Not sure if this story is getting much play back in the US, but I can tell you Europe feels like a tinderbox today with this cartoon madness. Wasn't around for the archduke getting shot in 1914, but probably felt a bit similar.. the slope is getting slippery...
Next weekend, they expect over 100,000 VERY angry Muslim (men) to "march" in London. I don't have to tell you how that's going to end up. One word - badly. And that's just London - wait until these protests hit the West. The cat is out of the bag and he is pissed.
OK, so how does this relate to the bubble you ask? Well, how many people were out looking for their dream homes after 9/11? Answer - hardly any. And it's especially tough to buy a home when they're on fire.
With this cartoon riotfest spreading, crazy Iran going to the security council, oil ratcheting up, and Syria and Lebanon getting muhamma-nuts, it's going to be a geo-political rollercoaster for a bit my friends.
And when times are uneasy, people stay home. They don't buy homes.
For anyone calling HP insensitive for publishing this cartoon, or calling for an HP-fatwa, sorry, I couldn't find any good bugs bunny clips to quite capture the spirit.
Good posts to this article will be on topic - geopolitical conditions and their relation to economic conditions, consumer psyche and the bubble
Mass demonstration of 100,000 Muslims will take place in London next weekend as anger continues over publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.
The Muslim Action Committee, an umbrella group which claims to represent more than a million Muslims, said it would do as much as it could to prevent the ugly scenes seen last week when protesters carried placards issuing death threats and one man dressed as a suicide bomber.
February 11, 2006
Will the cartoons further ignite the bubble?
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32 comments:
You may be right. It's often said that speculative bubbles burst when you least expect and for reasons that no one thought of. We'll see...
I’m more convinced than ever that the Muslim Religion is incompatible with Western Civilization. I see no compromise with the extreme zealots!
And to think one of these bastards actually shoot and sliced the throat of an innocent film maker walking down the street in his hometown is outrageous.
Don't worry about the Muslims - the Anti-christ is going to finish them off first. Then the rest of us, unfortunately.
Keith, you better watch out, now you just got a few million angry zealots on your tail by publishing that pic on your blog. Next target: the bombing and burning of the Googles headquarter for allowing such content on their blogspot.
Up next: Angry Buddhists setting off bombs and burning up factories that make images of Buddha depicted as a laughing fat guy with exposed nipples and a pop belly.
Speaking of Buddha and defacing sacred religious symbols, who was it that destroyed those two ancient Buddha statues in Afghanistan? Oh, that's right -- Muslims.
Good point!
Destruction of thousand year old relic of great religious and cultural value for the world by the Taliban.
--Muslim Reactions: Nothing.
One distasteful cartoon in a small Danish newspaper.
--Muslim Reactions: Riots, Church burnings, embassy burning, calls of boycott, calls for death, actual killings.
Giving the world a true glimpse into the REAL Muslim world and how they operate.
--Priceless
There are perhaps a billion Muslims in the world. Only a tiny fraction is represented by these hysterical rioting idiots. I would think the western media portrayal of these hysterical idiots as representative of the mainstream would annoy the mainstream far more than the cartoons.
You're right about the impact of geopolitical instability on housing sales, to an extent. The bubble is imploding under its own weight. Exogenous factors may make it go even faster, but most people intent on buying in bubbly areas in the US at the moment probably doesn't watch the news.
ocrenter said...
"Giving the world a true glimpse into the REAL Muslim world and how they operate.
--Priceless"
-----------------------------------
Excellent point!
Would you look at that -- religious zealots shown all over Europe holding their signs up, threatening the modern world. These pathetic souls willing to kill others, including themselves to make a political point, and for what??? Virgins, lots and lots of virgins.
I believe they are now (finally) testing the patience of liberal, open minded, tolerant Europeans.
Hey Keith, just wanted to say that I love your site and all the articles. Thx
Housing panic blog behaving like
Spencer's jihadwatch.com blog ?
The cartoon event must be really big.
Havent heard much about in California
except from ultr-right wing radio hosts.
But freedom of speech is important and
must be protected.
Let's get real now. It's not like it's the cartoon that's got Muslims suddenly rioting. It's Bush's attack on them. They are being slaughtered by the good ole USA. It's the tipping point. They've been pissed since oh say 2002.
You need to all calm down.
You are just adding fuel to an already hysterical polarized world.
