Michael J. Totten: Hysteria

February 01, 2007

Hysteria

First there is this:

Results of tests conducted by United Nations peacekeepers in Lebanon showed that balloons which drifted from Israel into southern Lebanon over the weekend did not contain dangerous gases, a Lebanese security official has said.
The Israeli daily Haaretz reported Sunday that helium balloons from a promotional event by Ha'ir, a chain of local newspapers, had floated north over the border into Lebanon.

The balloons sparked panic among villagers over the weekend amid rumors they were filled with poison gas.
Still, their appearance spread alarm among Lebanese -- a sign of the tensions and suspicion that remain in the border region after last summer's war between Israel and Hizbullah that devastated much of the south.

And then there is this:

BOSTON - Several illuminated electronic devices planted at bridges and other spots in Boston threw a scare into the city Wednesday in what turned out to be a publicity campaign for a late-night cable cartoon. Most of the devices depict a character giving the finger.
[…]

Highways, bridges and a section of the Charles River were shut down and bomb squads were sent in before authorities declared the devices were harmless.
Turner Broadcasting, a division of Time Warner Inc. and parent of Cartoon Network, said the devices were part of a promotion for the TV show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," a surreal series about a talking milkshake, a box of fries and a meatball.

Posted by Michael J. Totten at February 1, 2007 12:16 AM

Comments

OT: scary scary shit

In Arabic

An online poll of f Al Fajr readers (second largest daily in Egypt) shows 57% of readers agreeing with columnist and doctor of Islamic jurisprudence, Mohammed Imara's now banned book, which was banned "inciting murder against Copts".

The book quoted an old religious scholar who called anyone who doesn't believe in the Prophet Mohammed a kafir or infidel whose life and property should not be spared.

And this was the statement that 57% of the polled readers agreed with.

There could be very bad times coming to the middle east. Egypt is a very big country.

And this is beyond words.

Posted by: Josh Scholar at February 1, 2007 01:41 AM

In the case of the Israeli poison gas balloons, the damage has already been done. The majority of the Arab world will have read articles such as this:
http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/Lebanon/DEFEC6DCE0348126C225727000354012?OpenDocument
and will already have decided it was a real Israeli attack.

Then you get comments like number 4 in reaction to that post:
"Harming inoccent people! What did they do to you? Just because they have a different view??"

That one made me spit my corn flakes all over my monitor. All I have to say is "Sderot".

Posted by: jonorose at February 1, 2007 02:50 AM

"Eight people were hospitalized Saturday after inhaling toxic gases from poisonous balloons dropped by Israeli warplanes"

Wow. Talk about hypochondria as a Jewish trait.

Posted by: Andrew Brehm at February 1, 2007 04:14 AM

"Eight people were hospitalized..."

The first objective medical evidence that acute paranoid antisemitism is a contagious disease.

Posted by: Shmuel at February 1, 2007 04:37 AM

Big Pharaoh's (bigpharaoh.com) take on it is that the 57% agreed with the statement that Copts are infidels, but that they should be killed or have their property taken away isn't mainstream opinion - not yet anyway.

Which is not to say that Copts have it easy in Egypt, far from it and things have been getting a lot more uncomfortable over the past few years.

Re the balloons, a lot of people in the Middle East have sadly been largely brainwashed thanks to countless newspaper articles and TV shows. For example Al Shahat, a mini series produced by Hezb TV Al Manar all about that old chestnut, the global Jewish conspiracy.

I read that the Emir of Qatar told Peres the other day that Israeli students would be welcome to visit Qatar (not sure if I personally would take him up on the invitation if I was an Israeli student!).

What would actually be more beneficial is the other way around - bring some Arab University students to Israel to demolish some of the many myths that exist about te place.

Posted by: Dirk at February 1, 2007 04:53 AM

"bring some Arab University students to Israel to demolish some of the many myths that exist about te place."

Now that would be a good idea!

