Hyp-Hop
You know, as in Hypocrisy-Hop? Everybody’s doing it these days.
“So yo, who put down the beat first? That’s hard to say, homey. But if you suckas take a look at the latest rhyme going on, Germany’s “skull scandal”, you’ll see that they ain’t no stoppin’ dis bitch. U can’t touch this, know what I’m sayin’?”
The Empörung (outrage) that everyone in Germany is so demonstratively expressing now about the misbehavior of a handful of Bundeswehr troops in Afghanistan three years ago, though correct in its condemnation, is completely out of proportion to the gravity of the offense. The degree of this reaction is only explicable when one factors in Germany’s favorite, longstanding role of being the blameless evangelist in all matters concerning political correctness and morality - at least when it comes to anything that Germany has to say about what the United States is involved in (see Guantanamo).
Many Americans, for their part, are openly expressing Schadenfreude (gloating) about Germany’s fall from the moral high ground and expect that Germans will now have to qualify their future comments a bit when it comes to incidents Americans are anything but proud about (see Abu Ghraib). You know, misery loves company.
And the Afghani outrage about this matter, though understandable, comes over to me as being artificial and calculated, especially now that one is openly speculating about the origin of the defiled remains; they where most likely those of fallen Russian soldiers. It’s not like they would have ever abused Russian bodies, right? And come to think of it, I cannot recall the Afghani reaction to the desecrated American bodies being dragged through the streets of Libya or hung from bridges in Iraq. But I can imagine it, though. And I don’t like what I see.
The Russian’s haven’t made a comment about this yet, by the way. But should they, it’ll certainly going to be good one. They can Hyp-Hop with the best of us.
“So it’s back in da limo with me and my crew where we gonna beatbox the next sample and mix up da rhyme for the next time.” And don’t worry, either. There always is a next time.
Comments
Sorry man, but Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo are so much worse than this tiny little Skull-Gate. I think the high horse has a little shied, but we are still in the saddle.
Volker; October 30, 2006 5:27 PM
It's safe to say that the military is the worst extension of politics with other means. The fact that German soldiers are now behaving badly is nothing new in any army for that matter. It's more an issue now, since the Bundeswehr has increased its global missions outside its boarders.
Pete; October 30, 2006 5:47 PM