Yes, this is a real headline: Iran cracks down on moral peril of Barbie peddlers. Seriously. By Reuters. That’s right, the Iranian morality police are making sure Western culture–in the presence of Barbie dolls–doesn’t invade Iran. Because their culture, which executes women for adultery, and men for homosexuality, is so wonderful.
Awesome way to show Iran how much power it has over the U.S. and Israel: In the interests of not escalating tensions with Iran, the U.S. and Israel are postponing missile defense military exercises. Wonderful. Because that will send a message to Iran that the U.S. and Israel are willing to do what it takes to keep Iran from getting its goal of destroying Israel, except when things might worry the Iranians too much.
Toldja no good would come of it: The cyber war continues.
Awwww. Poor, poor, Turks. France is apparently considering a bill that will outlaw genocide denial, which will make it illegal to say that the Turks didn’t try to commit genocide on the Armenians. The Turks are saying that the bill will harm relations with Turkey. Go for it, Frogs! (Hey, the friend of my enemy is still a jerk, sometimes.)
Disgusting still-unrepentant murderer still whitewashed by the AP: One of the murderers of the Fogel family–remember, one of the slain was a three-month-old infant–entered court smiling and unrepentant for the murder. And how does the AP report this? As an “also” at the end of another news article about the failing Israeli-Palestinian talks. At the very end of the article. Where no one will see it, or it will likely get cut.
Also Monday, an Israeli military court sentenced a Palestinian man to five consecutive life sentences in prison for the grisly killing of five members of an Israeli family last March.
Must demur on the French legislation, Meryl. I am opposed to such laws for two reasons: 1. I am against criminalizing speech and opinions, however hateful, stupid, or offensive they may be; and 2. As we can readily see on many college campuses here, the people who decide what can and cannot be said tend to start casting a wide net.
Oh, I didn’t say I was for the legislation. Just noting how annoying it is for the Turks. I’m against all hate speech legislation as well, and laws about Holocaust denial should be plain, simple fraud laws. Because the deniers are liars and frauds.
I’m against any law–other than those regarding libel and such–that limits anyone’s right to say anything, no matter how stupid, ill-informed, or just plain moronic. But yes, it is sort of fun to see the Turks squirming on this issue.
Regarding the Holocaust, I just wish the Arabs generally would make up their minds–their line tends to be, “the Holocaust is a fraud, it never happened, and Hitler should have finished the job.”