I would rather read “Japan sends samurais, robots and ninjas to Iraq. 50 000 jihadists killed”
I keep waiting for a super-science attack vehicle prototype to be deployed. With a fatefully selected crew of young 20-somethings with intriguing back stories, and at least one romantic entanglement.
I shouldn’t have mentioned that last element; one of those two is certain to be tragically killed by ISIS.
This is the appropriate response!
High five, Japan. This sucks, and your response is brave and awesome. If those monsters want to try to intimidate you, they’ve chosen the wrong country apparently! Well done.
Guess it’s Japan’s only true response/reaction, even if it’s from a minority in the country. Too bad they don’t have any real options to save those guys. Is this acceptance or denial?
Well, is this particularly brave? Amusing, yes, but I presume the people posting/creating these meme images don’t have any personal stake in the journalists’ abductions.
I think that ‘gallows humor’ operates in part on the mixture of those two. Also, for the assorted random citizens on the internet, there’s the factor of lack of control/influence/direct moral connection: Even if the Japanese state is considering doing something, Average Joe isn’t going to be consulted about it, so in addition to the fact that the options are probably pretty tepid overall, they aren’t actually options except for the relatively tiny number of people in a position to try them.
In the face of probably unpleasant outcomes, over which you have no influence, nor even any options that feel like they have an effect, cheesy photoshop seems like a pretty healthy response.
Given the limited stakes, it’s hard for them to be classified as particularly brave, there just isn’t enough on the table; but people have proven(to the delight of the various security theater industries) that you can be arbitrarily cowardly even about events that pose vanishingly small risk to you.
In this sense, I’d be inclined to award bravery points(not that many, because the low stakes provide a tight upper bound); but it is possible, and not uncommon, to achieve dangerous states of negative bravery, and at least they haven’t done that.
Godzilla vs. IsIs, my money is on the big lizard…
I think this is EXACTLY how terrorism should be handled. We will MOCK and SHAME you! yes, there may be some loss. which sucks. but it shows “you have NOT succeeded in terrorizing us”
Instead of the US response of cowering with fear, and building an Orwellian state of control and shame at home.
I guess I view it as some form of narcissism, or just lack of insight. They’re so far removed from the situation (in all realms) that their mockery has absolutely no effect, except to make them feel superior.
Plus, it’s clear that they neither care for the hostages, it just seems very 4chan-ish.
oh god yes please
Ignore the old guy in the middle; he’s just there for the American Market.
If all else fails (oh g-d, it’s not running Windows Mobile, is it?!?!?), we’ve got a backup team driving overland:
But it’s not like this is the Japanese government creating these memes. It’s just random internet citizens. And random US internet citizens have done all kinds of silly anti-ISIS stuff too.
I’d say brave because it responds with courage to something designed to make the targets afraid. The goal of ISIS here is to scare Japan into complying with its wishes. Turning them into buffoonery shows that there’s no actual intimidation. That’s bravery – responding to intimidation with mockery.
“IF YOU DON’T LISTEN TO ME, I AM GOING TO SHOOT YOUR LOVED ONES.”
“Hahahaha, you idiot.”
Takes some courage, I’d say.
Again, though - it’s not like there’s really any threat to these anonymous Japanese people who are posting these memes. I mean, I guess it’s better than the people going out and actively calling for the Japanese government to give ISIS what they’re demanding, but I still object to the term bravery in this context.
I think you’re too centered on the individual, here. I mean, what does ISIS hope to gain from random anonymous Japanese people by showing their video to them? They hope to intimidate those people. The threat isn’t direct, but it’s a threat, and I consider confronting threats with ridicule to be usually quite a good exhibition of bravery.
You forgot to add, “I am concerned.”
I like the Attack on Titan one, but the other memes are foreign to me. Any guesses?
Ok, I guess what I object to is the people saying this is very brave, in comparison to the American reaction which is to cower in fear and create a totalitarian state. But really, I’m sure you could go to 4chan and see this exact same brave behaviour from random Americans, too, which is completely separate from the American government (and I guess the citizens that voted that government into power). Is this Japanese bravery consistent with the majority of Japanese citizens? Or are there plans for Japanese government to start cracking down on freedoms as well? I have no idea, based on the evidence given here.
