Wednesday, July 12, 2006
One hundred and ninety Indians are dead, but these aren't the tomahawk throwing, buffalo hunting, peace pipe smoking, Custer slaughtering redskins that probably came to mind when you read the word "Indians." No, I'm talking about real Indians, the kind who live in India and bother you with their telemarketing duties every night, calling themselves Kevin and Michael and Susan on the phone, even though their real names are weird conglomerations of letters like Khaldoun, Pasheet, and Havshari.
Terrorist bombs made eight Indian passenger trains look like crumpled pieces of tin foil yesterday, killing at least 190 and causing worldwide panic in the process. Is anyone else bothered by this? No, not the fact that 190 died. I'm sure thousands of Indians die every day from from simple infections, easily cured if antibiotics were available. What bothers me is the fact that impoverished, economically impotent countries like India are becoming victims of the increasingly popular terrorism trend. What's the point? There's no pride in beating up the blind kid on the playground. There's little pleasure to be gained from snapping your grandma's wrist in an arm wrestling match.
While India is an emerging world power, the world's largest democracy, and a capitalist society with over a billion consumers, three quarters of that billion struggle to find their next meal. Bombing India is like the 9/11 terrorists flying their planes into a local McDonald's, killing six customers and all five illegal immigrant employees inside. No one turns on CNN to see the golden arches and Ronald's playland on fire. No one mourns the death of the the drive-through cashier. Terrorists, if you're reading this, please be more selective with your targets. If you insist on wreaking havoc, make it hurt. Otherwise, we just don't care.
Terrorist bombs made eight Indian passenger trains look like crumpled pieces of tin foil yesterday, killing at least 190 and causing worldwide panic in the process. Is anyone else bothered by this? No, not the fact that 190 died. I'm sure thousands of Indians die every day from from simple infections, easily cured if antibiotics were available. What bothers me is the fact that impoverished, economically impotent countries like India are becoming victims of the increasingly popular terrorism trend. What's the point? There's no pride in beating up the blind kid on the playground. There's little pleasure to be gained from snapping your grandma's wrist in an arm wrestling match.
While India is an emerging world power, the world's largest democracy, and a capitalist society with over a billion consumers, three quarters of that billion struggle to find their next meal. Bombing India is like the 9/11 terrorists flying their planes into a local McDonald's, killing six customers and all five illegal immigrant employees inside. No one turns on CNN to see the golden arches and Ronald's playland on fire. No one mourns the death of the the drive-through cashier. Terrorists, if you're reading this, please be more selective with your targets. If you insist on wreaking havoc, make it hurt. Otherwise, we just don't care.
# posted by RBW @ 8:28 AM 
