Mark Steyn: The Mohammed Merah Story Can Now Proceed According to Time-Honored Tradition

From National Review Online.

Stage One: The strange compulsion to assure us that the killer is a “right wing conservative extremist . . . ."

. . .

Stage Two: Okay, he may be called Mohammed but he’s a “lone wolf.”

. . .

Stage Three: Okay, even if there are enough lone wolves around to form their own Radio City Rockette line, it’s still nothing to do with Islam.

. . .

Stage Four: The backlash that never happens. Because apparently the really bad thing about actual dead Jews is that it might lead to dead non-Jews: “French Muslims Fear Backlash After Shooting.” Likewise, after Major Hasan’s mountain of dead infidels, “Shooting Raises Fears For Muslims In US Army.” Likewise, after the London Tube slaughter, “British Muslims Fear Repercussions After Tomorrow’s Train Bombing.” Oh, no, wait, that’s a parody, though it’s hard to tell.

(Hyperlinks in original.) Go to the link to fill-in the rest of his rationale. With certain stories, it appears, The Narrative must be played out, regardless of what the facts are and regardless of how unproductive and unhelpful it might be.

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posted by rdbrewer at 02:33 PM

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