>I will read the rest of your response closely but I just want
>to address the absolutism in your statement "self-immolation
>is always the act of a fanatical extremist or someone pushed
>beyond their mental capacity to deal with external issues"
>
>In a normal society I would agree. But kamikaze pilots
>'self-immolating' in what they were indoctrinated into
>believing was a divine sacrifice during WW2 were not all
>fanatical extremists who were crazy. They were socialized into
>acting as what military personnel in the West pejoratively
>described as 'idiot bombs'. Islamic extremists using suicide
>bombings as a political instrument is also easy to write off
>as 'barbaric', 'insane', and demean for its brutality and
>ultimate ineffectiveness especially relative to advanced
>weaponry and military capabilities. Ultimately, a man driving
>a van on the west side highway that kills 8 innocent people in
>Manhattan is seen as a psychopath and criminal (as they should
>be), while an American airman who personally contributes
>directly to a campaign of bombings that lead to the killing of
>(let's say proportionally) 8 innocent people of the tens of
>thousands of Gazans is just collecting a paycheck. The lengths
>you have to go to sanction the latter and say that same person
>has no right to make a political statement protesting his and
>his country's participation and indifference to death, that
>happens to end in his own death, seems really callous, or at
>least not even-handed.

1. The examples you give though fall into fanatical extremist though. The Kamikaze, the Islamic Extremist, The Vietnamese Monk, the kid coming up during a mental health crisis who grew up on a religious compound, I think they all fall into my two categories (i.e., fanatic or disturbed person or both). Seems like you agree too but might be missing your point.

I do think I am even handed because I agree that war is morally wrong. I am in no way sanctioning it. Folks keep seeing my position as a sanctioning of the wat despite how many times I say it. I don't have a lot of keystrokes about because I think we are all in agreement. My point is the war (and our role in it and acts we take it) are wrong and should be condemned AND killing yourself in protest of it should be condemned (or just not applauded and lauded). It's not either/or.


>
>It seems instead of seeing the political act for what it is
>and interpreting your reaction to it based on your personal
>biases, you are going to great lengths to categorize the act
>in a way that fits into a legalistic, rational mode of
>thinking. Maybe if you talked about your anger instead it
>would present a more direct path into the real feelings
>Bushnell's suicide give rise to.

You know what, I have no problem acknowledging it's a political act. I am saying it's the political act of a fanatical person who may be suffering from mental problems. I guess I agree with RJCC (SMH); it could easily be both.


>So far I see your enumerated points at the end are pretty
>problematic, and I think most of them show a reactionary
>tendency. I mean the gall to write:
>"1. As a practical matter, suicide as a form of protest is so
>pointless and meaningless."
>Don't know what to say to this level of certainty and
>truthyness

As I regard almost all suicides, the finality of death is not an appropriate reaction/solution to a problem. I stated exceptions above.

>"ABSOLUTELY NO PALESTINIAN asked that young man to do this."
>Talk about missing the point



>"3. I am also unmoved by his statement as to why he did it."
>Yes, you are actively disgusted by it I think. You are moved,
>just not sympathetically

I am not disgusted by it. I feel very sorry for this kid that he thought this was the solution to the problem he and the world faces. I guess my point him being cogent, thoughtful and articulate about why he was doing this would never impact that Idea that I think this is the act of a fanatical extremist who may be suffering from mental illness.


>Point 4, yes your family is not the only one who benefited
>from military service economically and socially. Again, that
>is beside the point of the resulting act of protest.

Yeah I agree it's beside the point which is why I don't think folks should compare the two.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"