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Friday, November 28, 2008 12:00 AM

Mumbai, the NYT's revisionism, and lessons not learned

The Times' Editorial Page blames the Bush administration for "blessing" the military coup against Hugo Chavez without mentioning that it did the same. Why does that matter?

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  • Friday, November 28, 2008 07:36 AM

    One more thing about being victims

    Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated by a Marathi brahmin (Nathuram Godse). After that assassination, there were riots targeting Marathi brahmins. Unfair, unwarranted, but a fact. That did not turn that community into terrorists.

    Or to take an example from this country, African-Americans did not turn to terrorism. Even after centuries of being lynched, being disproportionately targets of law enforcement, being jailed in vast numbers.

    Whether you want to admit it or not, one hand cannot clap. This root cause stuff is worthy in that obviously injustices have to cease. This root cause stuff is nonsense because it does not explain why these things happen. The so-called "root cause" is a contributory effect, but is not explanatory, in that the same "root cause" does not produce the same effects among different peoples.

    We want to be just because that is who we want to be as a people, not because it will end terrorist attacks. And our faults are no excuse for the terrorist attacks in India.

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