Friday, January 9, 2015

Solidarité


[Solidarité. Illustration by Ana Juan. From The New Yorker website. Click for a larger view.]

comments: 3

The Crow said...

I just read an editorial piece from the New Yorker I found exceedingly thought provoking, but I'm guessing you already read it.

http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/unmournable-bodies?intcid=mod-latest

Michael Leddy said...

Thanks, Martha. I hadn’t seen this one. Yes, it’s deeply thoughtful.

Anonymous said...

The New Yorker piece seems an odd collection of complaints about colonialism and control for some, but not all. The plain truth of the world and its history is that all groups, mine and yours, seek to control in a variety of ways, many of them militaristic. Positing a world without conflict is rather like positing a novel without dramatic conflict, something no writer nor pen has accomplished. I wager the world will long war between its groups, for it is not only horrendous to hate but often politically fashionable as well. Them. Us. You. Me. Conflict is the thing, and remains the thing. As someone observed, both business and politics are war extended into other domains. How can it be otherwise? I choose the Western Judeo-Christian traditions, for all the witch burnings and victims of the Inquisition number in the thousands, while the cultural wars between freedom and tyranny number in the millions. I choose the Western tradition for its literature, art, music and dramas. I choose this for its technological potentiality and generalized civility in an age too willing to be uncivil. The Solidarité moment in Paris today suggests something like that too. When thought provokes, it provokes. Here's one: there will be precious few witch burnings in our West anymore but many more crucifixions in the Islamic State in the coming months, as floggings in Saudi Arabia for blogging, dear Orange Crate blogger. Solidarity does not require us to flagellate for past sins, when present sins overwhelm.