Danish cartoon controversy

[quikslvr]

Re: the cartoon controversy (and subsequent torching of the Danish embassy in Syria), from a Dane's point of view.

I frankly hadn't realized that three of the most controversial were faked until I read that entry. Good to know we're all above board when it comes to stirring the populace.

Edit: and then Moby predicts this might be the start of

Comments

[insertfancyname]

Well, you know, if you *want* to be offended....

Thanks for the link, it sure had some interesting points. When I got to the part on the US and how "People seem to think that they have a right not to be offended by anything, and it is the responsibility of the government to remove everything from sight that they do not like.", oh man, that´s what I´ve been thinking recently as well. It´s amazing how you always have to be so super careful not to thread on people´s toes.

[quikslvr]

Which is amusing, given the conservatives' dislike of controls like that. And, for that matter, the fact that many talk-radio and television conservatives personas basically ignore it, though more often when it comes to gays than when it comes to religious groups.

And the whole thing has now spread Beirut. In that article, I find it interesting that near the bottom, it infers that this might not have gone anywhere if the Norwegian papers hadn't reprinted the cartoons. Strange that folks can ignore Denmark's papers alone, but once everybody else jumps on the bandwagon, it's an issue.

I also noted and rather snorted at this bit: "In a strongly worded statement, a U.S. State Department spokesman said Friday that, despite respect for the freedom of expression, the publication of cartoons that incite religious or ethnic hatreds is unacceptable." As if we've never done the same thing anywhere in our country. As if the same thing doesn't happen here probably daily. But if it's against the majority here (Christians), it's not as much

[insertfancyname]

....this might not have gone anywhere if the Norwegian papers hadn't reprinted the cartoons.

This is so strange to me, judging by the fact that the Norwegian paper is a rather small, christian one, which I doubt people read unless they are, well, *christian* (and very much so, I dare say). I, for one, had not even heard of it before this spectacle.

That said, I smell a rat. ;)

[syhd]

A very interesting take on the matter; thanks for posting the link.

A divergent but possibly relevant thought: When I first read Terry Pratchett's Thud! I thought it was highly appropriate for the times. Thud! deals with religious fundamentalists and zealots living within a free society, who operate under the belief that the freedom to practice their religion supercedes the rights of other citizens, particularly when it comes to inciting death and destruction, or harming/killing others because their religion allows it when the free society does not

[syhd]

"Edit: and then Moby predicts this might be the start of WWIII"

Really? I thought he was trying to point out the ridiculousness of the situation, not prognosticate. The fact that so many many people are up at arms about this only proves that sufficiently advanced stupidity is indistinguishable from bad fiction.

[quikslvr]

Quite possibly. That was a quick edit, and one taken pretty directly from a post which appeared on my friends page recently (it's friends-locked, or I'd link it).

I see your point, but I think the "but that's seemingly what's happening" comment in it makes it sound like that's actually what he thinks might be happening. He's certainly pointing out ridiculousness, but I don't think he's dismissing severe escalation as a possibility.

"Predicts" was probably a poor choice of words there, though.