Reaction to the Paris Terror Attacks, Part Three

Well, saying that "argue your side and then declare this is a derail" is a derail is true, so I'll stop.

posted by eriko at 7:49 PM on November 14, in thread 154694



I really don't think that a nation which has a period of its own history called the "Reign of Terror" and then in the twentieth century passed the Statuts des juifs actually finds something like the Khmer Rouge developing in its colonial possessions so incomprehensible.

Nor should the U.S., accustomed to pumping unlimited amounts of guns and money into a place to achieve political and military leverage in pursuit of "American objectives" without regard to what's actually done with all the weapons and wealth and influence conferred, (in fact, heck, if it's used for rapacious capitalism and consolidation of power in a tiny class of people who then get whatever they want, that's just spreading the American Way!) act all flabbergasted and surprised every time we yet again turn some part of the world into the Heart of Darkness as though we're using that book as a script.

posted by XMLicious at 9:19 PM on November 14, in thread 154694



My comment got deleted so I will leave specific examples out. If anyone felt as though by mentioning things from French and American history I was blaming the people of Paris for being attacked that is not what I was saying at all.

My point is that we shouldn't redact our own histories so that this sort of violence is something that only the alien Other from beyond civilization does and which we ourselves are wholly unfamiliar with, and hence merely has to do with the Other's alien nature; nor express surprise and treat as unforseeable the fact that again and again over the decades circumstances somewhere overseas that are permitted to fester, in ways that areas nearer to home wouldn't be, subsequently degenerate into chaos and butchery.

posted by XMLicious at 12:08 AM on November 15, in thread 154694



While it is a pain in the ass, Singapore is 3-4 hour drive from Kuala Lumpur.

This is less of a big deal than it is being made out to be

God bless you.

posted by cendawanita at 12:53 AM on November 15, in thread 154694



Gee, I guess logic wins the day! Well played!

posted by Wolof at 4:55 AM on November 15, in thread 154694



Careful now, emotion may derail us here!

posted by Wolof at 5:00 AM on November 15, in thread 154694



Wolof, can you go easy on the sarcasm? I don't think it's a great tool to use here.

posted by Too-Ticky at 5:01 AM on November 15, in thread 154694