This isn’t, or isn’t quite, what I’ll be talking about this week. But what strikes me as a probably-pecksniffian — look it up — nasty prank got my attention:
- “France’s train network hit by arson attacks hours before Olympic ceremony” ; Dominique Vidalon, Elizabeth Pineau; Reuters (July 26, 2024) Summary:
- Attacks cause chaos hours before Games start
- Massive security operation in place
- Possible suspects include leftist militants, environmental activists
- Worldwide audience will watch opening ceremony
- “Rural sabotage plays havoc with opening of Paris Olympics” ; Paul Kirby, Andrew Harding; BBC News (July 26, 2024)
About speculation mentioned in the Reuters summary: there’s no reported evidence, a little before noon here in central Minnesota, pointing at folks pushing any one particular ‘Great Cause’ having set fires and stolen equipment.
The good news is that, so far, nobody seems to have been hurt. Apart from folks in France having their lives disrupted by a major transportation SNAFU.
That’s not always the case, when folks with high ideals and flexible ethics decide that doing something bad for ‘the greater good’ is a just simply spiffing idea:
- “Advent Sunday: Kyrie, Then Death”
(December 9, 2023) - “Hamas, Harvard, Ukraine and Alaska Air: Looking for a Bright Side”
(October 28, 2023) - “Remembering 9/11: Death, Daft Ideas and a Tree”
(September 11, 2021)
