Is it "stupid" to provoke terrorists, bullies, and censors?

Greta Van Sustern tweeted that Sony were a bunch of stupid idiots for planning to make a movie mocking the dictator of North Korea. Ace of Spades takes her on here:

It seems to me Van Sustern is demonstrating one of the most common, and stupidest, sorts of human behavior here.

Whenever a terrible setback befalls someone -- paralysis, cancer, rape, cyberterrorism by basket-case states run by midget maniacs -- human beings have a remarkably annoying, and sometimes offensive, need to moralize about the tragedy, and begin positing all the ways in which this horrific event could have been avoided.

Though usually not as overt as in Van Sustern's formulation, the suggestion is usually present: This tragedy was eminently avoidable, and the fact that it was not avoided suggests a defect, whether intellectual, moral, or characterological, on the part of the victim.

If this was so obvious, I'm sure Ms. Van Sustern can quote herself warning of the attack's inevitability...? Or cite someone she read making that warning?

Even if that warning had come (it hadn't, but if it had), then she's just saying "We should give in to bullies and censors and terrorists because otherwise they'll make trouble."

If Van Sustern thinks it's "stupid" to provoke terrorists and bullies and censors, she should quit her job at Fox immediately, because of course Fox takes a less charitable view of ISIS, Islamofascists generally, Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, and all the various leftwing soft-fascism organizations than any other news company.

I think it is toxic for society -- a poison that saps at our vitality-- for the Safe Play People's voices to be so loud, and so numerous, while so few people actually stick up for a bit of riskiness and danger.

Hey, Safe Play People: I've got news for you. No one ever accomplished anything big by sticking to the Safe Play.

So keep on hectoring and picking at anyone who dares to step out of line, if that makes you feel better about your own choices.

The people taking risks will just have to content themselves with mattering and living lives full of color and steel.

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