There is no question to which the answer is to wander round killing people. It takes a few words or keystrokes for any right thinking person to condemn the killings in Paris today. But that really doesn’t take us very far.
It is impossible to stop evil from happening. Simple low tech attacks by individuals, a kind of DIY terrorism, cannot always be pre-empted. If you try to do so universally, you will end up even further down the line we have gone down in the UK, where people are continually arrested and harassed who have no connection to terrorism at all, often for bragging on websites. These non-existent foiled terrorist plots are a risible feature of British politics nowadays. Every now and then one hits the headlines, like the arrests just before Remembrance Day. Their defining characteristic is that none of those arrested have any means of terrorism – 99% of those arrested for terrorism in the UK in the last decade – possessed no weapon and no viable explosive device.
In fact the only terrorist in the last year convicted in the UK, who possessed an actual bomb – a very viable explosive device indeed, was not charged with terrorism. He was a fascist named Ryan McGee who had a swastika on his wall and hated Muslims. Hundreds of Muslims with no weapons are locked up for terrorism. A fanatical anti-Muslim with a bomb is by definition not a terrorist.
I am assuming that the narrative that Charlie Hebdo was attacked by Islamists is correct, though that remains to be proved. For argument, let us assume the official narrative is true and the killings were by Muslims outraged at the magazine’s depictions of the Prophet Mohammed.
It is essential to free speech that it includes the freedom to offend. That must include the freedom to offend religious belief. Without such freedoms, the values of societies would freeze. Much social progress has caused real anguish and offence to some people. To have stopped Charlie Hebdo by law would have been wrong. To stop them by bullets is beyond any mitigation.
But that doesn’t make the unfortunate deceased heroes, and President Hollande was wrong to characterise them as such. Being murdered does not make you a hero. And being offensive is not necessarily noble. People who are persistently and vociferously offensive are often neither noble nor well-motivated. Much of Charlie Hebdo‘s taunting of Muslims was really unpleasant. That they also had Christian and other targets did not make this any better. It is not Private Eye – it is a magazine with a much nastier edge. I defend the right of Charlie Hebdo to publish whatever it wants. But once the shock dies off, I do hope a more realistic assessment of whether Charlie Hebdo was entirely admirable or not may be possible. This in no way excuses the dreadful murders.
The ability to say things that offend is an important attribute of a free society. Richard Dawkins may offend believers. Peter Tatchell may offend homophobes. Pussy Riot offended Putin and the Orthodox Church. This must not be stopped.
But that must cut both ways. Abu Qatada broke no British laws in his lengthy stay in the UK, but was demonised for things he said (or even things newspapers invented he had said). Most of the French who are today in solidarity for freedom of expression, are against people being able to express themselves freely in what they wear. The security industry who are all over TV today want to respond to this attack on freedom of expression by more controls on the internet!
I condemn, you condemn, we all condemn, and so we should. But the amount of nuanced thought in the mainstream media is almost non-existent. What will now happen is that conservative commentators will rip individual phrases from this article and tweet them to show I support terrorism. The lack of nuanced thought is a reflection of a general atmosphere of anti-intellectualism which has poisoned public life in modern western society.
Anon
“” They are capable of any deceits imaginable. “”
She was being disingenuous of course because we all know that they ( zionists ) are capable of deceits which to to most of us are totally un-imaginable. Their deception and evil goes beyond the abilities of normal minds to even conceive possible.
Anon
“He was a depressive.” O jolly good, let’s get the big book of zionist psychology diagnoses labels off the shelf.
Hasbara label 20,941, from Hasbara Troll handbook page 391.
Ok – a “Depressive” who decided to shoot himself just at the moment guaranteed to cause an explosion of conspiracy speculation – a “Depressive” with a sense of humour then?
J Galt
“a “Depressive” with a sense of humour then?”
Ha ha, master-stroke.
A break is a number of pots in successive strokes made in any one turn. Many trolléries snookered in one. Let them eat cake.
“Ok – a “Depressive” who decided to shoot himself just at the moment guaranteed to cause an explosion of conspiracy speculation – a “Depressive” with a sense of humour then?”
I doubt that thoughts of what internet-based tin hatters would make of it were a priority in his mind when he took his life.
Helric Fredou to self moments before suicide:
“I really can’t do this. There’s going to be an explosion of conspiracy speculation on http://www.911liesOfZion.com”
Just doesn’t make any sense.
