Dear me! Such a furor!

To those Muslims who happen to understand what the West is about: my sympathies! Having the reactions that your fellow worshipers are having must be a bit like having to put up with the temper tantrums of a slow child. They really are caught in a world of their own fantasy and whenever the real world happens to intrude, well, the tantrums ensue. Unfortunately, your lack of adult supervision and guidance is a source of concern, and as you know the West really doesn't much like this sort of thing. You folks have been quiet for a long time, and if you think this is bad, well, you probably have an idea of what is next. Again, my sympathies!

To the people of Denmark: I am sure I have some ancestors in common with you folks, even though it might have been through rival families way back in the 8th century, but we have learned to let bygones be bygones. Unfortunately you have stirred up a group that thinks anything past the 12th century is far too modern and that turning the clock back is the best way to do things. A couple of suggestions:

1) Remember your ancestors who raised the Raven banner, they gave you a land and possibilities and entrusted it to you,
2) many of those same ancestors went through the Mediterranean with the Byzantines, perhaps some family history is in order, and
3) you may want to up your defense budget to the 5-7% range and start marketing Aquavit to the US, we could use a good, strong, harsh liquor! The harsher the better, usually. I am more than ready to change my buying habits.

Also, finally, check out my post on Statute of Limitations. Yes, you were around to help birth modern diplomacy, often at the edge of a battle-axe, but the reminder does help, I think. My deepest admiration to the people of Denmark. You have been a kind and moderate folk for a goodly enough time and you may take this as a gentle wakeup call.


Now, to all of those incensed by the cartoons depicting Mohamed, et. al. :

Do you think this is blasphemy? MERE cartoons? The West is used to serving up *much* stronger fare than cartoons to the pompous and idiotic, just ask the Catholic Church. They tried to actually *ban* books!! And do you know what happened with those book banning lists? They became the shopping lists of 'Must have reading material' for anyone who wanted to see what the fuss was about! Instant best seller status to be 'Banned in Boston', and such brittle outrage only made things *worse*. Cartoons are just a mere and gentle chiding compared to what you are giving the comedians of today. You see, the modern gross-out comedian of today had to become that way to top other comedians who were just slightly *less* shocking. After a couple of decades of this NOTHING has become sacred to them EXCEPT a target that REACTS. The Muslim outrage has just handed a blank check to some of the most foul-mouthed, ill-mannered and generally un-pious group of people on the planet, namely, American comedians. The first one to realize *that* will make an instant fortune.

If you think that the image of Mohamed in a cartoon was blasphemy, just wait until you see what comedians do to the poor prophet. He will be dressed up on stage and pranced about in dresses, depicted as a gangster, shown to be a drug fiend, or, even worse, a Republican. No you can expect the serious mockery to begin in a few days as the modern comedian uses your outrage as grist for the late-night circuit. And I do hope that those shows will get to you! Because then you will become even more incensed than you are at present... apoplectic at the blasphemy, libel, non-historically accurate portrayal of the prophet. And each and every time you do, each and every protest, riot, car burning, embassy burning, each of this will *raise* the ratings of these folks and they will do even *worse* the next show! This will go on for weeks, months, years... priest and nun jokes are *still* a staple of the joke circuit.

And then, in 6 months or a year, just once you start to get a little bit used to the ridicule, the jokes, the demeaning attitude and you have generally worn yourself to frazzle, THEN things will get far, far worse. Because the next group to move in will be THE ARTISTS! If you want to see a bunch of people doing desecration and blasphemy, these are the people to really watch out for. They have gone to the extreme of mixing up holy images of Christ with urine, feces and many other materials less savory. I have no idea what they will do with Mohamed and Islam, but I can tell you that you will not like it one little bit. And the moment you react, hold a demonstration, a protest, actually try to go through legal channels to stop such things, do you know what will happen? That artist will become an *instant* celebrity! And then the entire comedian circuit will start out all over again at a new level of blasphemy.

So, to those worked up so much over mere cartoons, let me say this: learn some toleration and join the 21st century. Because of few cartoons are mild compared to the serious ridicule that will come your way.