Two headlines that stand in stark relief from each other this week that made me gasp.

[Skidmore]

ISIS Burns 8000 Rare Books and Manuscripts in Mosul found at
http://news.yahoo.com/isis-burns-8000-rare-books-030900856.html?soc_src=mediacontentstory&soc_trk=fb&fb_ref=Default


Four Million Images from the World’s Endangered Archives found at
http://hyperallergic.com/183266/four-million-images-from-the-worlds-endangered-archives/

I think our efforts are best directed to saving knowledge from the ravages of armies and small minded powerful men. At times I fear the knowledge of efforts to make and preserve peace will be lost along in all of this ugliness. It isn't just the burning of libraries and the sacking of historical monuments that tear at the fabric of civilization, but the defunding and editing of words to fit agendas. It is just as much the man in a suit who sits in a governing chamber as it is the terrorist with a machine gun.

[Fumesucker]

1. ...

[Skidmore]

2. Tears at the heart.

And when you still mourn Hypatia and all other great minds taken violently before they could finish their work.

[countryjake]

7. Raises hand, wildly waving!

That's me.

[hifiguy]

8. Love this post and that graphic.

And yes, I still do.

And this shit is always, ALWAYS done in the name of some nonexistent skydaddy.

Humanity has a choice - give up belief in Iron Age fairy tales or perish.

[Hekate]

10. Oh gods, yes. Alexandria.

[blm]

3. Kerry is right - it's about about barbarism vs civilization

and 'religion' is being used as a diversionary smokescreen.

And it is happening all over the world, including here. Our own RW extremists here would burn every copy of 1984, Handmaid's Tale, and To Kill a Mockingbird if they thought they could get away with it.

[Skidmore]

4. Truth spoken, a sad and heavy truth, but an essential one, blm... nt

[Hestia]

5. The Handmaid's Tale is their manifesto and gives the blueprints of what the rightwing wants to do

to women. That one will always be allowed to be read aloud to women (except the ending of course) along with showing women pictures.

[blm]

6. Hmmm…never saw it as a romance novel, but then, I guess some could be

convinced it's a Harlequin romance by professional propagandists. (Of which there are many these days.)

[freshwest]

9. RWers won't burn a book that perfectly represents their vision:

It's a far right wing, christian dominionist vision where women are chattel in the cults. In fact, it's much worse.

The federal government is brought down Turner Dairy style for daring to go against their vision.

It's a Libertarian dream.

[Fumesucker]

12. I'm not sure Kerry is the right person to bring into this thread

He initially voted for one of the most barbaric acts of recent history, yes he changed his mind later and I'm aware of his original rationale but I can't completely forgive him for giving Dick 'n Dubya the green light to start with.

How do you ask someone to be the last man to die for a mistake?

[blm]

13. He's been making the case for Muslim-led nations to stand against the extremists

Last edited Thu Feb 26, 2015, 12:57 PM - Edit history (1)

so that US face can be taken off the region's conflicts. He's succeeding in telling them THEY are the major stakeholders in this confrontation because it is civilization, itself, and THEIR culture that is being targeted.

He, absolutely, should be getting back up from those of us who want these efforts advanced.

Corpmedia sure doesn't want to acknowledge what he's been doing, but, that doesn't mean we should accept their BS furthering the neocon view that the only way to deal with these events is through an all-out war with US, yet again, being seen as the invaders.

[Hekate]

11. The digital archivists are my heroes. The barbarians are...barbarians. nt

[Hutzpa]

14. This is exactly the reason why I believe these

assholes are not acting on religious belief. There has been a systemic attack on the history of mankind by some
factions of society that are determined to rewrite history.

What a shame.