rain continues, sparks muslim anger

My made-up Onionesque headline, in response to the latest in a string of incidents which have enraged Muslims around the world. The Pope made some comments which quoted a 14th century Byzantine emporer under siege in Constantinople, who said that it was against reason to violently coerce anyone to become an adherent to a religion. His comments and quote were taken out of context and made to infer that he is beginning a new Crusade against Muslims. As a result, riots are breaking out, people are burning Pope effigies, a nun was shot and killed, and two churches were attacked in the West Bank. Once again, the skilful leaders of vast populations of disenfranchised followers of Islam have redirected the rage to the West, instead of their own mismanagement and oppression. It's really brilliant, and one has to hand it to the leaders of these groups. It's almost too easy. Perhaps they have taken a leaf out of our President's book: get people scared enough (constant talk of terrorism), or distracted enough (John Mark Karr), and we can ignore illegal wire tapping, CIA prisons, oil prices conveniently coming down near the elections, and other yucky things. Of course, most of us are sitting on our butts and not burning effigies of Bush (I say most, as I am sure there are nutters out there doing the very thing) and not attacking embassies in Washington. Americans are more angry about a segregated Survivor than the nearly-segregated Senate.

One good thing is finally the Evangelical world is outstripped in anger by another group. Break out the champagne. I think what needs to happen is an outbreak of joy. There is none that I can see in the headlines, nor will I ever, I'm sure. Happy things never make it to the front page. But if we really want to change people's minds about our way of life, the least we can do is be happy with our many freedoms, our unrivaled level of diversity, and the great strides made in the last century to acknowledge the human dignity of people of other races, women, and children. Of course we have a terribly long way to go, and are nowhere near an idyllic situation, but I think the West spends too much time apologizing for itself and its sordid past, ignoring the very real advantages of living here. In what other country can a Cindy Sheehan buy the ranch next door to the President's? Where else can you find a country that would invite leaders of enemy nations to lecture at a renowned University (Ahmadenijad spoke at Cooper Union this week)?

In related news, I am so sick of people comparing other people to Hitler, Mussolini, Nazi appeasers, and Stalin. I read the Drudge Report every day, followed with a dose of Cute Overload so I don't immediately attempt suicide after my first cup of tea. Drudge has his biases toward the sensational, but has a funny way of reminding people of what politicians and public figures have said in the past which contradict their current positions. Sometimes I notice a theme, and headlines are grouped by theme at times too. In the last three weeks, I've seen about six different instances of everyone from the Pope to two-bit local politicians being compared to Hitler and coming off worse than the Nazi Embodiment of Modern Evil. Give it a rest, people. Hitler is so tired, so five minutes ago. Pol Pot, Chairman Mao, South American dictators, Nero even--just think of someone else you can spout hyperbole about. Isn't it enough to say that someone is evil--the Devil, even (thanks, Chavez, for giving voice to the frantic Americans who seriously considered moving to Canada after the 2004 election)--and leave it at that? Do you have to play the Hitler card?

These people are worse than Hitler, you know.