Wanted (Translation from Danish)

Translating this rare brilliant opinion piece from Henrik Qvortrup the editor of MetroXpress a Danish news paper for commuters:

It’s now been 2 weeks since the bombs in London reminded us very effectively that nothing in life is secure. Not even little Denmark. Before we know it, it will be Bus 14, Legoland, Nørreport station, Nyhavn or some other place that will be the frame of the terrorists devilish work. And this is just something that we will have to live with. Of course we can try to protect ourselves, but the lesson from London is that no one can give guarantees. We ARE in danger. Full stop.

Naturally the monstrosities in London have been thoroughly analyzed by the media. Not just because what happened was so macabre, but also because - lets be honest took place in a quiet news period.

But there is something that struck me. The complete disappearance of all the people, who never let an opportunity leave them to march into the public debate as the protectors of the good and the right.

I have been looking mind you. After Kim Larsen. After Erik Clausen. After Anne-Marie Helger. After the stand up comedians. After Klaus Rifbjerg. After the Rock music elite. After the young Danish actors. After all of those who love to polish their glory, when the enemy is the right one - that is American. All these driven project makers, who absolutely know how to organize a solidarity concert and a quick little demonstration.

As I said, I have searched and searched. So far nothing. 14 days after London the status is that these brave energetic fighters for everything good and right here in this world suddenly seem to have disappeared below the surface of the earth. They have been gone after the attack that Thursday.

No rock musicians have called up to arms against terror. No actors have signed a full page ad in Politiken. No solidarity concerts in Fælled parken. No demonstrations on Christianshavn. Nothing.

Now obviously it wouldn’t be good to draw hasty conclusions. The silence could be caused by many things. Maybe the guard of the self-righteous are just exhausted after weeks of screaming against anything that tastes like America.

Maybe these people are relaxing under a palm tree and relaxing after all the hardship before and during the Bush visit.

Or maybe there is another explanation. That the terror attack has placed the avant-garde of self-righteousness in something of a dilemma. On one hand of course you can’t support the killing of innocent people in trains and busses. That is obvious. On the other hand the self proclaimed goals of the terrorists has been to fight the USA. So the Catch 22 is a reality. Where-after it is probably best to just act like nothing. To hide your head in the bush.

We all know this pattern. No one from “the correct opinions club” have the guts to say it out straight, that the trouble in Iraq is primarily an issue of Islamic terrorists killing innocent Iraqis. Instead it is said, that it is all the fault of the Americans (and a bit of Fogh (Danish Prime minister)).

It would be so liberating, if at least one from “the correct opinions club” would finally break with the stereotypical enemy picture. Liberating if at least a part of the great engagement could be used on someone else than the great evil George W. Bush.

But I really don’t think the club has the guts. And that is why all the members have chosen to disappear in these days. But don’t worry: They will be back. Next time the Americans make a movement. And when that happens everything is back to the old. It is possible that we ourselves are now a target of terror. But we will always know where we have the guard of self-righteousness. And that is maybe very calming, in an uncalm time.

Update 22-July-2005 It didn’t take long for the club to rear its head. In the very same editorial space the next day Mathilde Walter Clark an author. Here is a choice paragraph:

USA of course claim that they went to war out of self defense. It was the assumption of weapons of mass destruction — and the assumption was enough. That is like smacking all the kids before class in case they later cause trouble. And it was best to get rid of Hussein it is now said all the time. This is just conceptual wish wash.

As Henrik said yesterday, it is always safest to blame the US. As I’ve heard other people say, blame the rape victom not the raper. They wont ever learn.