Satan in the Sidelines

The recent attacks in Paris, on top of all the other similar attacks, have created one of those key places in time. Muslims, Westerners, Christians, Jews, conservatives, liberals and everyone in between, must all face their own demons and issues and potentially chart a course forward. Only the cultural predators are sitting by the sidelines and cheering.

The social vultures of conflict instigation, unrest incitement, government destabilization and solo ethnic superiority are frothing at the mouth with anticipation. For the first time in a very long time, events present the possibility that enough chaos and discontent can ensue where their extreme agenda might get a foothold.  

Extremists on the right and left have started spreading propaganda and seeding the rumor mills.  Maybe the Muslim communities can be targeted for expulsion or random public attack; maybe the Muslims can be convinced that it is because of the Jews, Christians, western media or just Americans; maybe the right-wing upper class can convince the world’s terrorists that they are both on the same side. Perhaps the cultural kamikazes can trigger a few civil wars in Europe, or Africa or the Middle East (which has already begun) just to kick off a huge wave of multi-regional destabilization.

Iran has ties in some of the more oppressive South American governments and its state media is already circulating cartoons implying Israel is complicit in the Paris attacks. Right-wing politicians in multiple countries are helping the forces of disaster by calling for closed borders and wholesale deportations.

The internet is, of course, part of this equation of discord. If you can’t have cheerleaders without giving them megaphones, then you need to be careful when the cheerleaders make enough noise to distract the players on the field. If that presents a problem, maybe the cheerleaders should be limited to just running around on the sidelines, as usual.