Terrific Clive James column on Radio Four this morning about "The Baader Meinhof Complex" and how the movies can't help glamorising terrorism, reducing complex, terrible events to a set of easy-to-read symbols and ignoring facts and people that don't fit within that narrative.
This chimes with today's news coverage about Mumbai which is already all about Indian cabinet ministers resigning, the possibility that some of the murderers may have come from the UK and the question whether the murders at the Chabad house were aimed at Jews or Israelis. "The first would be an anti-Semitic attack, the second a political one." says one poster. Is that how the victims saw it?
I suppose this just proves James point further as I went looking for a picture of Heinz Marcic(S)z a baader meinhof victim cj mentions in his piece but couldn't find one. The only pictures are of tarpaulin covered bodies. You can buy a poster of the R.A.F though if you looking for gift ideas.
ReplyDeleteIt annoyed me greatly when the strap line on the news was that 'british and American' people were being specifically targeted. It followed that out of the reported 250 injuries (at that time) only 7 were British. This seems to disprove the myth.
ReplyDeleteEwhy are British lives always deemed more important and less expendable than any other nations citizens?