Their role is to say: "We are all (fill in the blank)"

According to some mec, one Edwy Plenel writing in Al-Jezeera on the Seine, supplicant dimmitude is brave, Americans seeking to do away with the chances of future 9-11 attacks are “deer trapped in the headlights” who would enact a barbarous Patriot Act. Apparently, American’s flaw is that they aren’t mentally wagging the slinky enough and aren’t p-whipped enough by terrorists to please this self-absorbed twit’s sensibilities.

« Il dit enfin, avec ces trois personnages qui, loin d'être oisifs, paraissent s'être arrêtés dans cette bibliothèque sur le chemin ou au retour de leur travail, que cette activité d'apparence passive ne contredit pas l'action ni ne nuit à la détermination. Pour bien agir, de façon pertinente, efficace et durable, mieux vaut prendre le temps de la réflexion.

Cette image d'un autre âge ne nous a pas quittés depuis les attentats de Londres tant la réaction immédiate du peuple britannique a confirmé son actualité. Ce flegme paisible, cette tranquille assurance, cette absence d'excès et d'apitoiement, ce refus de toute panique qu'a résumés ce refrain spontané : nous n'avons pas peur. Nous ne tomberons pas dans le piège tendu par les terroristes, nous ne laisserons pas la peur nous changer, répète à l'envi l'initiateur de We're not afraid, le site internet qui popularise cette attitude (www.werenotafraid.com). Affichant une solide confiance démocratique, elle est à l'opposé de la stupeur américaine en 2001, dont l'une des conséquences fut la remise en cause de libertés fondamentales par l'adoption du Patriot Act.»

«In the end it says, that far from being idle, that this activity of passive appearance does not contradict the action nor does not harm the determination. To act in a relevant way, effective and durable, it is better is to reflect.

This image from the past [the London blitz] is still with us since the attacks on London, as the immediate reaction of the British people confirmed that it's still topicality. This peaceful phlegm[Ed.: Henh?], this quiet insurance, this absence of excess and compassion, this refusal to panic was thus summarized: we are not afraid. We will not fall into the trap set [Ed.: wrong trap, fool] by the terrorists, we will not change, repeats with the zeal of those that set up the website "We' re not afraid", which echoes this attitude (www.werenotafraid.com). Posting a democratic solid confidence, it is contrary to the American stupor in 2001, of which one of the consequences was the questioning of fundamental freedoms by the adoption of Patriot Act.»

Being flummoxed by the possibility that someone out there has a murderous view of the world and is willing to kill civilians at work, in train stations, and so forth is “action”? Whatever you say, Sparky. The blitz was not a “collective resistance” – it was an attack on civilians, and not the military, and the resistance was in people’s hearts, not their actions while they were being bombed.

For this sort, emotions are interchangeable with human action. This is an irrational trap that the grossly self-absorbed and unrealistic fall into, at least when the RISKS are only to their emotions, and those risks aren’t real to them, because it’s OTHER PEOPLE who are being killed. Purportedly, these are people Mr. Sparky Feely “cares about”.

He wants the rest of us to be martyrs to his only cause – propping up his view of the world which impirically has never been tried successfully, not at least without killing one’s fellow citizens through negligence and inaction.

Merci et remerci, Priticus (Maximus) for the tip.