Robert Fisk

[Bradford DeLong]

>On Wed, 2 Jan 2002, Yoshie wrote:
>
>>  I take it that Fisk was trying to say, a little hyperbolically, that
>>  he could identify with those who blindly attacked him, merely because
>>  he looked "Western," unable to understand what forces were actually
>>  responsible for their oppression, much less how to counteract them
>>  effectively; and also that he could imagine what circumstances were
>>  likely to breed such murderous rage and make it indiscriminate.
>>  That's a way of looking at the world that a certain kind of literary
>>  and sociological imagination teaches you.
>
>Or the combination of a little empathy and intelligence.  I doubt Brad is
>incapable of fathoming from whence such murderous, indiscriminate rage
>emanates.  Rather, he was wondering what purpose could possibly be served
>by demonstrating one's understanding of said rage.

Nope. There is a difference between saying that one understands the 
sources of murderous, indiscriminate rage and saying that one would 
join in such murderous, indiscriminate rage. To say that if one were 
in their shoes one would join the lynch mob--one would chase innocent 
strangers with intent to beat and possibly kill them because of the 
color of their skin--is to say something extraordinary about one's 
own personality and moral identity.

Brad DeLong