The revolting attack on Charlie Hebdo this morning can only leave one feeling sympathy for the victims and bereaved. The magazine is an odd left-wing hodge-podge that has a go a religious extremism across the board. Bought a copy once to read on a train. It was dull to be honest, though there were a couple of good jokes about De Gaulle and a depiction of Britain being full of fat women and small men in bowler hats. It reprinted the Danish cartoons containing he who shall not be named some while back, tripling its sales with that issue. The 20th Arondisement is an odd mix with a merchant quarter and the infamous Belleville, these days with a massive immigrant population. Old Man Le Pen used to get elected there.
Our rolling news is full of the story and I can't help thinking how many are dying 'at our hands' in various 'wars to liberate them'. This thought doesn't stop me seeing this attack as disgusting and part of our lurch away from democracy to fascism, whether "Muslim" or corporate. We are wide open to this kind of attack, whether he inspiration is religion or insanity. The office attacked had two police guards and was on the second floor. The news has this as an attack on freedom of speech, but oddly the attack itself is something of an indication we don't have much of that anyway. No cameras seem to roll on and on after a drone attack or really report the personal nature of deaths 'we' are responsible for. If my family and neighbours had been killed and I had some heavy weaponry, I can't see me wanting to take retribution on a few left-wing cartoonists and local cops. Some klutz is now pondering the important matter of whether this will affect tourism. Meanwhile we have politicians who think faith schools a good idea. -- --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
