Buy Danish! Part II: John raises an interesting point: At what point is the media merely adding fuel to the fire by reprinting the Mohammed cartoons? Reminds me of the controversy over Piss Christ (a piece of 'art' that infuriated me personally -- partly on religious grounds, partly because it was government funded, partly because it was a classic lame bourgeois attempt to shock the bourgeois, and partly because of the media's gleeful bias in favor of the lame bourgeois artist, etc). But here's why I think the Mohammed cartoons are different: Europeans are standing up for their Western culture and right to free speech at a critical time. I'm encouraged by it. Sadly, I'm also a little surprised they're doing it at all. ... Notice how the great Buy Danish! campaign has fizzled. Once the cartoons were published in France, the logic of the campaign dictated that the next course of action was to buy French. Solidarity can only be taken so far. ...

Update -- I tinkered with this post a bit after posting. I found myself wanting to be sensitive but also not wanting to self-censor myself (i.e. to link to the cartoons or not to link). Says something about the entire issue. ...

Update II -- Hmmm. Maybe the Buy Danish! campaign hasn't fizzled out. ...

Update III -- They've set fire to the Danish embassy in Syria. ... Buy Danish!

Update IV -- 2.5.06 - A look at the shifting free-speech views of a certain local newspaper. A special bonus 'Piss Christ' editorial is included. ...  ¶ 9:04 AM