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Igel

(36,229 posts)
28. The only reason the "target on (your) backs (is) bigger" is straightforward.
Fri Jul 8, 2016, 10:48 AM
Jul 2016

You're viewed not as individuals but as a member of a group, a group that acts together, where the members are similar, and who protect each other against outsiders. Doesn't matter if this is right or wrong, it's the whole "you're a member of a group, not a person" way of thinking.

The only way that this guy would go gunning for white cops is if he viewed them not as individuals but as a member of a group, a group that acts together, where the members are similar, and who protect each other agianst outsiders. Doesn't matter if this is right or wrong, it's the whole "you're a member of a group, not a person" way of thinking.


Nationalism had to die for a few reasons. The first is that it divided nations. The group that acts together, where members are simillar, and who protect each other against outsiders was, under nation-state thinking, the nation. Americans stick together, French stick together, Nepalese stick together. It was a kind of ideal, seldom achieved in practice but it worked to unify large portions of the world.

The stongest vision for a united Europe will fail because it cannot do this. Those strongest supporters have a "European identity," but it's a weak one. No common culture, no common language, no common set of traditions or folklore to mark ground boundaries determined by "deep" culture. The best they have is a common framework for doing business with some official environmental values. It's not the Fs that unite, it's the actual values and modes of interaction (the Fs are food, fashion, folklore, and festivals, none of which are crucial to what really binds people in a culture). Europe lacks both common Fs and a complete set of core values.

The second reason nationalism had to die is that it superseded group identity. You can't be a loyal Polish-American activist if your loyalty to American is greater than your loyalty to Polish; you can keep some of the Fs, but that's about it. It ultimately required disposing of things that disunited us because, dang, somebody, the wrong somebody, might feel bad. At the same time, it created great political opportunities that rely on group boundaries and making sure that groups are so allied internally that they can close circles against outsiders. It aided and abetted seeing individuals as members of a group. The tension in a lot of thinking is between the natural assimilatory tendencies of immigrants and group members in contact with other groups, individualism, and fostering group identity--in a single argument a person will flip between insisting on being seen as a member of a group and as a free-standing individual, but if you talk to 1000 people you get 1000 different ways to square that circle. But the group-think has to die. Nation-states can work out inter-group treaties and contracts just fine because borders make fine demarcations. Communalism is just plain evil, and leads to Rwanda, Indonesia, the Congo, Jugoslavija. White supremacy is just one kind of communalism, where skin-color is a marker for deeper values, and has all the same features of other subspecies of communalism. A great example of a communal set-up is Lebanon. That's a sucky example to want to follow.

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Post removed Post removed Jul 2016 #1
Do you really need to stir this pot? n/t Chemisse Jul 2016 #5
You just did Person 2713 Jul 2016 #8
Thank God OccupyPA Jul 2016 #2
The "did this alone" thing doesn't make sense. ag_dude Jul 2016 #3
No it is not... brooklynite Jul 2016 #9
Why is CNN (and most other news sources) reporting otherwise? ag_dude Jul 2016 #14
Reporting tends to be chaotic... brooklynite Jul 2016 #16
To me it means he wasn't working in conjunction with a group like BLM. wcast Jul 2016 #13
Nice job by the robot. TheCowsCameHome Jul 2016 #4
Indeed - a handy little device in circumstances such as these n/t Chemisse Jul 2016 #6
This sounds like a first. TheCowsCameHome Jul 2016 #7
I don't ever recall hearing of this either. Chemisse Jul 2016 #11
Just doing its job Capt. Obvious Jul 2016 #12
That was my first thought, as well. Frank Cannon Jul 2016 #23
Ummm, no, no it's not. HeartoftheMidwest Jul 2016 #15
agree.... dhill926 Jul 2016 #17
agreed gopiscrap Jul 2016 #18
Tear gas and flash bangs DISORIENT a shooter; they don't DISABLE one. brooklynite Jul 2016 #19
Agreed. christx30 Jul 2016 #24
The suspect had told police he had explosives and would use them.... groundloop Jul 2016 #21
I understand what you're both saying about explosives, but.... HeartoftheMidwest Jul 2016 #25
I'll amend this post, in light of... HeartoftheMidwest Jul 2016 #27
So we should let one murderous asshole hold one or multiple city blocks hostage for how long again? snooper2 Jul 2016 #31
Until, if possible... HeartoftheMidwest Jul 2016 #32
But he did continue to shoot at police, how many more should he be allowed to attempt to kill Maru Kitteh Jul 2016 #36
They had him cornered. In a parking garage. HeartoftheMidwest Jul 2016 #37
Because he CONTINUED TO SHOOT AT THEM. Maru Kitteh Jul 2016 #39
I haven't seen anything reported anywhere ( yet )...... HeartoftheMidwest Jul 2016 #43
You said to just let him keep trying to kill people until he runs out of ammunition Maru Kitteh Jul 2016 #47
Again, NOT seeing any indications ( yet ) that police were in any danger. HeartoftheMidwest Jul 2016 #49
You said to just let him keep trying to kill people until he runs out of ammunition Maru Kitteh Jul 2016 #50
I said no such thing. HeartoftheMidwest Jul 2016 #53
Yeah, you did. All anyone has to do is look at your posts, so explain it. Maru Kitteh Jul 2016 #54
I said his ammo supply was limited. HeartoftheMidwest Jul 2016 #56
He would only run out of ammo if he was shooting at the police muriel_volestrangler Jul 2016 #59
At the press conference Calista241 Jul 2016 #61
There are some people who believe cops need to "take one (or a hundred) for the team" ProudToBeBlueInRhody Jul 2016 #60
Just let him fire until he runs out? TipTok Jul 2016 #38
Oh Jesus, it's not murder to kill a mass-murdering madman geek tragedy Jul 2016 #30
The fact that no one gunned him down where he stood.. HeartoftheMidwest Jul 2016 #33
they only have that obligation if it doesn't put their own geek tragedy Jul 2016 #34
"His life was not worth risking theirs." HeartoftheMidwest Jul 2016 #40
It's not their job to assist this guy in killing more of them. geek tragedy Jul 2016 #41
I see we're at an impasse. HeartoftheMidwest Jul 2016 #55
And if the gunman had any desire to live, christx30 Jul 2016 #42
Reply to geek and Christ: HeartoftheMidwest Jul 2016 #45
They were expecting him to try and break out. Calista241 Jul 2016 #62
Saddle up. nt msanthrope Jul 2016 #44
Sorry. HeartoftheMidwest Jul 2016 #46
Maybe get your ass down to the next active shooter situation and let him shoot at you Maru Kitteh Jul 2016 #48
If you use lethal force against police officers you should expect them to respond in kind. Maven Jul 2016 #51
I would feel better if the police were able to... HeartoftheMidwest Jul 2016 #57
big difference between a normal suspect DonCoquixote Jul 2016 #52
So sending the robot in with tear gas... HeartoftheMidwest Jul 2016 #58
I had no idea these robots were used offensively citood Jul 2016 #10
Fucking morons Blue_Tires Jul 2016 #20
The only reason the "target on (your) backs (is) bigger" is straightforward. Igel Jul 2016 #28
was this one shooter? Sunlei Jul 2016 #22
Good question: could it be that he was actually acting alone? alcibiades_mystery Jul 2016 #29
Since when? ramapo Jul 2016 #26
It wouldn't be the first time the government bombed Americans Taitertots Jul 2016 #35
It was an explosive charge on a bomb disposal robot. Calista241 Jul 2016 #63
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