Book arson 'a Taleban-style' actAnd who did this:
Officials of a prestigious library in India's north-eastern state of Manipur say nearly 145,000 books have been destroyed in an arson attack.
Protesters demanding the introduction of Manipur's ancient Mayek script set fire to the Central Library in Manipur's capital Imphal on Wednesday.
Officials say many of Manipur's most ancient texts were among the books destroyed by the fire.
The arsonists want the Mayek script to replace Bengali script in the state.
Historian Gangumei Kamei said the loss of so many books was "an incalculable loss" to Manipur's heritage.
Police say that a group of nearly 50 protesters started the fire. They say they came from two groups.A bunch of finer fucktards cannot be found... We had a somewhat similar incident in Seattle. Some eco-fascists burned down a greenhouse and research center -- they were targeting a researcher who hybridized Poplar trees to maximize pulp yields. Unfortunately, the fire also consumed a lot of the library including books dating back to the 1500's, it also killed native plants that were highly endangered and were being propagated for future reintroduction into the wild. About fifteen years ago, I had the great pleasure to meet Mitch Friedman of Earth First (he and some friends hired my business to typeset a book). I do not agree with all he is into but he has ethics and intelligence. Here is his take on that library arson:
The first is a regional group, Mayek Erol Evek Loinasillon Apunba Lup (Meelal) - or the United Forum for Safeguarding Manipuri Script and Language.
For several months it has been demanding the introduction of Manipur's ancient Mayek script, and the abolition of Bengali script that has been used for the last three centuries to write the Meitei language.
The second organisation is a separatist rebel group, Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) which has called for a week's strike in support of the Meelal's demands.
Burning PoplarsBe sure to read the rest of Mitch's article -- he articulately eviscerates ELF point by point. In both cases, the arsonists are idiots, they are destroying the seed corn of what they are trying to protect without comprehending their actions. Brings to mind this essay on Narcissim. Nail meet hammer... Posted by DaveH at April 23, 2005 10:10 PM
A Setback in Opposition to Genetic Engineering
On May 21, some morons simultaneously torched a poplar tree farm in Oregon and the Center for Urban Horticulture at the University of Washington in Seattle.
The connection is that the Center houses a researcher, Toby Bradshaw, who studies poplar hybridization. Earth Liberation Front (ELF) activists took credit for the fire bombings and left graffiti at the Oregon site reading, “You cannot control what is wild.“ (see EF!J June-July 2001).
I don’t use the term “morons” lightly. This action was incredibly stupid at every level, from the direct damage it did, to its larger strategic implications, to the way it reflects on people who engage in direct action. Here’s why:
Several of these brainiacs were on the radio right around that time.
A dafter group I can not imagine. After spending an amazing amount of time trying to say "We are just the PR/Political arm, we did nothing!" they moved on to describing their ideals.
It was essentially a belief that true anarchy combined with everyone doing their own subsistence level farming would solve all of the worlds ills.
"But what if someone clubbed their neighbor for a carrot?!?" -> "Oh, no one would _need_ to do that we'd all be so enlightened...."
They seriously proposed an all-volunteer police department too. Not in the screened/vetted/checked-and-balanced sense either.
Posted by: Al at April 24, 2005 12:56 AM