We are all France. Apparently. Though we are never all Lebanon or Syria or Iraq for some reason.
— David Swanson (@davidcnswanson) November 14, 2015The Swedish media is hoot about France, suddenly. As people have died. White people have died. Nobody cares about the DRC, where approximately still 45000 people are killed per month. Per month.
Naturally, the horrendous attacks in Paris are just that: horrendous.
Did flags change colours when thousands of Romani people were expunged from France? (No.)
When talking about this at work today, one person said this France-loving deference is explained through reasons geographic: France is closer to Sweden than to countries in Africa, which would explain why we care more about one than the other, regardless of the number of killed persons, or how often atrocities in countries in Africa are committed. How about the 11th of September, 2001, then? Everybody in Sweden remembers that. Which happened in the USA, which is quite some distance away. Nobody remembers the dates between which the NATO-controlled bomb-run of Serbia happened, which that far in history was the longest bombing run ever. By the way, when did we last paint everything flag in salute of Denmark? Or Finland?
Another person told me this behaviour happens re. France, because "those international killings happen every day". So, if it's more of a once-upon-a-time occurrence, it's OK. It's fair game for the media, and people. Paint the walls the colours of that flag. I wish it were true. Not really.
Palestinians who get slaughtered everyday without any coverage were praying for Paris today. Media never shows that pic.twitter.com/tlVMtk4kae
— ???? (@OmarImranTweets) November 14, 2015I just wanna lay down on the floor and say "but we're the terrorists" over and over.
No tears for Palestine, victim of the greatest apartheid since South Africa. None for Indonesia, for Nicaragua, for Chile.
The Swedish news media display their logos in red, blue and white until the so-named "temporary logo" goes away, that is, until the next western-hit chaos is brought to our tables, preferably by IS or another non-western band of outsiders that can easily be labeled the biggest threat to humanity, society, in other words, to the plutocracy.
And we lament. Through facebook likes and instagram re-posts, and twitter rehashes until the cows come home, but remember that in ten years and ask yourself why you never, ever questioned the status quo, or asked yourself why we care less when tanks kill Palestinians or tens of thousands are killed every week in the Congo, and we frankly didn't care. Or will we care? Fuck knows.
Inaction speaks louder than words. I believe that. And yes, even the logo of my online music player is painted in the colours red, blue and white. Fuck me. Fuck me. The attacks in France are horrendous, and our actions sicken me more.