*music

Part of me, (of course), wants to rant out fucking loudly about the evils of religion and scream at this poor idiot who decided to bear the brunt of his fellow man. But another part of me tells me that I'm not even capable of fathoming my own ignorance. That my rightful place in all of this is to witness in awe and keep my mouth closed. Even the cops were shocked did you see?

I'm thankful for the cheesy music and production that muted the true horror, if I saw this with actual sights and sounds I'd most likely be at a therapist come Monday.

>> ^Enzoblue:
Even the cops were shocked did you see?

Yes, I saw.

I'm not sure if this was the same monk who set himself afire that I saw in Life magazine when I was about six years old...I think a few Vietnamese monks immolated themselves in that era...but it brings to bear many questions.

Could I do that? Would I do that? Did it do any good, make any difference?

Yes and no. I don't know.

With my newly earned Gold Star Sift Superpowers, I am about to invoke my first ever *promote with the hopes that Obi Wan Sift Bot will not regretfully tell me I have failed.

Promoting this video and sending it back into the queue for one more try; last queued Saturday, December 5th, 2009 10:57am PST - promote requested by rougy.

I don't think this is Thích Quảng Đức. The accounts of Đức's self-immolation differ from what's shown in the video, and photos purported to be of that event also show a slightly different arrangement of people and the gas can with respect to the car in the background - which, strangely, does show up with the same raised hood.

Aside from the aforementioned arrangement issues, Đức was said to have struck a match and dropped it on himself, while here a fellow monk places a trail of fuel as a fuse. Accounts also describe policemen attempting to reach Đức but being unable to penetrate the throng of monks - here they are at the front of the crowd, pushing them back and watching. (I disagree with the assessment that these cops were "shocked" - to me they seemed to possess a familiarity with the proceedings.) Đức's body is said to have slumped forward after "around 10 minutes," while here the body falls back and to the left. (No irony intended.) There's also mention of a policeman prostrating himself in reverence before Đức; while that may simply have been missed by the camera, I suspect this is actually video of a later demonstration, as there were several.

>>
>> ^Enzoblue:
Did it do any good, make any difference?



You noticed, so therefore.

"a Buddhist monk from Vietnam, burned himself to death" ? Really?
I see some other guy that pours gas all over the soon dead monk and then pours a trail of gas that leads away. Then a river of flame comes from behind the soaking monk and engulfs him.
Looks like he was murdered to me, but he took it well.

>> ^csnel3:
Looks like he was murdered to me, but he took it well.


You just don't get it, do you?

Yes, rougy, I think I get it. I guess I was commenting with todays perspective on something that happpend in the past.
Here in Portland Oregon, present time, the police would have most likely shot the guy with the gas can, and both people probably would have burned to death. They would call it "Police assisted suicide" or "attempted murder" in the papers, as he was clearly wanting to be shot for burning a fellow monk in front of the police. The reason behind the monks act would probably be lost in the din. Nowdays you just cant light your buddys on fire and say "he asked me to".

>> ^csnel3:
Yes, rougy, I think I get it.

Fair enough. But you have to admit, it's two different worlds. I'm in Roswell, NM. Aside from the celestial alien problem, we have a crime rate that is disturbingly high, and cops who are sometimes not very thoughtful, because they're underpaid and overworked. Hate to say it, but true.

Ace up there noted that I noticed, as did millions of other people, that a man set himself afire in order to draw attention to an injustice...so I guess his effort was a success...in as much as it drew attention. Did it solve the problem that he gave his life to protest against? Probably not.

That's a pretty big deal, to have that kind of dedication, to believe in something so strongly that you would voluntarily suffer one of the most cruelest fates known to man.

I'm not being cheeky, but the closest thing I can think of is when Data gave his life for Picard.

Vietnam was the prototype to Iraq and Afghanistan. And our country, the USA, is in a lot of trouble because we are watching people rob us blind and we are powerless to stop it because our government is inept and corrupt beyond remediation.

The war machine learned quickly, while the best that we can do is sit around and bitch.

>> ^ReverendTed:
I don't think this is Thích Quảng Đức. The accounts of Đức's self-immolation differ from what's shown in the video, and photos purported to be of that event also show a slightly different arrangement of people and the gas can with respect to the car in the background - which, strangely, does show up with the same raised hood.
Aside from the aforementioned arrangement issues, Đức was said to have struck a match and dropped it on himself, while here a fellow monk places a trail of fuel as a fuse. Accounts also describe policemen attempting to reach Đức but being unable to penetrate the throng of monks - here they are at the front of the crowd, pushing them back and watching. (I disagree with the assessment that these cops were "shocked" - to me they seemed to possess a familiarity with the proceedings.) Đức's body is said to have slumped forward after "around 10 minutes," while here the body falls back and to the left. (No irony intended.) There's also mention of a policeman prostrating himself in reverence before Đức; while that may simply have been missed by the camera, I suspect this is actually video of a later demonstration, as there were several.


I think you're right. Did a bit of digging around myself and yeah I come to the same conclusion. This must be another immolation that occurred at the time. Hmm, should I modify all the video details accordingly?

You didn't see the police man prostrating himself in front of the burning man?

I don't think it's necessary to modify the details beyond possibly adding "This video may be of a later demonstration, as there were several."

>> ^Fade:
You didn't see the police man prostrating himself in front of the burning man?

Toward the end of the video, I do see a pair of men with the white straps apparently bowing in the background. I had missed that before. The individual that features more prominently in the foreground I believe is another monk, though the color makes it difficult to say for certain.

I'll admit that nitpicking about it seems frivolous, as all of the monks made the same sacrifice.

>> ^rougy:
>> ^csnel3:
Yes, rougy, I think I get it.
Fair enough. But you have to admit, it's two different worlds.


Yes, two very different world indeed. I saw the famous picture of the protesting monk when I was a kid, when it was big news. It made a big impact on me. I never forgot the image and I have seen it many times in the 40 years since. Its a very powerfull image, As you say the dedication to the cause is unimaginable for me. I am now disturbed that he didnt light himself on fire, someone else lit him on fire while everyone watched. That is a very different action in my mind. Maybe he was all drugged up and they sacrificed him? I will never see that picture the same again.

The music and slow motion turns it into a fucking hollywood movie scene, ugh.

Are people so anesthetized to suffering that they can't comprehend it without a score to directs their emotions?

Yeesh. Makes me angry.

I've modified the video title and details, as I really don't want this video confused with the death of Thich Quang Duc, as I believe that would be disrespectful. This is still important footage in my opinion.

Yeah Raaagh, me too...so this is snuff, right? Even if Thatch Sparked Up here was re-incarnated the next day into Pat Nixon's aborted love-child with Henry Kissinger, makes it like Faces of Death on the Videosift, innit?...because the cat did get all melted and re-incarnated and shit, right?....*questions afterlife scenario #12

"I've modified the video title and details, as I really don't want this video confused with the death of Thich Quang Duc, as I believe that would be disrespectful. This is still important footage in my opinion."

It's still snuffage. So everyone all holy was doing it in okra robes with petrol in Nam, doesn't mean we need to see it, eh? Show us some war crimes caught on tape...the we can get all GenevaConvection on their asses, oven...

Man, I'd make a shitty cop....

Dang. I was already formulating a reasoned response to the snuff charge (which did run through my mind when I first saw the video), with comments about the deceased's intent, the meaningfulness and social import of the event, but then I realized it was just choggie.