Allegory

[Chimera]

We've discussed allegory before but I can't for the life of me find the thread.

Anyways, JKR's been known to insert social commentary about bigotry and what not into the series, Lupin for instance. I reckon Stan Shunpike is another occurrence of this, the government has to be seen to be doing something so they pick up anyone showing the first sign of connection to the enemy.

In real life these days it is Muslims, rather than Stan, but the same principle applies. Look at Abuse Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay. Gotta be two or three actual terrorists in amongst the hundreds of people picked up for no better reason than being a male Muslim of fighting age.

The innocent aren't released without massive pressure however, because if massive numbers are found o be innocent it makes the government look incompetent. What little public confidence is left in the governments course of action would be gone, and they can't afford that if they want to keep their powerful offices. It was lack of public confidence that brought Fudge down and put Scrimgeour in in the first place.

I know I'm gonna take heat for this one, but I felt it was worth drawing the comparison.

[Bextra]

Well personally, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. I didn't and still don't know what that means.

[Phoenix in the Ashes]

Why bother posting in it then?

What's the actual theory here, by the way?
And you'll probably take heat for it only because this isn't a site for political views, although we do discuss them occasionally, it's best to sort of just let it turn into a topic of conversation on it, rather than starting a thread for it.

[Bextra]

What I meant to say Phoenix was, can you sort of, dumb it down a bit so I can understand it?

[Asphodel]

In a "dumbed" down version this is the theory:

Our government Like M.O.M tries to cover up by getting a bunch of Muslims and not releasing them even if they're innocent, because Al Queda happens to be Muslim.

I disagree. Stan, had nothing to do with LV. Al Queda is Muslim, so it stands to reason to interrogate Muslims.

[Chimera]

Stan was overheard saying he knew voldemorts plans, then after interrogation it turned out he knew nothing, but he wasn't released. He was actually more implicated than most of the people in Guantanamo, who were sold to the Americans by mercenaries for cash.

[Phoenix in the Ashes]

The thing with Stan was that the MoM was perfectly within their rights to check him out.

He isn't completely innocent here. He talked the big talk and it got him in trouble, and right now he probably feels like a real fool... which, he is really but that's not the point.

The MoM could clearly see he was no DE and soon as they talked to him, probably as soon as they saw him... it's ridiculous, but I wouldn't go so far as to say he's completely innocent himself.

[Asphodel]

May be, but Americans capture lots of Muslim because they were talking the "Big Talk" much like in Stan's case.

[Chimera]

Actually that's rare. By far the bulk of people in abu ghraib were picked up on the streets, and nearly all the inmates at Guantanamo were sold as "terrorists" in exchange for a reward. Uncle Sam offered rewards for terrorists and mercenary gangs went about snatching guys, sometimes out of their beds, to get the cash.

[Asphodel]

True, but I'm talking about the physical army. Remember the time that some old lady was trying to listen in to a bunch of teenagers talking because they were Muslim? They got upset at this, and decided to make her go away by saying what she wanted to hear, so they said, "They were upset about 9/11, wait until 9/13!" the lady called the police, and all the roadways were closed down, and there was an alert everywhere, the boys were taken away. All that trouble 'cause an old Granny wanted to be a hero.