21 March, 2012
Breivicus interruptus
The Righteous have been working themselves up into a state of barely containable moral tumescence at the apparent probability that the Toulouse gunman was, to use the shorthand, a White Nazi. The prospect of another Breivik so soon was almost too joyous to bear. Fiachra Gibbons, writing at CiF, grasps the opportunity with both hands and both feet, attempting to implicate Sarko, Le Pen, Wilders, German Neo-Nazis and even proposals to reinforce the Greek-Turkish border "to save Europe from barbarian invaders". Below the line the usual suspects, secure in the knowledge of their moral superiority, enthusiastically — and I make no apology for repeating the unpleasant metaphor — enthusiastically join in the wankfest. I haven't read all 656 comments below the line — do me a favour! — but I'm surprised nobody has tried to implicate the EDL yet.
And now we learn that a suspect has been located and beseiged in Toulouse. It's early hours yet, of course, and it could all turn out to be a ghastly mistake or some kind of New World Order™ conspiracy, natch, but our man would appear to be
One awaits developments. An apology for their despicable opportunism by the rabid Righteous would be nice, but I shan't be, as they say, holding my breath.
Interesting times.
... Breaking News. Free box of Kleenex with every copy of tomorrow's Guardian ...
Update (08:50) Chummy's name confirmed to be Mohammed Merah. The French equivalent of John Smith, then.
And now we learn that a suspect has been located and beseiged in Toulouse. It's early hours yet, of course, and it could all turn out to be a ghastly mistake or some kind of New World Order™ conspiracy, natch, but our man would appear to be
- a French citizen of Algerian Maghrebin heritage
- a Muslim of Salafist persuasion
- claims to be an associate of Al-Qaeda
- has been to Pakistan and Afghanistan and was apparently "arrested" at the latter location
One awaits developments. An apology for their despicable opportunism by the rabid Righteous would be nice, but I shan't be, as they say, holding my breath.
Interesting times.
... Breaking News. Free box of Kleenex with every copy of tomorrow's Guardian ...
Update (08:50) Chummy's name confirmed to be Mohammed Merah. The French equivalent of John Smith, then.
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"An apology' Ha! When every day is January 1st year zero we don't need to worry about what went before.
Sarko, Le Pen, Wilders, German Neo-Nazis and the EDL will still be the main focus of Guardian/BBC reporting, under the guise of fear of a backlash against Muslims.
@Sherry,
That was certainly the way Sky News was starting to go as the implications of Chummy's identity began to sink in. Talk of politicians pandering to the anti-immigrant right. Quotes from Imams saying don't tar all Muslims with the same brush, etc, etc.
That was certainly the way Sky News was starting to go as the implications of Chummy's identity began to sink in. Talk of politicians pandering to the anti-immigrant right. Quotes from Imams saying don't tar all Muslims with the same brush, etc, etc.
I think a lesson from this case and the Breivik case is that waiting until the identity and reasons of terrorists are known before analytically commenting on the terrorist attacks they’ve committed is most sensible. Using terrorist attacks for political gain is sick.
The current front page of Canada's National Post newspaper has a photo of Breivik and a sub-head 'possibly inspired by Norway killer' on an article about the Toulouse massacre.
In the article (taken from the Daily Telegraph) the alleged link is that the gunman had a type of comera that 'was thought' to be the same type that was recommended in Breivik's manifesto.
And this incredibly tenuous link and a huge leap of logic puts a photo of Breivik on the article?
Good thing we have journalists to protect us from actually thinking.
In the article (taken from the Daily Telegraph) the alleged link is that the gunman had a type of comera that 'was thought' to be the same type that was recommended in Breivik's manifesto.
And this incredibly tenuous link and a huge leap of logic puts a photo of Breivik on the article?
Good thing we have journalists to protect us from actually thinking.
Must buy a bigger TV set; the picture on mine is too shallow. For instance, on Sky news last night my screen showed a list of four suspect groups for Toulouse killings, but at the top was neo-nazis instead of the name of that popular cult most people thought was probably best bet for number one slot.
I am sure a new TV would have helped me see all the information from this responsible news deliverer.
I am sure a new TV would have helped me see all the information from this responsible news deliverer.
The following day the Guardian had another piece, the burden of which was "don't let these whites weaken the unity between different minority groups". The "Muslims fear backlash" piece was today, I think.
What got me was that the silent protest march against the killings, planned for this weekend before the killers identity was known, has been cancelled.
What got me was that the silent protest march against the killings, planned for this weekend before the killers identity was known, has been cancelled.
Today's Guardian line is "how could the police have let this ticking time bomb walk around ?".
And without a shred of irony "...the media speculated that a crazed neo-nazi, perhaps an ex-paratrooper, was behind the attacks ..."
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And without a shred of irony "...the media speculated that a crazed neo-nazi, perhaps an ex-paratrooper, was behind the attacks ..."
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