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PaperclipPerfector  2mo ago (text post)   3136 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for February 25, 2024

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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A US Airman lit himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy.In the video while he walked to the gate, he explained that he is protesting the actions of Israel. As he burned, he yelled, "Free Palestine". He is now dead. Two questions from me about the incident:

  • Why would anyone expect these kinds of stunts work at all? I would expect that this only generates sympathy from people that are already on your side. For a neutral observer, I don't get how it generates sympathy. For a committed opponent, I don't understand being disappointed that your adversaries are literally killing themselves. Is the efficacy purely in generating pressure from international media that wanted to pick that side anyway?

  • How the hell do we have soldiers that are suicidally committed to opposing American allies? Seems bad.

They found his reddit account where he posted pretty heavily. From what I've read it's very standard reddit politics (ACAB, socialism, white privilege). Not sure if it would be against the rules to link it. He doesn't seem noticeably more extreme than anyone else on reddit, could be any of a million other people where you'd roll your eyes at their dumb take and move on. It's weird to read through the posts of somebody who just burned himself to death, he just seems so normal.

Not sure if it's against the rules to link it here but you can find it by googling "Aaron Bushnell reddit account". I assume they'll nuke it soon.

Honestly surprised me that somebody with his interests actually did something in the real world, especially something so grandiosely self-destructive. Big From Software game enthusiast.

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