Let's You And Him Fight
"Poles apart, I am the color of dying. You, the color of being born. Until we breathe each other in, there can be no Garden." - Rumi
Last year, I wrote an essay calling for increased transparency following the death of Neda Agha-Soltan. I discovered a recent article by Carl Herman that raises extreme skepticism (which I appreciate) about the details of that particular situation, but which also seems to use the issue as a platform from which to vent exhortations of polemic (which honestly triggers my curiousity about the writer's actual motivations & makes me wonder about his impartiality & journalistic integrity... although I should mention that I do appreciate the writer's professed support of the Iranian people's right to self-direction, reinforcement of US Constitutional Rights & International Human Rights, as well as not wanting the US to engage in wars of aggression or oppression of its citizens).
So, regarding this article in question... first of all, allow me to admit that we may never know the absolute truth about what happened in that particular situation. There are so many sources of misinformation, disinformation, propaganda, and outright lies about what really happens in countries that are suffering under tyranny (whether that country is Iran &/or the US). I must say that although I have always been rather skeptical of the *convenience* of Neda's story, there is something rather disturbing about the tone of this article by Mr. Herman. I think that the tone reminds me of Rush Limbaugh trying to criticize Michael Moore's journalism for being too editorial & entertainment oriented! Similarly, In A Mother Jones article called, "Lyin' Bully," Molly Ivins once said of Limbaugh:
"The kind of humor Limbaugh uses troubles me deeply, because I have spent much of my professional life making fun of politicians. I believe it is a great American tradition and should be encouraged. We should all laugh more at our elected officials--it's good for us and good for them. So what right do I have to object because Limbaugh makes fun of different pols than I do?
I object because he consistently targets dead people, little girls, and the homeless--none of whom are in a particularly good position to answer back. Satire is a weapon, and it can be quite cruel. It has historically been the weapon of powerless people aimed at the powerful. When you use satire against powerless people, as Limbaugh does, it is not only cruel, it's profoundly vulgar. It is like kicking a cripple.
...
Rush Limbaugh's pathetic abuse of logic, his absurd pomposity, his relentless self-promotion, his ridiculous ego--now those, friends, are appropriate targets for satire. "
This much could be said about much of the jingoistic US military-industrial complex, or its tyrannical analogue who are still in control of Iran, a year after the bloody protests of the Green Revolution.
Another related newsfeed post also claims that Neda's death was a propaganda stunt, which provides another oddly *convenient* explanation of why the eyewitness Doctor's accounts of her death are somewhat different (although there are certainly other reasonable explanations). And even though I would ideally prefer for us to develop a completely transparent consensus view of what actually happened that day... I think that there is a deeper truth that needs to be heard in this situation: people are being hunted down & shot without trial for attempting to make a film in protest of the tyrannical government in Iran. And please do not fall for any of the straw man arguments that might be used to suggest that since I am recommending sympathy for the Green Movement of Iran &/or Neda (who described herself as a-political), that I therefore want the US to conduct a "war of aggression" with Iran (I would prefer that the Iranian people decide the course of their own fate, and I do not believe that this is currently the case). Much less should we believe someone who resorts to hypocritical & vulgar name-calling ("sheeple," etc.) when people place more trust in the numerous unedited copies of the video that were posted within hours of the incident and are critical of the video that was released by state-sponsored Iranian propagandists!
And even if Neda's story was completely fabricated, musn't one wonder why it resonated so resoundingly across the world? Sometimes, people manifest the stories they need to carry on a noble fight, especially when the odds are against them. Not that I think that this would have been an ideal solution (if it were indeed the case that her death was a conspiracy in any way), but let's look at what happened afterwards...
Iranian authorities scramble to negate Neda Soltan 'martyrdom':
"The authorities ... banned a public funeral or wake and have prevented gatherings in her name while the state-controlled media (had) not mentioned Miss Soltan's death. (It) was reported that they had also told her family to take down the black mourning banners outside their home in the Tehran suburbs to prevent it becoming a place of pilgrimage. They were also told they could not hold a memorial service at a mosque. Nevertheless posters of Miss Soltan's face have started to appear all over Tehran. ... Denied a public funeral, the mourners travelled in minivans to Behesht Zahra cemetery where Neda was laid to rest on Sunday afternoon. It was a muted affair, as they were - to their fury - under official orders not to sing her praises loudly or to mourn her loss."
