Desensitised to Tragedy 347

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Islamophobia has become so insidious, so all-pervasive, and so powerful in media culture that there is virtually no concern expressed at the probable killing in a US drone strike of a 12 year old British child, Jojo Jones, whose short life was so spectacularly horrid through absolutely no fault of his own. Child soldiers in conflict are a dreadful problem. I tried in The Catholic Orangemen of Togo to convey the extremely powerful emotions I experienced when faced very directly with those who had seen atrocities and themselves been forced to kill at primary school age.

But nobody in their right mind thinks that the answer to child soldiers is to kill them. If it is correct young Jojo is killed, I mourn him, the childhood he hardly knew and the potential for realising the dreams of normality such children always have.

But Jojo is one of many thousands of children killed by the US in its “war on terror”, including the invasions and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. It is only the dehumanising of Muslims that causes the near total lack of visible western empathy for the nine young kids under 13 killed this year in one US raid in Yemen alone.

All the indications are that it is US doctrine that in targeting terrorists their immediate family are “fair game”. When US citizen, 16 year old Abdulrahman al-Awlaki, was killed by a drone in Yemen in 2011, the Obama administration claimed it was an accident. It as a peculiar “coincidence” that in another “accident” his eight year old sister Nawar was also killed by the Americans as one of the nine infants killed in the raid just referenced. To kill one young sibling may be a misfortune. To kill two begins to look like carelessness. It amazes me that anybody believes these actions in any way combat terrorism. Rather they inspire it.

The UK does not have the death penalty. We have now also become habituated to execution of citizens by drone with no judicial process. Sally Jones appears to have been a disturbed and deeply misguided individual, but that does not justify her planned and deliberate killing by the US government. There is no evidence she was when killed involved in an any act likely to cause the imminent death of others. But society has become so callous, there is almost no reaction to her death on human rights grounds.

Terrorism is not an existential threat to the UK. It remains the case that it is one of the least likely ways that you might die; far less probable than drowning in your own bath. Our perception of the threat is magnified by the horror of the act and the way the media portray it. Most certainly it is not a threat that justifies abandoning our respect for human rights and the process of law. The standards of society have slipped in terms of respect for the sanctity of life; or at least the sanctity of Muslim life.

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347 thoughts on “Desensitised to Tragedy”

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  • freddy

    MI5 boss Andrew Parker warns of ‘intense’ terror threat
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41655488
    The UK has suffered five terror attacks this year, and he said MI5 staff had been “deeply affected” by them.
    He added that more than 130 Britons who travelled to Iraq and Syria to fight with so-called Islamic State had died.
    Speaking in London, Mr Parker said the tempo of counter-terrorism operations was the highest he had seen in his 34-year career at MI5.
    Twenty attacks had been foiled in the last four years

    • Sharp Ears

      ie Theresa to take even more of our so called freedoms away in the name of fighting terrrrism.

    • OW ABOUT

      Hardly surprising that MI5 Director Andrew Parker made no mention of Khalid Masood’s earlier attack on Westminster Bridge which killed nearly as many people as the Butt one on London Bridge.

      Guess the spooks don’t want to discuss the wild chase Masood led them on, especially his chats with alleged bomb maker Saad al-hilli.

    • giyane

      Andrew Parker is a self-satisfying arsehole-prick. He manufactures terror in the Middle East and imports it back as scarey UK plots. Unbelievable that this country employs such a total idiot.

  • giyane

    I have to say that of all the wastes of space available Alistair Campbell is the highest pinnacle of stupidity to back his former boss Blair’s Remain campaign today. Brexit is the platform on which party loonies of every colour can froth and foam at the electorate’s expense, because we are stuck in some protracted negotiations.

    Alistair Campbell is the deeply sinister face of Old Labour, nauseating as Liam Fox, wrong as Boris Johnson on nearly everything. How is it possible to be so repellent that the nearest comparison measure is against the outright nutters of the nasty Party? If ever anyone needed reminding that Blair is further to the right than Mrs May, let the headline news of 17/10/2017 serve as a permanent reminder, NEVER, to let these evil spin-merchants of the Blair era, EVER, to come to power again.

      • Salford Lad

        Alistair Campbell is a seriously disturbed person ,and has a Certificate ,issued by a qualified NHS psychiatrist to verify it. He needs sympathy and understanding as he contributed bigly to the mayhem unleashed by his Master Anthony Charles Lynton Blair, who was also a servant of the Satanic forces of chaos and war.

