I wasn't going to weigh in on the Charlie Hebdo massacre, not having heard of the magazine before, but all the back-and-forth on the Internet made me reconsider. sure, I support free speech including the most vile satire. sure, I condemn violence. I also praise anyone who would rather "die on his feet than live on his knees". but I don't see that it was Islam attempting to put Charb on his knees. with a corporate tax rate of 33%, a payroll tax of 66%, and a maximum personal income tax of 75%, it seems that the French government would be a more deserving target of his ire (not that he didn't expend it in that direction -- I don't doubt that he did). and he was adequately warned ahead of time, not just by Kianoush Ramezani, but by the firebombing in 2011. similar to the case of Felina, a series of ignored, credible threats leading to death is still lamentable, but at least predictable. at some point, one has to decide whether to prepare for war or to stand down. doing neither, and still hoping for the best, is Pollyannish and often disastrous.
last updated 2015-01-09 11:59:42. served from tektonic.jcomeau.com