There is little need for me to add to the deluge of editorialising on what Liam Neeson thought for one week 40 years ago.
For a seven day period, he apparently walked the streets with a cosh in his pocket in the hope that he would have some interaction with a man of colour.
His stated aim was to kill that person.
His “rationale” for this that a man fitting that basic description had raped his friend.
We only know about this because he told this to a journalist who was interviewing him about his new film.
One of the things that was lost in the resultant social media furore was that Neeson was telling the story to indicate that he was wrong to hold these beliefs.
He disclosed that the thoughts lasted for around a week.
Liam Neeson was in the mindset that believed in collective guilt, i.e. a black man had committed this awful crime so any black man would do.
From Birmingham Alabama to the Birmingham Six there is nothing new about group guilt and it is always always unjust and wrong.
Liam Neeson knows that.
Moreover, he knew it was a wrong a week after it popped into his head in the late 1970s.
However, the Irish actor is now guilty of admitting a thought crime from four decades ago.
What it does show is that in the age of social media admitting to past failings is verboten.
That is not a healthy place for any society to be.
The campaign against his new film, ironically about a man seeking revenge, appears to have started.
I will leave the last words to this fella who knows a lot about being the victim of abuse because of the colour of his skin.
He thinks Liam Neeson should get a medal.
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The era of social media rage, blame culture and faux ‘isms’ is an indicator of how horrific the world would be if ‘thought crime’ ever became a reality.
The usual self declared PC police hear a few words they deem unacceptable but process in isolation and without digesting the full story or context.
The Neeson case in question is a perfect example.
Just about everything we say, write or do these days is monitored, recorded or analysed in some way by somebody somewhere…
The all consuming internet amplifies the negatives exponentially,makes them available to anybody on the planet and then immortalises them (and other people’s reactions) with a permanency that the analogue world could never have dreamed of.
Mr Neeson’s is a cautionary tale for anyone who may have something to lose by speaking their mind honestly about ‘challenging topics’.
The great and good rounding on him is despicable. It’s the knee-jerk society we live in sadly.
John Barnes, not just eloquent with a football at his feet but he ran rings round that sky news reporter.
It’s a pity Piers Morgan wasn’t there to be nutmegged for his cheerleading support of Winston Churchill.
Why forgive him and not Mhairi Black?
Because Ms Black will not address what she said.
Therefore, there has been no statement of contrition.
Yes PMGB,
Your recommendation of ‘Resistance’ was inspired,located it on a ‘telemetry’ bank in Hong Kong of all places.
Good tv travels the World by the click of a mouse.Although I think it would be better if the mouse actually squeked.
Looks a good cast and read well on Wikipedia
Thanks for the heads up.
Thankfully that horror tackle on Emilio is not as bad as first thought.
Onwards and upwards.
HH🍀
I agree with you and John B. on Neeson. What the man said has been the subject of wilful misinterpretation. I could not help but wonder whether some of the “difficult family conversations” you reference in the previous post of Feb 5 also centered on the idea of “collective responsibility” in the wake of such unfortunate incidents as that of 5 January 1976, and the role that this concept played in “legitimizing” such an undertaking. Competent soldiers indeed. Perhaps those blessed with ample social capital should wonder about the use of the epithet “Brit” in promoting this baleful attitude of collective responsibility. Or at least hold themselves to a consistent standard.
I don’t think Neeson should be vilified, he did not go through with it, I do think it was courageous, he thought it through, this was not an off the cuff moment. I myself have been involved in revenge attacks, after my mate was killed down the calton. People need to talk about stuff, if we can’t raise these and other issues, how are we meant to change things.
Great piece Phil
Trial by social media is becoming normal practice these days,that can only lead to more demonising of people long before their supposed guilt is,either,not proven,or established.I saw this on the news yesterday and my first thought was;I’ll bet that has been taken way out of context and will later be found not to be true.
Social media has many good points for all sorts of people and for a multitude of reasons.However,for me it seems a way for these platforms to gather data,new term is ‘telemetry’ so I’m told,so they can build an overal digital picture of everything that you do online and then use that to their,and their partners,advantage.Basic snooping,but now turbocharged.That’s why I’ve only posted 6/7 tweets this year,I’m pretty much resigned to keeping it that way.To each their own,thankfully,we are not all the same.
Thanks,I thought you might have covered this Phil🍀
Many of the reasons why I don’t use any social media like Facebook or twitter and on forums like this of course use a moniker.
Sad that this should be the case.
I understand that 70+% if all employers will trawl Twitter and Facebook as a further vetting of job applicants,
Many apparently also get suspicious if an applicant has NO social media profile.
You can’t win! It seems.
At least they can’t yet tell what you’re thinking … yet!
Neeson’s mea culpa 40 years after the event should be regarded in the context in which it was made.
He is simply looking to generate publicity for his new film. Period!
He should have stuck to the tried and tested; ‘rumoured’ affair with a co-star, he ‘almost’ died on set, etc.
I don’t think Neeson is racist, no.
Cynical, crass, with incredibly poor judgement? Definitely.