Neda's death became one of the symbols carried by many individuals in support of The establishment of The Green Path of Hope.
--
To get an outsider perspective on these issues, let me refer to a post I made not too long ago titled " sanditthiko akaliko ehipassiko opanayiko paccattam veditabbo viññuhi". This post was an attempt to share some recent inspirations about how to still appreciate Ethos, Logos, & Pathos in the context of Cosmic Indifference... they are simply ephemeral man-made models, however effective they may prove during their existence... in a vast, indifferent, and ultimately incomprehensible cosmos that clearly has no regard for our infinitesimal human perceptions & judgements. However, I do not intend for this to sound so Nihilistic or Apathetic as it may seem.
"My theory about why 'The Call of Cthulhu' and Lovecraft's fiction resonate so strongly with people," (Greg) Stafford says, "is that despite being set in an arbitrary, impersonal, cruel universe, they show that small, individual acts of dignity and goodness are possible." - from "Return of the Weird" by Zack Stentz
There has been a curious interplay throughout the ages between faith & science... paradigm shift & integration... and now we seem to have reached a bizarre plateau where science must not only question base assumptions such as locality, but must even reconsider some of the underlying notions of whether or not "reality" actually exists when we are not observing it!
Pardon me if I'm beating a dead horse, but... No wonder humans need fantasy to survive!
So, how about we enjoy our lives to the fullest, while we can? ;~})>
Now, let us return to the development of a responsible science which can study death, trauma, terror, and the rituals, ceremonies, & fantasies that are developed to explain, deny, & otherwise cope with that which is beyond our current comprehension.
--
To echo these sentiments, and take this discussion to another meta-commentary about international socio-politics regarding Islamic countries, I will re-post a quote that I found recently, while reading The Epilogue to Patrick Farley's webcomic, "The Spiders"
"If you remember anything I say from this night, remember this: The New Caliphate can only rise if you and your generation reject superstition, and reclaim Islam's legacy of science."
--
on the anniversary of her murder, i posted some further information about how the situation has continued to develop:
tears lost in a flood of blood...
Last year, I wrote an essay calling for increased transparency following the death of Neda Agha-Soltan. I discovered a recent article by Carl Herman that raises extreme skepticism (which I appreciate) about the details of that particular situation, but which also seems to use the issue as a platform from which to vent exhortations of polemic (which honestly triggers my curiousity about the writer's actual motivations & makes me wonder about his impartiality & journalistic integrity... although I should mention that I do appreciate the writer's professed support of the Iranian people's right to self-direction, reinforcement of US Constitutional Rights & International Human Rights, as well as not wanting the US to engage in wars of aggression or oppression of its citizens).
So, regarding this article in question... first of all, allow me to admit that we may never know the absolute truth about what happened in that particular situation. There are so many sources of misinformation, disinformation, propaganda, and outright lies about what really happens in countries that are suffering under tyranny (whether that country is Iran &/or the US). I must say that although I have always been rather skeptical of the *convenience* of Neda's story, there is something rather disturbing about the tone of this article by Mr. Herman. I think that the tone reminds me of Rush Limbaugh trying to criticize Michael Moore's journalism for being too editorial & entertainment oriented! Similarly, In A Mother Jones article called, "Lyin' Bully," Molly Ivins once said of Limbaugh:
"The kind of humor Limbaugh uses troubles me deeply, because I have spent much of my professional life making fun of politicians. I believe it is a great American tradition and should be encouraged. We should all laugh more at our elected officials--it's good for us and good for them. So what right do I have to object because Limbaugh makes fun of different pols than I do?
I object because he consistently targets dead people, little girls, and the homeless--none of whom are in a particularly good position to answer back. Satire is a weapon, and it can be quite cruel. It has historically been the weapon of powerless people aimed at the powerful. When you use satire against powerless people, as Limbaugh does, it is not only cruel, it's profoundly vulgar. It is like kicking a cripple.
...
Rush Limbaugh's pathetic abuse of logic, his absurd pomposity, his relentless self-promotion, his ridiculous ego--now those, friends, are appropriate targets for satire. "
This much could be said about much of the jingoistic US military-industrial complex, or its tyrannical analogue who are still in control of Iran, a year after the bloody protests of the Green Revolution.
