Hello Norman
Agreed. I wish I had put it that way :-)
Best
Gerald
-----Original Message-----
From: Norman Claringbull <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: 04 April 2003 23:31
Subject: Re: terrorist
>Dear Rick,
>
>OK, perfectly reasonable questions and here's my response
>
>1) The picture by itself is neither offensive nor inoffensive. It's a
>picture of a very unpleasant event but so what? That's the world we live in
>and there is as little point in being offended by some prat immolating
>himself as there is in being offended by a cancer virus. Put simply - shit
>happens!
>
>2) The nub of your problem seems to me to lay in the reason behind the
>protest. I see it this way. The actual terrorists are not themselves
>particularly oppressed. They use other people's troubles to legitimise
their
>own nihilistic natures. Essentially they hate the West. It's hard for
>liberals, who against all the evidence still insist on believing in an
>essentially decency in is humanity, to grasp that significant portions of
>the Arab world hate us simply because who we are. The liberal "Just World
>Hypothesis" depends on the false assumption that if we are disliked then it
>must be our fault. That's why the progressives blame 9/11 on the Americans
>who to them are not the victims, but the attackers. So where is all this
>leading. It's to here. If, as I assume, the burning guy does support the
>terrorist movement, or at the very least doesn't support those trying to
>eliminate it, then that guy is a much our enemy as are the armed attackers
>
>3)Either as a therapist myself, or even just as a ordinary citizen, I don't
>have an objection per se, to people having radically different views to
>mine. What I do have is a strong objection to people who want to tear down
>the essential free structures of society that permits therapy and
therapists
>to develop. I have no time for organised, political, religions. I have no
>time for religions that want to oppress people. I notice for example, that
>the Muslim freedom protests don't include women as being worthy of much
>freedom.
>
>
>4) So, finally, I'd say this. The very act of always empathising, always
>understanding, always excusing all forms of behaviours, including
behaviours
>and attitudes that are actually anathema to liberal thought, in the long
run
>only serve to aid those who seek to destroy the very society that allows
you
>to freely express your views. In other words, you become your own enemy!
>
>Crazy old world, ain't it?
>
> Norman
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