the human province

Thanks for the news from the home front. Whether the alleged kidnappings were politically motivated or not, it is often the case that these actions do not have claimants.

In these seemingly revenge-based actions, I often think about what Camus announced after receiving his Nobel Prize in the mid 50s. When criticized for his support of the OAS (Organization armee secrete), the neo-fascist counter-insurgent organization in French-Algeria, he announced that he was forced to "prefer his mother over justice". What's often forgotten, may I dare say, is that the OAS were instrumental in guaranteeing the safety of the over one million pieds-noirs who left French-Algeria to France after decolonization. In effect, he *became* one of his own existentialist characters. He supported a despicable cause but a cause made necessary when reality flashed forced allegiances.

A highly problematic statement but very revealing in terms of being a liberal humanist - is it preferable to support people over ideas?

In moments like these, I sometimes think that raw political analysis simply does not work. When such tragedies occur, the *literary-humanist* sensibility sometimes covers more ground, although such a way of thinking is more problematic than productive.

Good analysis. It's true that "we laugh about this sort of tribalism" when it comes to what seems to be small potatoes-actors without political significance. As always, even the most personal situations reveal the greatest deadly political circumstances. Following Havel's assertion in "Power of the Powerless", it is even the green grocers of the world who hold power in their hands... whether we like it or not. Such narratives are never petty or laughable.

-km

Thanks for the news from the home front. Whether the alleged kidnappings were politically motivated or not, it is often the case that these actions do not have claimants.

In these seemingly revenge-based actions, I often think about what Camus announced after receiving his Nobel Prize in the mid 50s. When criticized for his support of the OAS (Organization armee secrete), the neo-fascist counter-insurgent organization in French-Algeria, he announced that he was forced to "prefer his mother over justice". What's often forgotten, may I dare say, is that the OAS were instrumental in guaranteeing the safety of the over one million pieds-noirs who left French-Algeria to France after decolonization. In effect, he *became* one of his own existentialist characters. He supported a despicable cause but a cause made necessary when reality flashed forced allegiances.

A highly problematic statement but very revealing in terms of being a liberal humanist - is it preferable to support people over ideas?

In moments like these, I sometimes think that raw political analysis simply does not work. When such tragedies occur, the *literary-humanist* sensibility sometimes covers more ground, although such a way of thinking is more problematic than productive.

Good analysis. It's true that "we laugh about this sort of tribalism" when it comes to what seems to be small potatoes-actors without political significance. As always, even the most personal situations reveal the greatest deadly political circumstances. Following Havel's assertion in "Power of the Powerless", it is even the green grocers of the world who hold power in their hands... whether we like it or not. Such narratives are never petty or laughable.

-km

Thanks for the news from the home front. Whether the alleged kidnappings were politically motivated or not, it is often the case that these actions do not have claimants.

In these seemingly revenge-based actions, I often think about what Camus announced after receiving his Nobel Prize in the mid 50s. When criticized for his support of the OAS (Organization armee secrete), the neo-fascist counter-insurgent organization in French-Algeria, he announced that he was forced to "prefer his mother over justice". What's often forgotten, may I dare say, is that the OAS were instrumental in guaranteeing the safety of the over one million pieds-noirs who left French-Algeria to France after decolonization. In effect, he *became* one of his own existentialist characters. He supported a despicable cause but a cause made necessary when reality flashed forced allegiances.

A highly problematic statement but very revealing in terms of being a liberal humanist - is it preferable to support people over ideas?

In moments like these, I sometimes think that raw political analysis simply does not work. When such tragedies occur, the *literary-humanist* sensibility sometimes covers more ground, although such a way of thinking is more problematic than productive.

Good analysis. It's true that "we laugh about this sort of tribalism" when it comes to what seems to be small potatoes-actors without political significance. As always, even the most personal situations reveal the greatest deadly political circumstances. Following Havel's assertion in "Power of the Powerless", it is even the green grocers of the world who hold power in their hands... whether we like it or not. Such narratives are never petty or laughable.