They would not only experience the peaceful co-existence among Arab and Jewish students that I myself have experienced (in Haifa U I shared student dorms with an Arab), but they would also see how and why the dorms are guarded.

They could see mosques standingnext to synagogues and churches, Hebrew and Arabic signs, security controls in the entrance of every shopping mall, and Muslim and Jewish families on the street.

Posted by: Andrew Brehm at February 1, 2007 05:04 AM

Only in America would they mistake a 21st century LiteBrite display for a series of bombs.

Posted by: PoliticalCritic at February 1, 2007 05:48 AM

"Only in America would they mistake a 21st century LiteBrite display for a series of bombs."

Of what particular trait of Americans in general does that remind you???

Posted by: Andrew Brehm at February 1, 2007 05:49 AM

Interesting. In both cases nobody at the scene knew the true purpose of the objects discovered, and the authorities had to warn citizens and deal with the situation.

However, there is a difference. Initially, nobody knew anything about the origin of the Boston devices, and they were treated with the usual caution for such cases. No kind of sickness was associated with the devices.

In Lebanon, however, people only reported feeling ill after deducing the Israeli origin of the balloons.

Wikipedia contains this clinical definition:

"Hysteria is a diagnostic label applied to a state of mind, one of unmanageable fear or emotional excesses. The fear is often centered on a body part, most often on an imagined problem -"

So what happened in Lebanon with the balloons counts as hysteria; what we saw in Boston does not.

Posted by: Solomon2 at February 1, 2007 06:33 AM

I don't think the Boston reaction was all that overblown.

Those Mooninites can be really annoying!

Posted by: Ralph Phelan at February 1, 2007 06:56 AM

What we saw in Boston counts as 'Madison Avenue Stupidity' -- they intended the objects to be mysterious and vaguely threatening, one must assume -- but then, how stupid is it to get that kind of national and international free publicity? Maybe cupidity, not stupidity.

There have been a few columns by Arabs -- women, as I recall -- who have done some university study in Israel, and for the most part it did break down stereotypes.

I recall some time back a Jordanian architecture student wrote about studying in Haifa, and the thing that startled me was that in spite of knowing a few Israelis from the USA, etc., she was almost paralyzed with terror when she first arrived in Israel -- and was extremely moved by the friendliness and protectiveness of the Jews (and Israeli Arabs) she met. As she noted, though, having studied in Israel, she may find it harder to practice as an Architect in Jordan.

But on the other hand, some Palestinian university and graduate students have been denied re-entry into Israeli Universities to finish their studies recently due to blanket restrictions. I'd think helping these young people outgrow their cultural narrowness -- ESPECIALLY the women -- not frustrating their optimism, should probably be a mission for Israel.

Posted by: Pam at February 1, 2007 07:15 AM

I caught a bit on BBC via PBS this morning and uploaded it as it looks like crap on the BBC site. Bowen is reporting from out of Beirut..

A special BBC Report January 31 2007
Jeremy Bowen looks at whether the hatred between Sunni and Shia Muslims threatens the stability of the Middle East.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x13×37_shiasunni-divide

What is so frightening is that what is happening in Iraq (no thx to Bush) could eventually spread to Lebanon.

Posted by: Cindy at February 1, 2007 07:46 AM

Michael,

You have a wonderful site here. It's nice to be able to see the various perspectives that we just aren't exposed to in the media. Something I'm curious about, do you have an opinion on Robert Spencer?

Posted by: Allan D. at February 1, 2007 08:13 AM

"Jeremy Bowen looks at whether the hatred between Sunni and Shia Muslims threatens the stability of the Middle East."

They have been fighting each other with disastrous results for the last thousand years.

Unless one counts the millions of deaths caused by that hatred as instability, I would say that the hatred between Sunni and Shia Muslims will not threaten the "stability" of the Middle East now.

"What is so frightening is that what is happening in Iraq (no thx to Bush) could eventually spread to Lebanon."

It's likely. But I wouldn't blame Bush but simply the Sunni and Shia extremists who do the hating and killing. Bush didn't demand that Iraqis kill each other.

