August 11, 2002

11:04 AM

Well, let's just give into the idea of world-wide tribalism as the fact of life, as groups only understand and condemn (NYT) what hits their own kind. The hell with other kinds of people. They probably suffer differently anyway, if at all.
posted by semmi (13 comments total)

What the hell are you talking about? The pope?
posted by donkeyschlong at 11:06 AM on August 11, 2002

semmi, you're in a moral quandary of your own construction. Or you need to clarify yourself, using less spittle, this time, please.
posted by dhartung at 11:11 AM on August 11, 2002

a strange hard but transparent object bearing mysterious runes has fallen amongst his people, dropped by an enormous silver goose.
posted by quonsar at 11:18 AM on August 11, 2002

also: see previous thread.
posted by quonsar at 11:20 AM on August 11, 2002

What the hell are you talking about? The pope?
--donkeyschlong
In this instance. I like your clever subtextually subliminal mixing the words "hell" and "pope" in your short response, so telling in this story.

you're in a moral quandary of your own construction. Or you need to clarify yourself, using less spittle, this time, please. --dhartung
It's your moral quandary over my construction, no? What's spittle has to do with, though?

quonsar: you are, of course, welcome to your enjoyments, but about, also: see previous thread., I do think that events and actual personal experiences in the world may depress a rational person, that others, more in the generic pseudoscientific mainstream would name, "low self-esteem" to keep their own growing anxiety about the state of affairs under lid.
posted by semmi at 12:38 PM on August 11, 2002

Cultural antropologists report that the word most peoples use to identify a person of their tribe is the same word they use for "human being."

I seem to recall from Amy Tan that the Chinese know each-other as "people" and non-Chinese as "ghosts."
posted by scarabic at 1:07 PM on August 11, 2002

postroad + thomcatspike = semmi

Note: In this thread only, as far as I can tell from a cursory look.
posted by zpousman at 1:14 PM on August 11, 2002

Well, let's just give into the idea of Asian smog clouds as the fact of life, as groups only understand and condemn (Yahoo!) smog that hits their own kind. The hell with other kinds of smog clouds. They probably pollute differently anyway, if at all.
posted by TBoneMcCool at 1:48 PM on August 11, 2002

memecesspool poop don't stink?

posted by y2klavdivs at 1:52 on August 11

Now look what you did!
posted by y2karl at 2:23 PM on August 11, 2002

I seem to recall from Amy Tan that the Chinese know each-other as "people" and non-Chinese as "ghosts."

And whites as "barbarians".

zspousman: thanks for sharing your thoughts.
posted by semmi at 4:48 PM on August 11, 2002

semmi, you continue to fail to explain yourself. Therefore, any response of mine involves about 90% guesswork at your intended message.

The link you provided to a NYT news story, which does not seem to be condemning anyone, does include this passage:

In Italy, Pope John Paul II condemned the attack on the hospital and another earlier this week on a school for children of missionaries in Pakistan, calling them "heinous crimes" that could not be "condoned or tolerated," Reuters reported.

I do not infer tribalism or whatever it is you're on about from this passage. I note that it is normally the province of the spokesman of the Catholic church to comment on attacks on Catholic persons and institutions; this is to be expected as part of normal human behavior. Did you have different expectations for the Pope's commentary? If so, you may want to clarify them. Has the Pope consistently failed to "condemn" other suffering? Certainly that would not be my interpretation, as the Pope quite commonly makes commentary about violence and strife throughout the world. Is it the Pope's responsibility to make commentary about suffering of non-Catholics? I'm not sure; who's paying him to do that? Isn't it his job to consider the interests of his own church's membership, and in particular to defend their legal and human rights worldwide?

On Monday, gunmen shot their way into a missionary school complex 30 miles northeast of Islamabad that held 145 European, Australian and American students and 35 foreign staff members. They killed six Pakistanis, including two security guards who resisted them, and quickly fled.

This certainly seems like a shocking crime, one that all cultures and religions should condemn. Is it your contention that because this story focuses on one crime, that others are being ignored? Is this uninterest, disinterest, or flagrant and deliberate bigotry? Isn't there plenty of suffering in the world, more than any one single organization or news source can fully and equally attend? If I, as a person living in Illinois, am more concerned with the suffering of those in Illinois compared with India, have I committed a moral failing?

Administrators at the school apparently prevented the gunmen from reaching the children at the school by quickly locking classroom doors. Three men believed to have been involved in the attack on the school blew themselves up with grenades when confronted by villagers and the police on Tuesday.

I find this a story of appalling cruelty and inhumanity, balanced by uncommon bravery and grace of others. I continue to fail to grasp the reasons behind your outburst of contempt and sarcasm.

Again, I am using 90% guesswork. Your move.
posted by dhartung at 5:02 PM on August 11, 2002

Is it the Pope's responsibility to make commentary about suffering of non-Catholics? I'm not sure; who's paying him to do that? Isn't it his job to consider the interests of his own church's membership, and in particular to defend their legal and human rights worldwide?

I infer tribalism in that mentality. As the Pope is the infallible spiritual and de facto leader of a world religion, I would expect his expressions of concern for all human suffering whenever and wherever it's happening.
posted by semmi at 10:45 PM on August 13, 2002

What the????

Only those who are specifically paid to do so can make commentary about human suffering?

*shakes head and walks away*
posted by dg at 11:33 PM on August 13, 2002