"Láthspell I name you, Ill-news; and ill news is an ill guest they say." No one likes to hear bad news, least of all those who have staked out a position on the moral high ground. The latest intended victim of one of these Lords of Nuance is Dixie Flatline, who made the unpopular speculation that the American serviceman involved in the recent assassination on his own fellow soldiers might just be a Muslim. And even though Mr. Flatline's speculation looks likely to be proved right, that does not seem to matter to the Gríma Wormtongues of the net. All that matters is that they continue to control the high ground.
Update: for a more measured response, which counsels caution instead of immediately coming on with both "Silence, you racists!" barrels blasting, check out Andrew Olmsted.
2nd Update: and here's another.
3rd Update: Dr. Frank weighs in on the possible religious-ideological implications of the solder's actions. Dr. Frank is by no means a knee-jerk, round-'em-all-up Muslim hater.
Posted by Andrea Harris at March 23, 2003 12:14 AMSo the next 2-3 times a right winger commits a crime in the name of God, is it okay if I become suspicious of everyone on the right? I didn't think so.
Posted by: Oliver at March 23, 2003 at 12:18 AMOliver, you're full of BS on this one, and if you had an ounce of integrity, you'd admit it. Andrea's right -- you've got a position to protect, and unfortunately for you, it's full of prairie dog holes that your horse is gonna step in. Not that you'll ever in a million years acknowledge it.
Posted by: Scott Chaffin at March 23, 2003 at 01:20 AMNo, Oliver, the "I know you are so what am I?" argument won't help you here. Don't even try that with me.
You continue to misread and misrepresent what Dixie Flatline said, even though everyone can link to his post and read it for themselves. Whether you like it or not the people we are currently fighting against have one thing in common, and that is a certain set of politico-religious beliefs that have a name. And to go with your oh-so-clever example, when there was that spate of abortion clinic bombings, there was a great deal of suspicion towards Christians who were Republicans who were also anti-abortion. But I didn't hear any "liberal" voices calling for their protection from nasty speculation. It was assumed that since they were already evil (Christian, Republican, antiabortion) that they could just suck it up and take the crap. And I speak as an atheist pro-choicer who voted for Clinton twice, so you can take any preconceived notions you might have had about me and shove them where the sun don't shine.
This administration has bent over backwards to show the Muslims in this country and the world that we don't hate all two billion of them. What have we gotten for that? A whole lot of grief from the likes of CAIR every time they get an email complaining that a grocery store clerk "looked funny" at a Muslim girl in a hijab, the endless insane rantings from the "Arab street," an endless litanny of complaints from Our Betters on the Left, and the rest of the mishegas. Like a lot of people, I have had it with the apologists and the distractors.
And you know, people like you don't do Muslims anywhere any favor when you treat them like widdle babies who can't stand to hear anything bad about one of their own. The extremists are strengthened in their contempt for you soft-head infidels, and the moderates are made to feel even more helpless when confronted by evidence that no one will help them get rid of the snakes and vipers in their midst.
Posted by: Andrea Harris at March 23, 2003 at 01:23 AMWhether you like it or not the people we are currently fighting against have one thing in common, and that is a certain set of politico-religious beliefs that have a name.
Yes, we're fighting against radical Islam. Not everyone who believes in that faith. Dixie Flatline said we were, and I guess you are too. He said that, not me - so I don't know where you pull that crap from.
And to go with your oh-so-clever example, when there was that spate of abortion clinic bombings, there was a great deal of suspicion towards Christians who were Republicans who were also anti-abortion.
Guess what, that's just as wrong. Regular nonviolent Christians should feel no need to be smeared by a sicko abortion bomber, and anyone who infers that they support it is stupid.
Like a lot of people, I have had it with the apologists and the distractors.
And I've had it with the demonizers and racists.
when you treat them like widdle babies who can't stand to hear anything bad about one of their own
I've said numerous times that we should show radical Islam for what it is - but that's kind of hard when the president keeps sucking up to the Saudi bosses who fund it.
"Yes, we're fighting against radical Islam. Not everyone who believes in that faith. Dixie Flatline said we were, and I guess you are too."
No, that is not what I said. Did you even read my post? I write in plain English. Don't be an ass just to make a cheap point. Your response to Dixie Flatline's posts were kneejerk reactions and you got called on it. Now you try to control the dialogue, such as it is, by smearing anyone who opposes you with the "racist" brush. (Even though Muslims aren't a race.) Play that game somewhere else.
Posted by: Andrea Harris at March 23, 2003 at 02:52 AMLook, casting "reasonable suspcion" on an entire population for the actions of what amounts to a handful of them is wrong. It's that simple.
And Andrea, if Dixie hadn't said, and I quote, "What has this disgusting, vile faith wrought?" you might convince me that he poorly phrased a legitimate point. But that sentence implies otherwise.
Posted by: Alex Knapp at March 23, 2003 at 03:08 AMAlex, don't patronize me. Okay? And don't fucking lecture me. And don't give me shit about what that sentence "implies." I read the same sentence and it seem quite clear to me that the sentence, overwrought though it is, refers to the sort of Islam that apparently is motivating these sort of attacks.
In any case, Willis' rantings about racism are what cheese me off. What does race have to do with this? Islam is a religion, I really shouldn't have to point out, not a race. Dixie didn't even mention the race of the person in question.
Posted by: Andrea Harris at March 23, 2003 at 03:50 AMHey, I'm not trying to patronize or lecture. But if Dixie had said that the guy was a "Wahabbist" and said, "hey, maybe we should keep an eye on the Wahabbists because that's a vile and disgusting faith," I'd say, yeah, maybe you've got a case there. Let's talk about that.
But Dixie said "Muslims" and that we should cast suspicion on the "loyalty of American Muslims." And that's wrong. There is nothing reasonable at all about suspecting the loyalty of FIVE MILLION PEOPLE for the actions of a handful! Good christ, over 50% of them VOTED FOR BUSH.
Maybe I'm sensitive about this because I have Muslim friends who've been harassed by assholes since 9/11, and a Sikh friend of mine was ASSAULTED for being a "towelhead" (because the braindead bigots were too fucking stupid to know that she wasn't even a muslim), but goddamn it, this sort of thing is not what America is about.
Now, Oliver turning around and calling Dixie and all conservatives racist was just as wrong. And just as bullshit, as I've met quite a few "liberals" who are pretty bigoted assholes themselves. I don't dispute that point at all.
Posted by: Alex Knapp at March 23, 2003 at 04:06 AMAnd I don't mean to say that Dixie is a bigot or a racist either (b/c you're right--it can't be racism against a religion). I'm just concerned about where Dixie's line of thinking can go. Taken too far, and you get to the kind of blurriness you see w/ Israel, where legitimate criticsm of Israel's policies can overlap with anti-semitism.
Posted by: Alex Knapp at March 23, 2003 at 04:18 AM