Beyond the ability of ‘normal’ minds – but not the Irish… the ‘struggle’ is in the genesis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JuOH0k_lkg#t=334
J Galt
For what it’s worth, because you appear to be new around here and may be amenable to reason, you need to take a long, hard look at yourself, your ideas, where you get them from, how you have thoroughly degraded yourself by believing this nonsense, believing that you know better from your internet “sleuthing” than the professionals on the ground, that with a few clicks on google you can discover the “truth” from your bedsit. It’s comforting, I know. It makes you feel important, helps give some purpose to your life. But it’s pathetic, J Galt, and you know it deep down, so pull yourself together.
KingOfWelshNoir
“Inevitably now our political masters will talk of dire threats that must be countered, and more legislation that needs to be put in place to ‘defend’ us. And all for what? Because a handful of people have been murdered? More people die on the roads in a week.”
_______________
It is true that more people die on the roads every week.
However, it is also true that more people die of cancer every week than die on the roads.
This being the case, you should be opposed to more road safety legislation being put into place.
Would you agree with that proposition, KOWN?
No sense at all – the site is invalid.
Je suis Ali Abbas.
Ali Ismail Abbas (born 1991) is an Iraqi man who drew a lot of media attention after being severely injured in a night-time aerial missile attack near Baghdad during the United States’ 2003 invasion of Iraq.
During the attack, two American missiles landed on his family’s home, killing his parents (his mother was pregnant with another child at the time), his brother and 13 other members of his family. Both of Ali’s arms had to be amputated and third-degree burns covered at least 35 percent of his body. He was 12 years old at the time
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Ismail_Abbas
‘War with Iraq was wrong’: Orphaned boy ten years on from horror injuries that shocked world
Mar 16, 2013
The conflict – which began 10 years ago this Wednesday – made Ali Abbas an orphan and robbed him of 14 other family members
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ali-abbas-iraq-war-10-1766717
Some sort of neutron device used it is said?
“All those people holding up their ‘Je Suis Charlie’ placards in defence of freedom of speech are playing straight into the hands of those political masters who are going to use this atrocity as a pretext to curb freedom of speech.”
Yes the neocon-zionists learn fast. The original campaign of course was “I am Bradley Manning” which had amazing success. It did not save him (her) and hopefully “Je suis Charlie” will not save the racist-religionist slur magazine, or the New World Order they are trying to impose. That is not to say I don’t have sympathy with any and all the victims of this stunt from the murder of cartoonists. I do. The only trouble is all the facts are not available yet.
Nous sommes les bébés palestiniens sans nom
Two Palestinian babies have died due to cold weather in the Gaza Strip, an official said Saturday, as winter storms lashed the region.
January 10, 2015
A two-month-old girl from the southern Gaza town of Khan Yunis died on Friday of “a pulmonary obstruction caused by the cold,” health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said.
A one-month-old boy, also from Khan Yunis, died on Saturday, he said without giving further details.
Gaza’s civil defense service said that dozens of homes in the coastal territory, already ravaged by the Israeli summer assault on the Palestinian enclave, were flooded in the brutal storms that brought freezing rain and gale-force winds.
Raed al-Dahshan, head of Gaza’s civil defense, said his staff were facing “a difficult situation which was compounded by a lack of infrastructure” to help those suffering from the storm.
/..
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/two-palestinian-babies-freeze-death-gaza-storm
RobG, two more of your comments went to spam, now released.
Sorry, I’ve been busy and haven’t looked through the comments yet so I don’t know if any more recent of yours have appeared. If not, try some test comments with a different name and email. Please don’t give up commenting!
All those who should be speaking out in front of the courts are dead. Not a single official narrative has asked to see CCTV pictures, questioned the video/tore it to pieces. Why should the suicide of a challenged policeman be the story now, if not to divert from the criminal massacre.
‘And since you are new on here’
John Galt. I believe that he already posted before and if he has not come across our characters here, let him beware that not all here are actually here, some are non doms, self enforced tax dodgers, exiles, are they not Anon? others are from canada, the US and Australia, others have been expelled from other blogs for being pests.
What combines all of them is that they are staunchly defending the official narratives, some believe in the war on terror paradigm predicted to last fifty years.
So John, welcome to Craig’s blog were you say whatever you like as long as you don’t deny the Shoah and as long as you don’t want to talk about 911, the not for dancing room in this house, apart from that, post away, its only CO2.
This should not
Nevermind
“Why should the suicide of a challenged policeman be the story now, if not to divert from the criminal massacre.”
___________________
The only people for whom this is the big story now, you chump, is for people like yourself who seek to fasten onto anything which they think might reinforce their conspiracy theory/false flag take on the Paris slayings.
