Escalation

You know, we'd just worked ourselves into a nice self-flagellation frenzy over how EVIL we are for the way some people have treated Iraqi prisoners, and then the Islamic Extremists comes along and do something so much more horrible that our guys end up looking like petty children.

Anyone proud to be a member of the human race right now? I thought not.

(Yes. I watched the video. It was horrible, disturbing, sickening. We can't afford to hide from this.)

OK, now I'm going

OK. Those photos of soldiers abusing prisoners in Iraq. I have two main reactions.

1. Why the hell is anyone surprised? Did it never occur to you that some people join the army because they like hurting people? And, if not properly supervised, they might do so in a way we wouldn't approve of? Well, that's probably because we're busy covering up the fact that soldiers do the same things to each other. Does the name "Deepcut" ring any bells?

2. Why is no-one paying attention to the fact that the UK variations on the picture appear to be faked? Or don't we like to think about the fact that we harbour in our midst people so eager to prove their political point that they'll put the lives of serving servicemen and women, as well as other people in Iraq, at risk? Regular readers will remember how depressing I find the quality of debate around the issues. This "political tribe" mentality - are you pro or anti-war? - demeans our whole culture and I find it thoroughly sickening.

That didn't take long.

It took less than 10 replies to my last post, including my own, before somebody accused me of having a dig at "their" side.

I don't know whether to be amused, or break down in despair.

I'm tending towards the latter right now.

Summation

There are (broadly speaking) two ways you can approach new data entering your mind:

"How can this data support my current opinions?"

"How could this data change my current opinions?"

I think the latter is the more important question. I think the former is the one more commonly asked.

Hell, I could be wrong. But that's where I am right now.

Me?

I'm fascinated by the suggestion by a gentleman (whom I note has dropped me from his LJ friends) that I defy "all attempts to categorize" me.

I thought I am pretty clear about who I am:

Someone with soft right views on some matters and soft-to-hard left views on others.
Someone who acknowledges that his opinions will change over time.
Someone who believes whole-heartedly in traditional institutions like marriage, but hopes desperately that events won't prove him wrong.
Someone who writes because he has to, but who is questioning what he should be writing.
Someone who is a Christian, but nowhere near as good a one as he'd like.
Someone who questions himself a lot, and likes to test his own opinions in discussions with others.

So, does this come across?