From: Dace (edace@earthlink.net)
Date: Sun 12 Feb 2006 - 21:52:58 GMT
Tim writes:
> I think one may be misguided in hoping to understand the recent furor by
> simply tracking the expansion of the initial memes (cartoons) themselves
> without concentrating an equal focus on the memetic variations, mutations,
> and meta-memes that become associated with it.
I see three memes here, none of which are the cartoons themselves. The
first meme is the idea that the cartoons are good, which exploits the
Western belief that Islam, all the way back to Muhammed, is inherently
terroristic. The second meme is the idea that the cartoons are bad, which
exploits the Islamic belief that Westerners disrespect Islam. This meme
also circulates in the West by exploiting our fear of retaliatory violence.
The third meme is the idea that Muslims don't understand free speech, which
exploits the Western belief in the superiority of our enlightened culture.
Far from being memes, the cartoons are merely artifacts which, like cows in
a tornado, have been picked up and tossed about in a memetic maelstrom.
ted
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