Another related newsfeed post also claims that Neda's death was a propaganda stunt, which provides another oddly *convenient* explanation of why the eyewitness Doctor's accounts of her death are somewhat different (although there are certainly other reasonable explanations). And even though I would ideally prefer for us to develop a completely transparent consensus view of what actually happened that day... I think that there is a deeper truth that needs to be heard in this situation: people are being hunted down & shot without trial for attempting to make a film in protest of the tyrannical government in Iran. And please do not fall for any of the straw man arguments that might be used to suggest that since I am recommending sympathy for the Green Movement of Iran &/or Neda (who described herself as a-political), that I therefore want the US to conduct a "war of aggression" with Iran (I would prefer that the Iranian people decide the course of their own fate, and I do not believe that this is currently the case). Much less should we believe someone who resorts to hypocritical & vulgar name-calling ("sheeple," etc.) when people place more trust in the numerous unedited copies of the video that were posted within hours of the incident and are critical of the video that was released by state-sponsored Iranian propagandists!
And even if Neda's story was completely fabricated, musn't one wonder why it resonated so resoundingly across the world? Sometimes, people manifest the stories they need to carry on a noble fight, especially when the odds are against them. Not that I think that this would have been an ideal solution (if it were indeed the case that her death was a conspiracy in any way), but let's look at what happened afterwards...
Iranian authorities scramble to negate Neda Soltan 'martyrdom':
"The authorities ... banned a public funeral or wake and have prevented gatherings in her name while the state-controlled media (had) not mentioned Miss Soltan's death. (It) was reported that they had also told her family to take down the black mourning banners outside their home in the Tehran suburbs to prevent it becoming a place of pilgrimage. They were also told they could not hold a memorial service at a mosque. Nevertheless posters of Miss Soltan's face have started to appear all over Tehran. ... Denied a public funeral, the mourners travelled in minivans to Behesht Zahra cemetery where Neda was laid to rest on Sunday afternoon. It was a muted affair, as they were - to their fury - under official orders not to sing her praises loudly or to mourn her loss."
Neda's death became one of the symbols carried by many individuals in support of The establishment of The Green Path of Hope.
--
To get an outsider perspective on these issues, let me refer to a post I made not too long ago titled " sanditthiko akaliko ehipassiko opanayiko paccattam veditabbo viññuhi". This post was an attempt to share some recent inspirations about how to still appreciate Ethos, Logos, & Pathos in the context of Cosmic Indifference... they are simply ephemeral man-made models, however effective they may prove during their existence... in a vast, indifferent, and ultimately incomprehensible cosmos that clearly has no regard for our infinitesimal human perceptions & judgements. However, I do not intend for this to sound so Nihilistic or Apathetic as it may seem.
"My theory about why 'The Call of Cthulhu' and Lovecraft's fiction resonate so strongly with people," (Greg) Stafford says, "is that despite being set in an arbitrary, impersonal, cruel universe, they show that small, individual acts of dignity and goodness are possible." - from "Return of the Weird" by Zack Stentz
There has been a curious interplay throughout the ages between faith & science... paradigm shift & integration... and now we seem to have reached a bizarre plateau where science must not only question base assumptions such as locality, but must even reconsider some of the underlying notions of whether or not "reality" actually exists when we are not observing it!
Pardon me if I'm beating a dead horse, but... No wonder humans need fantasy to survive!
So, how about we enjoy our lives to the fullest, while we can? ;~})>
Now, let us return to the development of a responsible science which can study death, trauma, terror, and the rituals, ceremonies, & fantasies that are developed to explain, deny, & otherwise cope with that which is beyond our current comprehension.
--
To echo these sentiments, and take this discussion to another meta-commentary about international socio-politics regarding Islamic countries, I will re-post a quote that I found recently, while reading The Epilogue to Patrick Farley's webcomic, "The Spiders"
"If you remember anything I say from this night, remember this: The New Caliphate can only rise if you and your generation reject superstition, and reclaim Islam's legacy of science."
--
on the anniversary of her murder, i posted some further information about how the situation has continued to develop:
tears lost in a flood of blood...