Posted by: Andrew Brehm at February 1, 2007 08:15 AM

There are many differences between these 2 acts of collective stupidity.

But the most important question is how many in Boston still believe this was a terrorist plot versus how many in Lebanon still believe this was an act of Israeli evil?

Posted by: mertel at February 1, 2007 08:24 AM

And according to the Syrian Arab News Agency the balloons really were poisoned. Well, whaddaya know?

Posted by: mertel at February 1, 2007 08:40 AM

I wouldn't blame Bush but simply the Sunni and Shia extremists who do the hating and killing. Bush didn't demand that Iraqis kill each other. (Andrew)

I know I am probably opening up a can of worms here, but...

The US (and the UK for that matter) must bear some responsibility for what happened as it was - and arguably to some extent still is - the occupying power with legal responsibility for the place.

I'm not one of those who thinks the invasion was doomed from the start and I was certainly glad to see Saddam and friends go. But there has been a catalogue of bad decisions along the way:

Bremner demobilizing the Iraqi army putting thousands of jobless young men who know how to shoot on the street was one.

Hiring CPA personnel partially on political loyalty rather than expertise (something chronicled by Rajiv Chandrasekaran in 'Imperial Life in the Emerald City') was another.

Then there was the squandering of billions of your (American) tax dollars on dead end reconstruction projects...and the attempt to graft US style privatisation and business rules onto a society that arguably wasn't ready for the whole dose of medicine in one go. The list goes on.

It could have been very different. But unfortunately we blew it and I really hope it is not too late to do something about it.

Whatever you might think about Senator Joe Biden, what he said the other day makes sense - the US needs to broker a negotiated deal between the main Shia and Sunni groups.

It's the only way forward, especially as they are now almost happier to kill each other as much as they are US troops, the US is actually in a position to act as broker between the two sides

Posted by: Dirk at February 1, 2007 08:46 AM

"The US (and the UK for that matter) must bear some responsibility for what happened as it was - and arguably to some extent still is - the occupying power with legal responsibility for the place."

They are not any more. The Iraq government is responsible. But you are talking about a responsibility to fight the terrorists, not to win.

IF the US are responsible, then retreat would certainly not be an option.

But either way, the responsibility for what is going on in Iraq lies with the terrorists, not with the US or UK.

"I'm not one of those who thinks the invasion was doomed from the start and I was certainly glad to see Saddam and friends go. But there has been a catalogue of bad decisions along the way"

That may well be; but it doesn't change the fact that the US are not reponsible for the deeds of other people, even if better decisions could have prevented these acts.

Posted by: Andrew Brehm at February 1, 2007 08:59 AM

Israel should produce movies and TV shows in Arabic to counter the brainwashing. If you had one hit show, it would give you a chance to open many eyes in the rest of the Middle East.

Posted by: Keith at February 1, 2007 09:52 AM

But doubtless the penalty for watching such a show, or rather, getting caught watching such a show, would be death by stoning and a one-way ticket to hell!

Posted by: Johnnypop at February 1, 2007 10:01 AM

"a surreal series about a talking milkshake, a box of fries and a meatball."

I believe that he's a meatwad, not a meatball...

Posted by: Dave Ruddell at February 1, 2007 10:04 AM

Other differences between the two cases:

In Lebanon the (ooooh scary!) balloons were at least from an enemy state. Also, the Lebanese media allowed itself to be debunked by Israeli media. That would never, ever, happen in Egypt or Syria.

In Boston there are demands that somebody go to jail. Go to jail? For what crime, exactly?

The Lebanese army actually blew up some of the balloons in controlled explosions. And the Boston bomb squad actually blew up one the light-brights.

Some people really need to calm down.

Posted by: Michael J. Totten at February 1, 2007 10:20 AM

Israel should produce movies and TV shows in Arabic to counter the brainwashing. If you had one hit show, it would give you a chance to open many eyes in the rest of the Middle East.

