I seem to have become some kind of boundary marker!!! I am amused but curious. What does “this side of Valteron” mean? Which side am I on, in your opinion?
BTW, I also think it is perfectly all right for an office to suggest we avoid unnecessary lunch meetings during Ramadan, and I would happily comply. As one of my Muslim friends (yes, I have Muslim friends) says: “*In Canada *(or any western democracy) all religions are equal. But law is above all religions.” My friend thinks this is wonderful.
In this instance, the ‘‘stick’’ is having a bunch of people draw Mohammed en masse to show a tiny minority of violence-inclined religious folk that they’re wrong to try to curb free speech. That’s far more than any negative mention of Islam. It’s like if, instead of some weird modern artist doing Piss Christ, a significant percentage of the entire U.S. population set up Piss Christ exhibits outside their homes. Not only is it juvenile and mean-spirited, it affects the image of this country as a whole.
Not that I believe a protest against censorship of some college kid’s precious South Park is going to gain much traction, but the point still stands. This has nothing to do with free speech and everything to do with being a dick because you can be.
Exactly. This pitting is so short-sighted it’s painful.
I am yes, they aren’t. South Park has made a career of attacking people’s views, and getting shit on by the people who thought they were being attacked.
No, not okay. You win this point.
I’ve witnessed a lot of very bad parents try to use this sort of tactic on their children. Essentially, stupid people trying to use blunt jokes to humiliate someone else into changing.
But it only works if the target audience “gets it.” South Park has been ripping on people for over a decade without much success. We’ve been ripping on Tea Baggers but their numbers grow along with their crazy.
From what I know of van Gogh’s work it was blunt, way to direct.
If I may switch sides for a moment: we’re dealing with a group not used to satire, humour, or being ripped on.
Think of them like a new cast member on Friends. Few people can handle that kind of good natured ribbing, most people would storm off in tears.
This is something you need to ease people in to. What if we didn’t lead off with the “yo mamma’s so fat” jokes, to a group who’s mother essentially died of obesity. Before making fun of someone, at least recognize there is hypersensitivity and work with it.
If you’ve got a guy in your office that stinks (as we all do), but is also hypersensitive (and the boss’ son) you don’t fill his cubical with deodorant. You don’t make up a rhyme that people sing as he walks by. “There goes Peter he’s a Stinker”
Basically what I’m asking is that you put the kid gloves on and consider that you are essentially dealing with children, not used to being mocked and ridiculed in an open forum.
Right, so what you’re going to do is act like the assholes that the world has branded you as. Yet despite being mocked relentlessly about being assholes, you have get to “get it.” Instead, you’re setting out to act like assholes.
The actions you’re about to undertake have as yet failed on YOU. Yet here you are, expecting it to work on someone else.
stones, glass houses, don’t do it.
Spend May 20th watching Team American World Police instead. Consider it a day of quiet introspection. Lead by example, and ask Muslims to join you, as you look inward at your own flaws, laugh, and then change.
No it doesn’t. Which is why YOU have yet to peacefully coexist. Isn’t there a country that needs invading? Or a world economy you need to destroy. Are you that bored? Hey look over there, it’s a country you’d like to boss around through use of force!
I don’t know- all that “durka durka Muhammad jihad” stuff might irritate Muslims.
Like I said in that Cafe Society thread, I’m not a South Park fan and I never have been, but I’m realizing that the people they infuriate are usually a lot more loathsome than the South Park guys themselves are. Calm the fuck down already. You’re deliberately vague on whether or not you consider yourself American or Canadian, but either way you have no business using that “you can’t peacefully coexist” language with anyone. Canada is involved in Afghanistan, you know.
Fortunately, those are all phenomena which are completely unknown in the Muslim world. Invading countries? Bossing people around through the use of force? Are you that oblivious?
You live in a free and just society. You have the right to draw anything you want (except naked children). Now use your moral compass and decide if you need to go out of your way to offend someone. Even if what they believe in is totally retarded and you have zero respect for it. You are surrounded by 320million of dumbest people on the planet, are you lacking in subject matter? 60% of Americans don’t believe in evolution, but you’re choosing THIS to get worked up about?
Spend May 20th making fun of creationists, or people that don’t understand the metric system. Have a little test run, see if your mock outrage changes even one mind. My guess is no. My guess is you will simple encourage already stupid people to dig in their heals and further reject intelligence.
Yes, I implore you, put this into context, PLEASE. For the first time ever, put something into context. This entire thread is an example in not understanding context. Your description about Amish people is not putting things into context, you missed the point.
If you marched through an Amish community mocking and ridiculing them, it is very unlikely they are going to embrace your beliefs. You are going about this the wrong way.
For that matter, the fact that he jumps straight from blunt satire on a cartoon show to counterterrorism and invasions show he’s just zero perspective on any of this.
Using your logic, emacknight, I should now move to Saudi Arabia, and demand that they be ok with my wife chosing to drive to work in a bikini. Any attempt to make me live and abide by their moralistic codes are wrong, and offensive to me.
Would you be just as stridently asking the Wahabi muslim population there to be tolerant, and not be so “offensive” to me and my beliefs?
If you wouldn’t be, do you see the disconnect there?
Making May 20th International Day of the Asshole will accomplish nothing except having the rest of the world collectively say, “who the fuck are you to talk about censorship, religious tolerance, and peaceful coexistence.”
I had a thread a few months ago mocking the American health care system, and Magiver took it as a personal insult. Instead of accepting the criticism and thanking me for pointing out obvious flaws, he choose to lash out at me, and point out failures in the Canadian system.
Still, if nothing else, it’ll show that when we get pissed off, we get all creative on yo butt and do stuff on teh intrawebs - we don’t order some fertiliser and start planning to blow the shit out of civilians.
Hey Valteron, I have a couple of quick questions for you:
Of all the acts of protest that you’ve promoted on this board and presumably in other places, how many of them have ever produced any measurable, positive outcome?
Given your answer to the previous question, what do you suppose are the odds that this one will produce any measurable, positive outcome?
I am amused but curious. What does “this side of Valteron” mean? Which side am I on, in your opinion?