Man, it's crazy. I have spent hours reading the comments section on articles about self-immolation (particularly in Tibet). Some people like to blame some behind-the-scenes leader who must have been orchestrating the whole thing (i.e., the Dalai Lama). Many people seem to feel that the person who self-immolated was crazy, deluded, or an idiot. American pundits tend to take this position - "the poor fool, what good did he think that would do? Tut tut." No one comes out in favor of it, obviously, but some are more empathetic than others. Many people blame religion. A few really consider it to be an evil action, either because of norms against suicide or because they think it's one small step from here to suicide bombing innocent by-standers.
Probably because suicide is a sensitive subject for a lot of people, and political protest is a sensitive subject for a curiously large number of people as well.
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Date: 2012-07-10 01:28 pm (UTC)Probably because suicide is a sensitive subject for a lot of people, and political protest is a sensitive subject for a curiously large number of people as well.