The last ten days have made us seriously question our basic humanity. First, Osama bin Laden gets a well-deserved whacking. Today we read about a neo-Nazi leader, Jeff Hall, who was fatally shot by his ten-year-old son. Now, we do feel bad for the kid. As was the case with Bin Laden, though, we can't help but think Hall got just what he deserved. A leader of the National Socialist Movement, Hall devoted his life to the cause of white supremacy, and even claimed he was willing to die for the cause. He was also busily indoctrinating his son--his eventual killer--in his philosophy of hate.
What's that line about reaping the whirlwind?
We understand that taking a certain satisfaction in the ignominious death of another human being, no matter how loathsome, can at best be understood as scahdenfreude (foreign words always make bad things sound so much classier)--some might go so far as to call us tacky or tasteless. But if death is inevitable--which we've been assured it is--and if we are unavoidably forced to experience the deaths of loved ones and decent people on a semi-regular basis, is it so wrong to find relief in the seemingly karmic excision of human tumors from the body politic?
Solipsistography
"Neo-Nazi Father Is Killed; Son, 10, Steeped in Beliefs, Is Accused"
I'm a bit puzzled as to who(m?) you're talking to about Osama B. I haven't heard even Republicans who aren't pretty much happy he's gone. The White Stupid Premise father case, while being a bit more complex, isn't raising too many hackles either.
ReplyDeleteNow, as to "schadenfreunde", your definition is a wee bit off (as is your spelling). Schadenfreunde is the GUILTY pleasure you get when a FRIEND suffers (instead of, or even because of) you. It's how Goebbels felt when Hitler croaked.