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This is my favorite of the cartoon reactions. The artist is Joep Bertrams. Onsterfelijk means immortal.

I like the sentiment. Sadly, I don’t believe it. In every instance I can think of, terrorism worked. Works. Works exactly as intended.

If they keep Charlie Hebdo going, and it keeps publishing enthusiastic blasphemy, I’ll be impressed and encouraged. But the point stands. Hesitant people will hesitate even more, and there will be more hesitant people.

The Financial Times has *already* run a “now, I’m not condoning terrorism, but…” article (link goes to HotAir because FT is behind a firewall). Western media are blurring out the offending images in reports about the incident. (Here’s the Telegraph. Here’s the New York Daily News (scroll down).

The AP’s sniffy, sanctimonious press release describing how they avoid all controversial images hilariously exploded in their faces when the Washington Examiner discovered them selling prints of Piss Christ on their web site. You remember — Andres Serrano’s photo of a crucifix submerged in a jar of old pee. (Btw, hate to admit it, always sneakingly thought that was a really haunting and beautiful image. Shame about the pee).

Point is, it’s probably going to work. This is probably not the tipping point. That depresses me as much as the murders.

January 7, 2015 — 10:41 pm
Comments: 6