Unanswered Question

Free speech or incitement?

Apparently if the French do it, it's free speech. If an American does it, it's incitement.

After a week of deadly international protests against an anti-Islam film, a French satirical magazine is pouring oil on the fiery debate between freedom of expression and offensive provocation.

The magazine Charlie Hebdo, which is known for outrageous humor, published cartoons featuring a figure resembling the Prophet Mohammed on Wednesday.

The issue hit the stands eight days after a video mocking the Muslim prophet triggered angry protests, including one that led to the death of the U.S. ambassador to Libya.

There has been no violence reported as a result of the Charlie Hebdo cartoons.

Interesting, no? A U.S. film allegedly triggers widespread 'spontaneous' violence (those guys with mortars and RPGs just happened to be strolling by the U.S. consulate in Benghazi when a protest broke out ... yeah, right), while a French rag publishes cartoons mocking Mohammed and there is little reaction, at least as of this point in time.

An interesting sidenote: the new cartoons are very similar to those a Danish newspaper published back in 2005. The Danish cartoons led to violent demonstrations, riots, and loss of life. There were death threats against the artists, and in an ironic precursor to the tragic events in Libya:

Two people died when protesters turned on the US airbase at Bagram (Afghanistan) - although the US has had no involvement with the images, which originated in Denmark.

I never thought I'd live to see the day when a few radical French journalists had more cojones than the entire U.S. mainstram media conglomerate.

Or the U.S. government.

Sad...