Brenton
Every Time you Laugh, Bin Laden’s Beard Shrinks.
February 16th 2007 05:30
I remember the fuss that came out with the ‘Find Bin Laden’ books. People jumped up and down, saying ‘you have no right to make fun of this!’
In today’s society, you don’t have a ‘right’ to make fun of terrorism. I would argue that the time for such rights has long passed. It’s no longer a right.
It’s a responsibility.
I think of it this way. Picture a posse of terrorists, watching TV. In the first scenario, they are watching the news. “New evidence today suggesting Al Qaeda may have been planning a terrorist attack on Australia’s Sydney Opera house have sent chills of fear down the spines of ordinary everyday Australians.” I can imagine that being a bit of an ego trip.
Scenario two. A group of terrorists, again sitting down, watching TV. This time though, they are watching themselves being mocked on Team America, or Family Guy.
Somehow I doubt watching this kind of portrayal of terrorists as incompetents, is quite as ego-inflating then the typical ‘oh my God we’re all going to die’ News stories.
Terrorism is used to create terror. Unfortunately, terrorists aren’t the only ones with this agenda. The Government uses fear to manipulate their people. Companies use fear to manipulate their consumers. Maybe we just need to fight all this negative energy through laughter. Through mockery.
You think that’s pointless? How much respect do you think Bush has lost, because nine out of ten times we see his image, he’s being degraded or mocked. How many people oppose Michael Moore on the grounds that they consider him purely ‘fat and dumb?’ Mockery doesn’t overpower something, it sucks the power from it.
So, your choice. Read and laugh and relieve yourself of terror.
Or take it all too seriously and remain in it’s thrall.
In today’s society, you don’t have a ‘right’ to make fun of terrorism. I would argue that the time for such rights has long passed. It’s no longer a right.
It’s a responsibility.
I think of it this way. Picture a posse of terrorists, watching TV. In the first scenario, they are watching the news. “New evidence today suggesting Al Qaeda may have been planning a terrorist attack on Australia’s Sydney Opera house have sent chills of fear down the spines of ordinary everyday Australians.” I can imagine that being a bit of an ego trip.
Somehow I doubt watching this kind of portrayal of terrorists as incompetents, is quite as ego-inflating then the typical ‘oh my God we’re all going to die’ News stories.
Terrorism is used to create terror. Unfortunately, terrorists aren’t the only ones with this agenda. The Government uses fear to manipulate their people. Companies use fear to manipulate their consumers. Maybe we just need to fight all this negative energy through laughter. Through mockery.
So, your choice. Read and laugh and relieve yourself of terror.
Or take it all too seriously and remain in it’s thrall.
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Was listening to Winston Churchill's speeches recently, and contemplating what it would have been like to have lived in London during the blitz.
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What about 'Hitler's only got one ball'?
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