The point is not just that he's blinded by the flag: He's boldly marching into the void, confident. "wrapped in the flag" is a great saying.
The point is not just that he's blinded by the flag: He's boldly marching into the void, confident. "wrapped in the flag" is a great saying.
> He's boldly marching into the void
into the void, or off the edge?
"off the edge" is a clear interpretation of the statue. "into the void" is a bit more of a stretch. IMHO.
But that's art for you. Everyone has their own take on it.
I you fall off the edge, you might soon be confronted with the void (of death).
I guess “void” here is a bit more like a place you can’t even see (because of the flag).
Worse than a void because a void is not necessarily bad. Walking “off a cliff” rarely ends well.
Agree, but that's what we know. The man in the statue is walking into a void from his perspective because he lacks knowledge of his true predicament and is blindly marching forward.
The position of the statue (notably the front foot) make it seem very much "walking unknowingly off the ledge of a tall pedestal" rather than marching into the void. I think there's a difference in that "marching into the void" can be seen as heroic, but unknowingly stepping off a ledge is generally seen as being stupid i.e. not using your senses to inform you about the world, but instead relying on nationalism (the flag) to guide you.
"It's never steered me wrong!"
Imagine the torrent of wrath if it turned out to be the Palestinian flag.
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I have no idea what you're on about
I think he meant the statue would be unchanged but the meaning of it would be.
He's suggesting that there are several flavors of blindness going around so if we're going to point fingers then we might start with ourselves.
...which is a blatant false equivalence, to be clear.
Matthew 7:3–5
I am not religious, but this quote keeps coming up... And people keep forgetting about it.
Yeah I was sorta thinking in that direction too.
First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye
Keep going. Look at Matthew 7:6. "Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you."
That is (in this context), don't bother trying to give truth (or even have a reasonable conversation) with those who simply will not listen. Zealots, shill, propagandists... it's like talking to a brick wall. If anyone has a technique for getting them to stop being a brick wall and start actually engaging with what you're saying, I'd like to know what it is.
You can call it "transmit only mode" (hat tip Patrick McClure). When you realize that the person you're talking to is in transmit only mode, you understand how the conversation is going to go if you continue it.
I think it's a pretty good equivalence, actually. And pretty good advice. Passionate certainty should raise a red flag.
i find that passionate certainty can be a good thing in some cases, especially when someone really does know what they are talking about.
but fanaticism is more often a problem than not. fanatics tend to not really understand what they're talking about, or twist it to fit what they want it to be about.
> Fanaticism: Excessive enthusiasm, unreasoning zeal, or wild and extravagant notions, on any subject, especially religion, politics or ideology; religious frenzy.
note -- not talking about any particular "thing" here. just commenting about passion vs. fanaticism in general.
I see a similar idea that often gets people talking past each other re: patriotism vs. nationalism
for me, and this is just me, if you have to shout about it then you’re possibly not doing patriotism.
The equivalence between supporting the rights of oppressed minorities, and inciting violence towards foreigners, is a good one?
A red flag that is blowing into your face? :P