(posted this story on another thread but maybe it's better here)
I remember once in Nigeria (in some butt-phuk town I can't even remember in the North-East) a guy driving a taxi hit a middle-aged lady, knocking her down and unconscious (she suffered only bumps'n bruises) . Within 3 minutes there was a group of about 30 passers-by who started to group up and get ugly. Then, as though someone somewhere cracked a whip or fired a starting pistol, the mood suddenly changed from hostile to murderous and this poor fellow was dragged from his taxi, beaten randomly and then quickly they had his hands and feet tied and they were making preparations to 'necktie' him (a tire soaked in gasoline is fitted around the neck of the victim and ignited).
Police were just starting to arrive and the mob was just reaching 50+ and looking like they were going to fight the police when a commotion caught everyone’s attention. The woman who was hit was on her feet with people around here checking to see if she was all right, which was beginning to look obvious.
This murderous mob was created in about 3:30 seconds flat and upon seeing the victim walking around picking up her parcels the mob dispersed in about the same amount of time. The whole scene took no more than 20 minutes.
3 minutes 30 seconds. According to my experience, that's all the time that is needed to go from peace to pieces.
I don't see the connection. Popular support for what? The Americans in general? Well then probably not so much no...support for riots during traffic accidents? Oh well there's plenty of support for that. Support/lack of support for the elected government? I dont see the connection. Support for the Taliban? Still I dont see the connection.
Where did you get the idea of sunshine and lollypops? (besides the Simpsons). Is there a politician saying that? Is there a poster here saying that? Is there a newspaper saying that? Can you think of even one conflict that achieved success that could be discribed in the short term afterwards or during as 'all sunshine and lollipops'? Europeons were estatic when WWII ended, but are you under the impression things were all sunshine and lollipops then? If you answered no to any of those questions you're guilty of petty rhetoric/amateur propaganda in the face of a simple, straightforward polite answer that was given when you asked a question.
'Sunshine and lollipops'? Lemmie hip you to something: cynisism is NOT was makes the world go 'round. It’s not something that makes someone intelligent – quite the opposite actually. Everyone forgets cynicism and no one gets listened to for it. It is a weak construct to converse with, and the conversation tool most used by adolescents for the simple reason they are inexperienced and uninformed. Striving for 'impossible' things in the face of adversity has been what has keep humanity’s' world turning for 1000's of years. Cynics don't walk on the moon. Cynics don't discover new worlds. Cynics don't strike diplomatic solutions. Cynics don't get put in positions of responsibility. When you eliminate your cynicism you will find that you are still left with the problems and no answers …then you will realize that your cynicism derives not from knowledge and wisdom but from ignorance and frustration.
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