-km

Thanks for the news from the home front. Whether the alleged kidnappings were politically motivated or not, it is often the case that these actions do not have claimants.

In these seemingly revenge-based actions, I often think about what Camus announced after receiving his Nobel Prize in the mid 50s. When criticized for his support of the OAS (Organization armee secrete), the neo-fascist counter-insurgent organization in French-Algeria, he announced that he was forced to "prefer his mother over justice". What's often forgotten, may I dare say, is that the OAS were instrumental in guaranteeing the safety of the over one million pieds-noirs who left French-Algeria to France after decolonization. In effect, he *became* one of his own existentialist characters. He supported a despicable cause but a cause made necessary when reality flashed forced allegiances.

A highly problematic statement but very revealing in terms of being a liberal humanist - is it preferable to support people over ideas?

In moments like these, I sometimes think that raw political analysis simply does not work. When such tragedies occur, the *literary-humanist* sensibility sometimes covers more ground, although such a way of thinking is more problematic than productive.

Good analysis. It's true that "we laugh about this sort of tribalism" when it comes to what seems to be small potatoes-actors without political significance. As always, even the most personal situations reveal the greatest deadly political circumstances. Following Havel's assertion in "Power of the Powerless", it is even the green grocers of the world who hold power in their hands... whether we like it or not. Such narratives are never petty or laughable.

-km

Thanks for the news from the home front. Whether the alleged kidnappings were politically motivated or not, it is often the case that these actions do not have claimants.

In these seemingly revenge-based actions, I often think about what Camus announced after receiving his Nobel Prize in the mid 50s. When criticized for his support of the OAS (Organization armee secrete), the neo-fascist counter-insurgent organization in French-Algeria, he announced that he was forced to "prefer his mother over justice". What's often forgotten, may I dare say, is that the OAS were instrumental in guaranteeing the safety of the over one million pieds-noirs who left French-Algeria to France after decolonization. In effect, he *became* one of his own existentialist characters. He supported a despicable cause but a cause made necessary when reality flashed forced allegiances.

A highly problematic statement but very revealing in terms of being a liberal humanist - is it preferable to support people over ideas?

In moments like these, I sometimes think that raw political analysis simply does not work. When such tragedies occur, the *literary-humanist* sensibility sometimes covers more ground, although such a way of thinking is more problematic than productive.

Good analysis. It's true that "we laugh about this sort of tribalism" when it comes to what seems to be small potatoes-actors without political significance. As always, even the most personal situations reveal the greatest deadly political circumstances. Following Havel's assertion in "Power of the Powerless", it is even the green grocers of the world who hold power in their hands... whether we like it or not. Such narratives are never petty or laughable.

-km

Thanks for the news from the home front. Whether the alleged kidnappings were politically motivated or not, it is often the case that these actions do not have claimants.

In these seemingly revenge-based actions, I often think about what Camus announced after receiving his Nobel Prize in the mid 50s. When criticized for his support of the OAS (Organization armee secrete), the neo-fascist counter-insurgent organization in French-Algeria, he announced that he was forced to "prefer his mother over justice". What's often forgotten, may I dare say, is that the OAS were instrumental in guaranteeing the safety of the over one million pieds-noirs who left French-Algeria to France after decolonization. In effect, he *became* one of his own existentialist characters. He supported a despicable cause but a cause made necessary when reality flashed forced allegiances.

A highly problematic statement but very revealing in terms of being a liberal humanist - is it preferable to support people over ideas?

In moments like these, I sometimes think that raw political analysis simply does not work. When such tragedies occur, the *literary-humanist* sensibility sometimes covers more ground, although such a way of thinking is more problematic than productive.

Good analysis. It's true that "we laugh about this sort of tribalism" when it comes to what seems to be small potatoes-actors without political significance. As always, even the most personal situations reveal the greatest deadly political circumstances. Following Havel's assertion in "Power of the Powerless", it is even the green grocers of the world who hold power in their hands... whether we like it or not. Such narratives are never petty or laughable.

-km