I suspect most people wouldn't watch it even if it were available on satellite.

Then again, curiousity might get the better of them. One Hezbollah commenter here said most of his Hezbollah friends are far more curious about Israel and Israeli life than they want to admit. That seems right, too.

Posted by: Michael J. Totten at February 1, 2007 10:24 AM

"Israel should produce movies and TV shows in Arabic to counter the brainwashing."

Maybe something animated, centered around the adventures of some talking food....

Posted by: Ralph Phelan at February 1, 2007 10:27 AM

One Hezbollah commenter here said most of his Hezbollah friends are far more curious about Israel and Israeli life than they want to admit.

Curious about Israel and reluctantly admiring of their achievements was the full admission there, I believe, which was quite forthright of that particular commenter.

Posted by: double-plus-ungood at February 1, 2007 11:39 AM

I found it interesting that none of the other cities (including mine apparently) that had the cartoon promos flipped out about them. I admit to not looking into it beyond news clips, but were there any permits issued by the cities that allowed for the devices to be placed in public? I wonder if the authorities checked into this before freaking out. Also, even NBC mentioned that Bloggers were calmly explaining the whole thing before, during , and after the mass hysteria in Boston. Is there no one in the Boston Police who gets online or knows how to Google? Or, for that matter, has a teenager who would automatically 'get the joke'? I live in enough of a bubble I wouldn't have known what they were, but I bet the average 17 year old does. Turner Broadcasting better not throw the guys who installed the advertisements 'under the bus' on this one.

I have a basic litmus test when I am forced to consider if a thing or event is a terrorist attempt. I ask myself, "Gee, am I terrified?" If not, it just doesn't cut it for me.

-L

Posted by: lindsey at February 1, 2007 12:17 PM

Israel should produce movies and TV shows in Arabic to counter the brainwashing. If you had one hit show, it would give you a chance to open many eyes in the rest of the Middle East.

I don't know if it's typical of the region, but both times I've been to Jordan the taxi drivers on two long-ish inter city routes were listening to Israeli radio stations.

The first time the guy seemed to be listening to Israeli Arab radio (I understand Israel has an arabic language service for Israeli Arabs?) and some Arabic music was playing away. The second time around it sounded like the guy was listening to a commercial radio music station.

I guess that Israeli radio just seemed better to these drivers when it came to music and general entertainment?

Would imagine that Israeli radio is easy to get in Lebanon and would be interested to know if any Lebanese tune in?

Posted by: Dirk at February 1, 2007 12:41 PM

Well, there is West Bank Story.

I was able to watch Lebanese and other Arab TV in Haifa, so unless it's jammed, what's stopping Lebanese from picking up Israeli TV? But man, talk about ghastly stuff -- it was like the Arabs had taken the worst of T-and-A, reality TV, televangelism, and soap opera and rolled it all together. I'm not sure any nation's TV is the best way to break down negative stereotypes, actually.

I personally have concluded that if we turn The Dog Whisperer loose on the ME peace process, he'll have everyone on all sides calm, submissive, and cooperative within a week. Olmert, Nasrallah, Assad, Ahmadinejhad, the various Kings Abdullah, Mubarak -- all trotting along at his heels with no snarling, no skirmishing...

Posted by: Pam at February 1, 2007 04:02 PM

Israel has not been known for attacking civilians in a completly random way.

On the other hand terrorists are known for planning explosions of public buildings.

Posted by: Ruth at February 2, 2007 05:44 AM

I wonder if the balloons reached Beirut all by themselves...

What would happen if it was the other way around?

The IDF probably on high alert and jets buzzing all over the place (all over Lebanon that is)

Posted by: Lira at February 3, 2007 03:31 PM

The IDF probably on high alert and jets buzzing all over the place (all over Lebanon that is)

I'm guessing, not.

Posted by: Josh Scholar at February 3, 2007 04:00 PM

Israel has not been known for attacking civilians in a completly random way.