Andres Serrano's exhibition of the ever charming Piss Christ.
Honestly, is there a thinner-skinned group of people who are more prone to express their anger in violent ways than Muslims? Yes, that's a sterotype and yes there are many, many Muslims who are perfectly nice people and don't respond to "blasphemy" by blowing things up, threatening murder, or huge, bloody riots. But at present, these voices seem to be a minority. Either that, or the extremist whackjobs get all the press. Either way, as Andrew Sullivan notes, it is time to stop enabling the jihadists.
UPDATE I: I have edited this piece a bit since I have had time to simmer down and to read around. I think the key piece that has somewhat changed my perspective is the knowledge that the newspaper tried to be provocative-- mission accomplished! They probably shouldn't have published the things in the first place. That said, the Muslim response has been absurd and totally out of proportion to the offense, and I do still hope you will all buy some Danish products should the opportunity present itself.
There is a nice summary of the current situation, plus a timeline of how it got to be an issue in the first place, over at gagwatch. In addition, Mojo points out that the State Department's response to the situation was not quite as lame as I initially thought-- my apologies for taking newspaper accounts at face value. I should know better by now.
Above and beyond, to date the "condemnation" of the riots, arson and death that have resulted from the ridiculous over-reaction of Muslims around the world has been pretty weak. Imagine what the world reaction would have been if Catholics and other Christians had responded by burning things down after Andres Serrano's exhibition of the ever charming Piss Christ.
Honestly, is there a thinner-skinned group of people who are more prone to express their anger in violent ways than Muslims? Yes, that's a sterotype and yes there are many, many Muslims who are perfectly nice people and don't respond to "blasphemy" by blowing things up, threatening murder, or huge, bloody riots. But at present, these voices seem to be a minority. Either that, or the extremist whackjobs get all the press. Either way, as Andrew Sullivan notes, it is time to stop enabling the jihadists.
Labels: Politics
