In psychoanalysis, there are two contrasting dynamics in which people obsessively repeat thoughts or actions and which are often confused for one another: (a) repetition of the same action over and over again hoping that it will produce a beneficial result even though it has never done so in the past (the much-quipped definition of insanity), and (b) repetition of the same action over and over again with the full realization that it won’t produce anything beneficial, but driven by some need to do it anyway. You can decide for yourself which one of those two dynamics this depressing story out of Thailand is, but it’s definitely one of them:
The Thai government has warned against a Muslim-Buddhist “religious conflict” after assassins killed two Buddhist monks and a novice in southern Thailand, while the army canceled sending Israeli-trained Thai troops to Iraq because they might anger Iraqis.
Islamofacist-inspired murder? Check.
Refusal to identify religious motives for violence? Check.
Appeasement of arbitrary Islamist sensibilities and objections to aiding in the War on Terror (the “don’t attack on Ramadan — only we can do that” award? Check.
So really the only question left is, do they know in advance that their actions will only incite Islamist terrorism, or were they literally born yesterday?