    • Sharp Ears

      From the horse’s mouth. The Guardian give him house room and a fee presumably to plug his book.

      Alastair Campbell on madness and power: ‘I don’t mind that I’m psychologically flawed’
      In the latest of his political diaries, Labour’s former spin doctor reveals how the drama of the Blair-Brown years almost cost him his sanity – and his marriage
      https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/sep/15/alastair-campbell-on-madness-and-power-i-dont-mind-that-im-psychologically-flawed

      and MIND, formerly NAMH, give status to the war criminal’s mouthpiece.
      ‘Alastair Campbell is a writer, communicator and strategist best known for his role as Tony Blair’s Director of Communications.

      Alastair has written and talked extensively about his experience of depression, creating a BBC documentary entitled Cracking Up that dealt with his breakdown. His books All In The Mind and The Happy Depressive both deal with mental health issues. A relentless campaigner against mental health stigma, particularly for Time to Change, Alastair regularly talks to the media about his experiences of mental health and the importance of speaking out.’
      https://www.mind.org.uk/about-us/celebrity-support/our-ambassadors/

      WE ARE NOT INTERESTED.

  • Hieroglyph

    I’m beginning to think of the media as the ‘Manson Media’. So many of the female writers appears to be kind of RadFem nut jubs who, back in the day, would have been happy to receive Manson’s ‘message’. And so many of the male writers appear to be utterly indoctrinated group-think cultists, they no longer really need to receive the ‘message’, it’s now firmware.

    With people like that ‘writing’ in the MSM, we can’t expect much. I guiltily read the Guardian, but I certainly don’t believe a word of their political coverage. Stick to YouTube and Blogs, it’s the only sense out there.

  • Tony_0pmoc

    I have enormous respect for Dmitry Orlov, but a few months ago, he went pay to view – which I don’t do. However, for this one he must feel very strongly, as he has made it free to view. I know absolutely nothing about the events in Las Vegas, but it seems Dmitry has spent an enormous amount of time analysing the event.

    You should read it. Admitedly its a very sad state of affairs, and 99% of people are certain to believe the official version, because they believe everything they are fed.

    http://www.cluborlov.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/the-limits-of-gullibility.html

    Tony

    • Hieroglyph

      InfoWars. Not popular in these parts, but the’ve been covering Vegas. It’s a total mess, multiple shooters, bent FBI handlers, and, allegedly, links to gun-running and the CIA.

      This may sound far-fetched, but the US is basically a failed state. The levels of corruption are basically unheard of in the US, though we’ve seen it in the old Soviet-Union. Some say Trump is just a NWO stooge, so we can’t expect a thing. Well, for the sake of the world, I hope this isn’t the case.

      Also, Clinton may yet go to jail … investigations finally underway. Pop corn time.

      • SA

        I am not sure that anyone from the establishment goes to jail. The establishment likes to do these things as a whitewash. Jail is for the 99% only not the 1%. If she does there will be so many spilt beans that it would open a massive Pandora’s box.

  • Brianfujisan

    It’s Not Tomorrow Yet.. ( Daylight ) so We share a birthday and and So –

    Haiku for October
    Hatsu shugure
    saru mo komino o
    hoshige nari
    The first cold rainstorm:
    even the monkey seems to want
    a little straw raincoat.
    – Basho ( 1644-1694 )

  • Sharp Ears

    A big stink arising from Rio Tinto.

    Mining giant Rio Tinto fined record £27m by FCA
    The Financial Conduct Authority says the penalty issued to the Anglo-Australian firm is the highest such fine to date.
    http://news.sky.com/story/mining-giant-rio-tinto-fined-record-27m-by-fca-11086301

    That one involved corruption in the promotion of their Mozambique coal operation.

    There was also corruption in Guinea involving President Conde.

    Rio Executive Firing Linked to Internal CEO Feud, Says Conde
    ‎20‎ ‎January‎ ‎2017‎
    ➞
    Rio fired Davies in November amid probe into consultant fee
    ➞
    Guinean President Conde says Rio consultant had no influence
    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-20/guinea-president-says-rio-payment-saga-stems-from-internal-feud

    The names of BLiar and Soros crop up in many Rio Tinto links.

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