Feeling Comfortable With Who We Know

I had to go to the last pages of the New York Times (D-1 + 6).  The Philadelphia Inquirer buried an eight line AP report on page 4 of Saturdays wafer thin edition.  The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (web edition) has nothing, maybe because it had already run two sports section reports on its November 22 edition.  But in Oslo, Norway’s Morgenbladet (web edition) the story was front page news.

A 22 year old, and apparently sane version of Bobby Fischer, had won the world Chess champion title.  It was a magnificent victory, decisive and complete.  The young, handsome Norwegian, relatively unknown in the US (60 minutes has previously profiled him) is a rock star like personality in Europe as well as most other place where chess is held in high regard.

Human nature tends to make us more accepting of other Americans winning “world” titles.  Chess, however, knows no boundaries other the 64 black and white squares.  I suspect in this case America is going to become familiar with Magnus Carlsen and I wouldn’t be surprised to see his countenance during the NFL Super Bowl TV commercials.

Maybe then we will feel comfortable knowing Magnus.

Norway’s Example

Over the weekend, the magnitude, horror, and ultimately the stupidity of senseless killings in Norway unfolded.  Over 90 people lost their lives.  The self confessed perpetrator claimed a long list of reasons but why these 90 people (not some others) was not one of them.

Ironically the killer was a “christian fundamentalist” who claimed to fear the gradual decay of Norwegian society as more and more foreigners immigrated.  His main hate target was Muslims and their Islamic religion.  Those victims who were killed were not.  He saw himself, never the less, as performing a heroic feat.

History is replete with case after case of horrific acts done in the name of religion.  History, also has more than enough examples of horrible acts for other purposes such as power and money.  What is it that can be learned from this latest incident?

I would submit that a popular American political slogan provides a clue.  Barry Goldwater said, “Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice”.  He could not have been more wrong.

Those who cling to “doing god’s work” or “defending liberty” almost always do it in a way that interferes with the rights of others.  These professed reformers or crusaders put forth their interpretation as the correct (and often only) version of justice.  This is a criticism not so much of the goal but of the means to achieve the goal.  Killing doctors who perform abortions in order to save lives is sick and demented.  Killing innocent Norwegians because someone feels there are too many immigrants is just as sick and demented.

Maybe the Buddhists had the right idea.  If they felt very strongly about something and wanted to call attention to it, self immolation was the preferred method.