I heard an interview this morning that left my head spinning. A western diplomat to Egypt was emphatic in his view that Mubarak is/was (at this moment it seems he may or may not be dead) not a monster. His reason for this point of view: he, in his role as a diplomat from either the USA or Canada, I don't know which, had met Mubarak and he, Mubarak, had displayed a good sense of humour and was an all round affable guy. Well, really.
The diplomat who found the bloody murderous dictator a great guy with a good sense of humour is in no way an anomaly. It strikes me as an odd quirk of nature that it doesn't matter what the hell someone is doing, or has done, to someone else, if you slap me on the back and tell me a joke you're a great guy.
This is why priests get to rape little boys for decades. This is why adults who terrorize their families are often considered 'great guys' by their communities. And it works both ways. There are people who are disparaged because one person has been unwittingly slighted and goes on a campaign. Same thing. I know a woman who has no use for anything David Sizuki has to say because he didn't acknowledge her, personally, at a huge gathering. Good grief.
Let's make more broad based judgements, shall we. This isn't working.
