Hi Thurston,
We try to be civil towards others here, although the issues are very emotional to some. I congratulate FaultLine for his attention to that. Calling a whole nation "animals" and say you feel like killing them is not exactly the kind of intellectual discussion we like to see in the FADG. Just be careful in the future.
But when I see people gleefully celebrating the deaths of thousands of innocent people (and I'm sure you recall that it was not just the Palestinians), then I am apt to label based on their actions.
I understand.
First and foremost, let me say that I am personally disgusted that anyone can find joy in the death of thousands of people and the suffering of their family and loved ones.
Then let me point out a cultural difference that may explain the "Arabs dancing in the streets" phenomenon following WTC attacks:
When Afghanistan was cleaned of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda was apparently defeated, all Americans were happy, right? But they did not dance in the streets. So their behaviour appears to you as "human" (i.e. respectful, measured, dignified, etc) as opposed to the "animal" behaviour (i.e. loud, disrespectful, undignified, tribal, etc) you witnessed on CNN right after 9/11 attacks.
I understand where you are coming from, and I also understand that this is the way those people always act when they are happy with something - a village gets their first ever phone line and grown up men dance in the streets <ggg> Trust me, it is hilarious. They are not much different when they grieve - women throw themselves on the floor growling and crying, men pound their chests in abandon, etc.
Now, from the other side of the world, you are classifying this as "animal" behaviour. I urge you to consider the cultural differences between the nations on this planet. To the Japanese, Americans act like "animals", for example, in the way they show their emotions. Arabs are a very emotional lot (possibly due to their stunted growth on the scientific side due to preoccupation with religious dogma) and dancing in the streets is just the way they act whenever they are content with something - they were content then, because they saw it as the first time they ever hurt back America for the way America hurts Muslims around the world. |
