What is Your Political Opinion of "V for Vendetta"?

[Jason]

Fair warning though: I'm highly sympathetic to the cause of Inuit Separatism. An you should know that we've concluded that diplomacy alone is not going to advance our noble cause. So we're going to start planting bombs on school buses and commuter trains in Calgary. Once in a while we'll also capture people, saw their heads off, and put video of it on the internet. No doubt, all this will get some widespread attention, which will be good for our cause. If you or people in your family get killed, just remember: as a civilian living up there, you and your family deserve to be targeted and killed because you're paying the taxes which oppress my people. And what I'm doing is perfectly reasonable; I'm a freedom fighter after all. Nobody better consider me a terrorist.

If that's what the Inuit want to do, let them. Though, you do know the Inuit have signed treaties and they have the same rights as other Canadians, eh?

We reject that biased, revisionist history of your Canadian imperialism. Our ancestors were forced to sign these humiliating treaties. We're going for full independence, no matter how thousands of civilians we have to kill to get there.

Sarcasm duly noted, but that should be British Imperialism to be correct.

[Gawd]

Fair warning though: I'm highly sympathetic to the cause of Inuit Separatism. An you should know that we've concluded that diplomacy alone is not going to advance our noble cause. So we're going to start planting bombs on school buses and commuter trains in Calgary. Once in a while we'll also capture people, saw their heads off, and put video of it on the internet. No doubt, all this will get some widespread attention, which will be good for our cause. If you or people in your family get killed, just remember: as a civilian living up there, you and your family deserve to be targeted and killed because you're paying the taxes which oppress my people. And what I'm doing is perfectly reasonable; I'm a freedom fighter after all. Nobody better consider me a terrorist.

If that's what the Inuit want to do, let them. Though, you do know the Inuit have signed treaties and they have the same rights as other Canadians, eh?

We reject that biased, revisionist history of your Canadian imperialism. Our ancestors were forced to sign these humiliating treaties. We're going for full independence, no matter how thousands of civilians we have to kill to get there.

If that's the way they feel, then just let them separate. Other provinces actually subsidize the Inuit communities, yah know Ian?

[Gawd]

Uh-huh. Care to discuss the social relevance of Spider-Man next? How about Superman?

I see your cultural acceptance is very narrow. Spider-Man convey themes of being indifferent to the plight of others as shown by Peter not helping to stop the robber when he had a chance. The robber then killed his uncle later in the night.

Superman conveys themes of helping others but at the same time risking the loss of anonymity. By helping others, you yourself can be targeted.

[Ian]

I'm highly sympathetic to the cause of Inuit Separatism.

Are you Canadian Ian?

Either way..

You view this as a legitimate political struggle, or else being sympathetic to a cause means something different to you than it does to I. What was the dividing line, as it were, that made it not terrorism? The tools used or the severity to which they are used?

No, I'm making the same point that I made in my first post. Terrorism is an extremely broad term, and terrorists should be distinguished from other insurgents not by who they are fighting but by 1) what they are fighting for and 2) how they are fighting it.

What I wrote about Inuit separatism is satirical. That would be the case of a cause that, realistically, has little or no reason to turn to violence. And even if there was a good reason, bombing school buses and trains would make them terrorists by any sane definition, even if they insist that their underlying cause is their own freedom. People don't get to deliberately slaughter civilians and claim they have a political cause and are therefore merely just freedom fighters. Yes, Gawd, there is such a thing as terrorism beyond freedom fighting.

The IRA had a somewhat respectable cause, as do Palestinians and others. But the means they use(d) often clearly go across the line from insurgency to terrorism. The existence of an underlying political cause does not automatically excuse all of their actions.

[amused]

If you win, then you are a freedom fighter. If you lose, then you are a terrorist.

[Gawd]

Ian, the Palestinians have just cause going after any Israeli since it is the Israeli civilian population that is mounting the invasion with the help of the Israeli military in case heavy fire is needed.

[Jason]

Uh-huh. Care to discuss the social relevance of Spider-Man next? How about Superman?

I see your cultural acceptance is very narrow. Spider-Man convey themes of being indifferent to the plight of others as shown by Peter not helping to stop the robber when he had a chance. The robber then killed his uncle later in the night.

Superman conveys themes of helping others but at the same time risking the loss of anonymity. By helping others, you yourself can be targeted.

Well said Gawd.

[Gawd]

If you win, then you are a freedom fighter. If you lose, then you are a terrorist.

I agree.

