Shockingly for patriotic Muslims, thousands of naive young Muslims are committing treason against their own people, rejecting their homeland to travel to the United States, where they join the terrorist military. Why would anyone join a group responsible for horrific atrocities, which have been documented on video?
The Traitors Within
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication, WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a frequent contributor to The Wall Street Journal, a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "The Stringer."
15 Comments. Leave new
At this point, I’m at a loss as to why so incredibly few Americans have a problem with their own institutions committing atrocities but still think we need to intervene abroad when others do the same.
↑
I’ve wondered that for years — along with the fact that the Allies prosecuted and executed Germans and Japanese whose methods have now been found acceptable and adopted by the United States. WTF???
Just as Schadenfruede ist die beste Freude, projection is the best of all the psychological defence mechanisms. Ascribing to others the tendencies – and not least, actions – that one refuses to admit in oneself is the feel-good recipe par excellence….
Henri
@ mhenri – I can’t agree that the two are the same. Historically, the U.S. (and allies) treated the Germans and the Japanese as war criminals, supposedly to set an example that such behavior is unacceptable. Decades later, they admittedly engage in the identical behavior that was at that time condemned and find it acceptable. I don’t believe that’s the same as *Schadenfreude.* (?)
My apologies, mein verehrter Lehrer ; I seem to have failed to make myself clear- I didn’t mean to say that torture is the same thing as Schadenfreude, but rather that, just as the old German proverb states that Schadenfruede ist die beste Freude, projection, in which unacceptable tendencies in oneself are ascribed to those wicked «Others», is the best of all the psychological defence mechanisms. The United States regularly does that which it loudly and repeatedly accuses others of doing….
Henri
@ mhenrdayi –
I agree with your assessment of the situation as it exists in the U.S. (“The United States regularly does that which it loudly and repeatedly accuses others of doing….”)
I just don’t think it can be attributed to Schadenfreude (a feeling of enjoyment that comes from seeing or hearing about the troubles of other people.)
Neither do I ; my point was not to attribute the acceptance of torture to Schadenfreude on the part of the ordinary people in the US, but rather to compare two propositions on what is the «best» of two different psychological states – Freude in the one case, psychological defense mechanisms in the other. Rather than Schadenfreude, I suspect projection, which allows one to displace one’s unacceptable tendencies onto others, whom one is then permitted to hate, plays a far greater role….
Henri
Agreed. 🙂
Israel is an even worse example. Just as soon as they got out of the Nazi concentration camps, they started herding Palestinians into refugee camps.
Such utter hypocrisy is nothing short of astounding. How could they treat others as subhumans worthy only of extermination when they had just been subjected to that kind of treatment themselves?
Standard Disclaimer. Judaism is a religion, Israel is a country. These are two different things. Not all Jews are genocidal sociopaths and not all Jews support the Nakba.
Those that do are no better then the Nazis they decry.
@ CrazyH –
I see the analogy, and I agree. The U.S. should stop subsidizing the perpetuation of Israel’s Naziism! 🙁
Alas, CrazyH, if I understand our convoluted history aright, what oppressed peoples learn from their experience is not that oppression is wrong, but that it is better to be the oppressor than the oppressed. Thus, when the Israeli regime and its propagandists say, «Never again !», they do mean «Never again to us !». Sad, but I think reality, not merely in Israel, but e g, in the Baltic countries, bears out my thesis….
Henri
@mhenriday
I haven’t quoted Heinlein for a while, so here goes.
In the book “Stranger From a Strange Land” we meet Valentine Michael Smith who was raised by aliens. He doesn’t understand humans, and has no sense of humor.
One day at the zoo, he feeds a peanut to a chimpanzee. Another chimp comes along, beats up the first one and takes his peanut. The beaten chimp runs off and beats up a third.
Michael laughs his ass off for the first time in his life, and finds that he finally understands humans.
We do have the power to create a paradise on earth. We could *all* live happy, productive lives if we just get over the idiotic belief that we need to take it from somebody else.
But CrazyH, where would get our peanuts ?… 😉
Henri
I’m definitely sticking with thrill-seeking violence junkie, reacting to films like American Sniper….
Henri
USayers Nutella is better and more plentiful.
And, kittens too.