Keep taking the pills.
Mr Goss
“The only trouble is all the facts are not available yet.”
_________________
Which “facts” are you looking for in particular, Mr Goss?
How dare you insult the sacred peanut. Mild passing discomfort to the peanut profaners!!
Surely Habbakuk, you mean champ, not chump, in anticipation of you landing on your backside, you little dodger.
Those shot dead will not speak out, not under torture and not for peace and apple pie, so all we have is another just released video of the deluded screaming about Al Bagdahdi’s IS, for the uninitiated IS mean ‘Its Saudi’, although it could be ‘Its Sheitan’
Israels mutual support with Ibn Sauds family concerns, in the repression of fellow Muslims, is a historic fact, so why should our oh so learned friend who speaks many languages be faking stupidity?
There is a difference between political cartoons drawn to stimulate debate, versus those that are drawn to cause offence and a hardening of opposing views and beliefs.
http://gawker.com/what-is-charlie-hebdo-and-why-a-mostly-complete-histo-1677959168
Well, I do think that if you make an assertion you should back it up without having to be asked; accordingly, the question of who posted first is in fact relevant.
And if the false flag merchants cannot provide evidence, why do they post – is it just attention seeking and/or a desire to impress their fellows with their “acuity”?
_________________
Habb.
Well you are asserting that those who provide an alternative theory are wrong, you call them false flag merchants, who cannot provide evidence, have you provided evidence to contradict them?
You have nothing substantial to add, except facile insults to those people who dare doubt the veracity of the incident.
Its a pointless exercise, to try and begin to reason with a useful idiot like yourself.
Garcon is gone to the dogs, only his ID remains.
I see Lord George Robertson has donated £2000, to Jim Murphy’s leadership fund.
Robertson, who said devolution would kill nationalism stone dead, and that Scottish Independence would lead to the Balkanisation of Europe, has said Murphy is the right man for the job.
Tellingly though no, donations for Murphy,have come from any union coffers, and the unions themselves regard Murphy as aright wing Blairite.
From Hiring Chief of Staff John McTernan, who is openly in favour of privatisation of the NHS, to Lord Robertson, who favours keeping WMD’s on the Clyde permanently, Murphy is making a habit of keeping questionable company.
Mark – 10:55 am
Thanks for that clip, Mark. I don’t know the guy, but I found him on Al Jazeera also
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTEcBd01J80&feature=youtu.be
Ofcom, has took the decision not to list the SNP, as a major UK party, when in fact the SNP is the third largest political party in the UK.
Ofcom have excluded the SNP from their list of major UK parties, even as a basis for consultation, while consulting about parties with far fewer MP’s than the SNP.
Ofcom are living up to their toothless obedient reputation, Miliband, Cameron and Clegg will be pleased.
The Director of Ofcom Graham Howell, must surely now be in line for a seat in the House of Lords.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/World/WOR-01-080115.html
Pepe Escobar
And yes, I am Charlie. Not only because they made us laugh; but because they were sacrificial lambs in a much nastier, gruesome, never-ending shadowplay.
O/T announcement of an event were Tommy Sheridan and Craig will speak. From my FB link.
https://www.facebook.com/events/980107148684551/?ref=3&ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular
Love to go, but distances/costs are just too prohibitive.
The Tory Manifesto, in May includes a pledge on a 40% support threshold for strikes in core services, which includes health, education, transport and emergency service workers.
As it now stands strikes are valid if they’re backed by a simple majority of workers, regarding turnout.
Historically a 40% turnout would have seen three quarters of previous strikes invalid, in the last four years.
Union leaders have condemned the Tory plan and called it a democratic outrage, not surprisingly the CBI and the British Chambers of Commerce have backed the Tory manifesto.
TUC general secretary, Frances O’Grady said ” No other democracy anywhere in the world, has this kind of restriction on industrial action.”
The Dickensian Society, is just around the corner.
OK so they made Charlies of us all, but where is the third man, the getaway driver if its not the 18 year old?
Habbabkuk
‘This being the case, you should be opposed to more road safety legislation being put into place.
Would you agree with that proposition, KOWN?’
No, because it is a typical piece of diversionary Habbabkukian sophistry, and I’m not coming out to play.
“There is a difference between political cartoons drawn to stimulate debate, versus those that are drawn to cause offence and a hardening of opposing views and beliefs.”
_________________
I agree.
There is of course yet other possibilities, eg the desire to shock, to be controversial and “daring”…with a view to getting talked about and boosting circulation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
By the way, I most certainly meant chump a