[Ian]

Ian, the Palestinians have just cause going after any Israeli since it is the Israeli civilian population that is mounting the invasion with the help of the Israeli military in case heavy fire is needed.

How about children?

[Xamonas Chegwé]

I think you are making a logical fallacy of "one book must explain everything" or else it is invalid. Seems too Christiany for me......

No. I am making the point that ANY book doesn't, necessarily, explain ANYTHING!

I repeat, YOU are the one claiming that...

the Guy Fawkes character shows that "terrorism" is a legitimate means for political change

I am arguing the exact OPPOSITE! It is a work of FICTION. A thinly-fleshed analogy of events that has no realistic bearing on the real world.

Your deliberate density does you no credit.

If "ANY book doesn't, necessarily, explain ANYTHING" why do you even talk about ANYTHING?

Why do you talk at all?

I mean, really?

I have no political axe to grind regarding the Israel / Palestine situation. I have been to Israel and seen the way that things are there first-hand. I am by no means a zionist - in fact, I have long held the view that the state of Israel should never have been founded at all - but I am of the opinion that the only real solution, since it most certainly DOES exist now, is for both sides to cohabit in some kind of political harmony..

BUT...

When I listen to you distort and pervert every news story about Israel into yet more evidence of the inhumanity and monstrous nature of "Teh JOOZ", I am not, as you might think, inspired to lead a crusade against Netanyahu, or to storm the wailing wall. No. I am, instead, driven to point out to you how fucking ridiculous and one-sided your claims are.

In short, you are making someone (me) that is a neutral bystander, defend the Israeli position against your biased waffle and racist tripe!

Multiply that by however many members there are in how ever many forums you pollute and that is your net effect - rallying defence of Israel from those that previously didn't give a shit either way.

Way to go...

[Jason]

If you win, then you are a freedom fighter. If you lose, then you are a terrorist.

That can definitely be true, but there is also definitely a point in the actual struggle itself when it happens that what began as terrorism becomes freedom fighting. What, where or what is it?

[Gawd]

Ian, the Palestinians have just cause going after any Israeli since it is the Israeli civilian population that is mounting the invasion with the help of the Israeli military in case heavy fire is needed.

How about children?

What if the child is Hitler?

[Ian]

Ian, the Palestinians have just cause going after any Israeli since it is the Israeli civilian population that is mounting the invasion with the help of the Israeli military in case heavy fire is needed.

How about children?

What if the child is Hitler?

You said any Israeli. Are you saying you can judge which might grow up to be a dictator? Or do you mean that the Palestinians might as well kill all the Israeli kids they can find, so they don't have to worry about them later?

[Jason]

When I listen to you discover and point out every news story about Israel and Palestine as yet more evidence of inhumanity and its monstrous nature.

FTFY

[Gawd]

I think you are making a logical fallacy of "one book must explain everything" or else it is invalid. Seems too Christiany for me......

No. I am making the point that ANY book doesn't, necessarily, explain ANYTHING!

I repeat, YOU are the one claiming that...

the Guy Fawkes character shows that "terrorism" is a legitimate means for political change

I am arguing the exact OPPOSITE! It is a work of FICTION. A thinly-fleshed analogy of events that has no realistic bearing on the real world.

Your deliberate density does you no credit.

If "ANY book doesn't, necessarily, explain ANYTHING" why do you even talk about ANYTHING?

Why do you talk at all?

I mean, really?

I have no political axe to grind regarding the Israel / Palestine situation. I have been to Israel and seen the way that things are there first-hand. I am by no means a zionist - in fact, I have long held the view that the state of Israel should never have been founded at all - but I am of the opinion that the only real solution, since it most certainly DOES exist now, is for both sides to cohabit in some kind of political harmony..

BUT...

When I listen to you distort and pervert every news story about Israel into yet more evidence of the inhumanity and monstrous nature of "Teh JOOZ", I am not, as you might think, inspired to lead a crusade against Netanyahu, or to storm the wailing wall. No. I am, instead, driven to point out to you how fucking ridiculous and one-sided your claims are.

In short, you are making someone (me) that is a neutral bystander, defend the Israeli position against your biased waffle and racist tripe!

Multiply that by however many members there are in how ever many forums you pollute and that is your net effect - rallying defence of Israel from those that previously didn't give a shit either way.

Way to go...

I've posted many factual news stories from Haaretz written by Jews showing the injustice waged against the Palestinians by Israel. The articles I've posted show that is is a racial/religious conflict of Jews vs. Arabs. There is no wishy washy from me about this.