Weekly Filet #190: The Terror and Us. And more.
Tough week. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around what happened in Paris this week and what it means. One thing has become clear to me in those past two days: This is not so much about freedom of speech. This is a test for our society whether we know where to draw the line: between lunatic terrorists and everyone else or between Muslims and non-Muslims. Seems like a no-brainer, but look around, it is argument that has to be won.
1. #CharlieHebdo: The Terror and Us
The best analysis I've seen on the broader context of this terrorist attack comes from Nafeez Ahmed in the Middle East Eye. His key argument: «We must not fall into the trap of the terrorists themselves – the inability to recognize the suffering of the Other, their wholesale demonization, the acceptance of their indiscriminate destruction as a necessary means to a ‹greater good.›»
» Blowback in Paris (Middle East Eye)
For more on possible motives, I recommend this following text. Key passage: «[This was] a strategic strike, aiming at polarizing the French and European public. The problem for a terrorist group like al-Qaeda is that its recruitment pool is Muslims, but most Muslims are not interested in terrorism.»
» Sharpening Contradictions: Why al-Qaeda attacked Satirists in Paris (Informed Comment)
On a lighter note, but not a bit less pointed:
» How to suck at your religion (The Oatmeal)
The very moment I heard of the attack in Paris, I had to think of this article published in December. It has been updated, as, unsurprisingly, the exact thing the article criticises is now happening again.
» Stop asking Muslims to condemn terrorism. It's bigoted and Islamophobic. (Vox.com)
If you haven't read it last week when I made it my top recommendation, read it now: Carolin Emcke's 2010 essay that has lost none of its relevance, quite the contrary, sadly.
» «Muslims in Europe» - or Whose Enlightenment is it? (Die ZEIT)
2. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck (Mark Manson)
«In life, our fucks must be spent on something. There really is no such thing as not giving a fuck. The question is simply how we each choose to allot our fucks.» – What a wonderful text!
3. Robots are starting to break the law and nobody knows what to do about it (Fusion)
If your robot buys drugs and fake passports on the web, who should be held accountable? No longer a hypothetical question, thanks to Swiss artists.
4. My name is Vitaly, and I am homeless. (The Pastry Box Project)
Learnings from being homeless by design.
5. Ask Me Another: The Really Hard Edition (NPR)
If you like pub quizzes, you will love this podcast.
Recommended by Erik Martin: New Clues (Backchannel)
The Cluetrain Manifesto was launched 15 years ago and for my gonzo dollars it's the best and most important thing written about the internet. It should be required monthly reading for anyone doing business online. Two of the Cluetrain authors have come back with a new, urgent manifesto for these critical and fragile times. Hopefully we listen. «We come to you from the years of the Web’s beginning. We have grown old together on the Internet. Time is short. We, the People of the Internet, need to remember the glory of its revelation so that we reclaim it now in the name of what it truly is.»
January guest curator: Erik Martin is the former General Manager of reddit. He recently launched Assholes On Demand, a pro bono service that helps senior citizens and other underserved communities sort out customer service problems with big companies.