Doesn't gratuitousness have to be cheap to be gratuitousness?

Anyway, the cartoon riots have been a big disappointment as far as I'm concerned. I mean, my ancestry is about one quarter Danish, and I had hoped that CNN would show at least one outraged (and completely spontaneous) mob in some country where Danish is spoken by perhaps four people yelling "Down, down Zathras" and similar idiot slogans, maybe while burning a flag with a big Z on it for emphasis. Nothing of the kind seems to have occurred. What a bummer. Some Danish cartoonist in a newspaper with a circulation that may or may not be as large as Belgravia Dispatch's can spark an international incident, indeed a whole series of them, complete with death threats and boycotts and everything, and I can't provoke anything. It probably doesn't help that I can't draw at all. If I tried to draw a representation of the prophet Mohammed he would look like any other stickman I've ever drawn in my life. That won't ever change.

But seriously, folks, would it be out of line here for me to make a cheaply gratuitous reference to the absence from Arab streets of any rioters enraged about the treatment of Muslims in Darfur? Not that mass murder carried out over a period of years can compare to a newspaper cartoon as far as being a religious issue of grave importance -- you don't need a scholar, let alone a grand mufti to tell you that. I just thought I'd make the cheaply gratuitous point. Hope no one is offended.

Posted by: Zathras at February 12, 2006 11:28 PM | Permalink to this comment

The reason much of the muslim world, is more offended over the cartoons and not over the mistreatment of muslims throughout the world, is these cartoons are a visual translation, an icon that religous frustration can be vented at, which is so much easier to get mad at then the faceless people in a bureacracy, plus faceless numbers has little sentimental appeal. Also Denmark is so easy to make fun of, easier than the french even, I'm surprised more people don't make fun of Denmark.

Posted by: Scruff_Mcgruff at February 13, 2006 02:10 AM | Permalink to this comment

What about the allegations that the cartoons appeared in an Egyptian publication some time ago and didn't evoke violent demonstrations there? Does that suggest that the reaction to the Danish publication was engineered by agitators and not a sponntaneous expression of offense?

Posted by: essej at February 13, 2006 05:56 PM | Permalink to this comment

First, Greg, thanks for the excellent comment. Absolutely agree.

Second, re Dar Fur: rather idiotic comment really. Why would Muslims be out demonstrating about civil war in another country. About as logical as expecting "Christians" to have been out demonstrating about Northern Ireland (or for that matter, the fine atrocities in the Balkans). An intramural fight. The lack of elementary logic and thought with respect to these issues sometimes gives me pause (until I recall the general gross hypocrisy of humanity). Nevertheless, illogical superficialities is rather what one expects.

In re the Egyptian publication, it was al-Fagr, and of course the explosion of protests were engineered. It has been fairly clear for a while that the neo-Salafi extremist fringe had to work quite a long time to finally cause this issue to explode. Of course playing into that explosion (for generally speaking Muslims are genuinely offended by the cartoons) was the clumsy and juvenile response in some Western quarters.

Even with the extremist agitators banging away on the pots, if one steps back from knee-jerk Islamophobia, the real take-away from looking at the global situation is in fact that outside a few hundred radicals, and despite the neo-Salafi Islamist agitators working on this full-time, most of the Islamic world shrugged. The Maghreb was quiet, Egypt restrained, generally speaking the violence occurred (as we at 'Aqoul noted last week) in exactely the places one might expect the issue to be exploited: Palestine (because there is no order at all), Syria (playing games), Pakistan (the ongoing fight between the Generals and the Islamists), and Afghanistan.

However, the headline "milloins of Maghrebine Muslims shrug" just isn't as much of a newspaper seller and ratings grabber as "Rising Outrage, Embassies Burn."

Meanwhile, cheap posturing and analytically impaired blithering on plays into the extremists hands. The usual story.

Posted by: collounsbury at February 13, 2006 07:46 PM | Permalink to this comment

"'Buy Danish!' and 'Cartoon Links Here!'"

Greg, do you understand the difference between these two sentiments? One can find the cartoons unhelpful or even offensive, and still be deeply offended at the way the reaction has targeted an entire nation. Denmark has been at our side in the WOT. As they were during the cold war. And many of them resisted against the Nazis during WW2.They have been a long history of a free and liberal society, and of toleration for minorities. You dont have to be a Malkin to feel sympathy for them, and to want to stand with them.

Frankly I find this one of your less attractive posts.

Posted by: liberalhawk at February 13, 2006 10:18 PM | Permalink to this comment

I don't see anything wrong with buying Danish, or with not doing so. Talking about it like it's important is silly, but people are doing worse silliness.

Say a bunch of people go out and buy danish stuff. The retailers notice. Do they order more? Only if they think it will happen again next month. Will it have any effect the Danes notice? Probably not. The effect is only to disrupt retailer's schedules a little.

If there's still a significant "Buy Danish" campaign 6 months from now, then it might start making some sort of difference. But at this point it doesn't mean any more than buying a Steelers pennant. Talking about it shows which side you're on, that's all.

Posted by: J Thomas at February 14, 2006 01:33 PM | Permalink to this comment

"I don't see anything wrong with buying Danish, or with not doing so. Talking about it like it's important is silly, but people are doing worse silliness.

Say a bunch of people go out and buy danish stuff. The retailers notice. Do they order more? Only if they think it will happen again next month. Will it have any effect the Danes notice? Probably not. The effect is only to disrupt retailer's schedules a little. "

I think we should keep it up as long as the anti-Danish boycott is kept up.

Posted by: liberalhawk at February 14, 2006 04:54 PM | Permalink to this comment

Go right ahead. How will you know when it's over? Do you think this stuff will still be news next month?

But do whatever you feel like. Five years from now you can have a party and serve danish beer and explain that you're protesting the arab boycott. It will be a charming affectation.

Posted by: J Thomas at February 15, 2006 12:00 AM | Permalink to this comment

"Go right ahead. How will you know when it's over? Do you think this stuff will still be news next month"

I was hoping it would be over now. Clearly it isnt.

Im quite capable of supporting a buy Denmark campaign indefinitely. Ive been going out of my way to buy Israeli products as long as Ive been old enough to shop.

Posted by: liberalhawk at February 15, 2006 04:11 PM | Permalink to this comment

Wouldn't it make more sense to boycott israeli products until they're willing to have peace? I mean, if you're going to let their politics affect your buying habits....

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