The situation is much more complex than that meets the eye. There is a political chess being played here. Let me remind you that similar cartoons were published around 15 years ago, but there were no riots or mass media coverage. It seems to me the zealots out there are just ignorant ponies used by certain middle eastern countries that want to deflect the world's attention from other more important issues. They got their chance and they will get maximum mileage from it.
I can't believe the media is so obsessed with anything Muslim related. It is called selective sampling. You don't hear good news from Muslim lands because good news DOES NOT sell newspapers.
Shame on you Keith. I didn't expect you to fall for this stupid mass sensation. A bit like the obsession with real estate.
And AustinYankee, let me remind you Terrorism exists in every religion and corner of this world.
Here are currently active and recent ones:
- Hindus massacring Muslims in India
- Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka
- Catholics and Protestants factions in Northern Ireland
- Basque separatists in Spain
- Colombian guerrillas
- Mauritanian Slavery
Oh, and let me remind you the Christian crusaders who massacred thousands if not millions of Muslims.
And what the heck do you call the enslavement of millions of Africans in which America was found ? Not terrorism ?
Terrorists come in all forms, religions, and races. Muslims are just the latest members of this overcrowded club.
Live and let live.
An American Muslim who gave up on all religions a long time ago.
"And AustinYankee, let me remind you Terrorism exists in every religion and corner of this world. "
Yes, if someone points to terminal
cancer in Islam,
point to some one else
having common cold.
Always works as an argument but truth that there is no moderation in Islam cannot be hidden any more.
try to stay on topic here folks - will world geopolitical events (currently spinning out of control) hasten the bubble bursting, and a worldwide financial crisis?
guess this story IS indeed getting play in the US?
"Yes, if someone points to terminal
cancer in Islam,
point to some one else
having common cold. "
True, but the difference here is one is only actively seeking for the Muslim cancer. A kind of selective sampling.
Show the cancer, but also show the healthy parts.
I think this whole cartoon thing would be forgotten in a couple of weeks, hence no effect on the bubble. The US housing bubble is much more sensitive to events in China.
I don't understand what you true blue/red meat flag waving American "patriots" are all outraged about this terrorism thing.
This country and its English, (British Empire), beginnings practically invented modern state terrorism.
Americans outraged at terrorism should just look in the mirror and their recent past of Indian masscacres and ethnic cleansing (reservations), slavery, lynchings, bigotry and minority intimidation.
Those settlers,explorers,US Army officers,plantations owners,the KKK,
etc., make Bin Laden and his followers seem like rank amateurs.
The modern acceptable version is illegal alien bashing and name calling.
Why, terrorism is as American as apple pie.
Yesterday were Muslim haters, the day before were doctor haters. Keith, I'm so disappointed that your blog becomes such a hatred expressing, discriminating place.
For those of you who have so strong feelings against Muslims, how many Muslims you know (not just heard of)? Have you ever have talk with them (not just hellos and goodbyes) and are really familiar with even just one of them? If not, please don't make judegment.
Can't we all just get along?
I would actually characterize fundamentalist Christianity as an apocalyptic death cult. Literally. The rabid anticipation with which some of the fundamentalists I have met awaiting WWIII, the battle at Armageddon, and the bloodbath that awaits all but the true believers of whichever sect they happen to belong to is astounding. I also like their (19th century interpretation) concept of the Rapture, all of the benefits of death without actually having to die or the annoyance of losing your corporeal body for any time. The future laid out by some of the fundamentalist Christians looks like a B grade post apocalyptic blood bath flick.
Keith:
Thanks for posting the cartoon. I was curious to see it.
This whole situation might degenerate into a war. Isn't that how WWI started, with a political murder?
If that happens, look for the housing boom to implode in seconds instead of years. I remember how the economy just froze in January 1991 when the Gulf war started and we had a mini freeze in March 2003 when Gulf War I was being finished.
It won't take much to pop this bubble; maybe a bomb in a turban?
For those of you who have so strong feelings against Muslims, how many Muslims you know (not just heard of)?
In fact, I have. I spent five months in Saudi Arabia, where I was not allowed to possess a Bible, receive Christmas cards or display any Christmas decorations, and where women were treated like possessions. I shopped in a store that sold anti-Semitic comic books (one memorable cover showed a cartoon drawing of the Earth with a snake wrapped around it in stranglehold. On the snake's body was the star of David). This was in an ordinary grocery store. I don't recall Jews all over the world breaking into hysterics over it.
There sure is a lot of touchy, feel good, stupidity in here today. Once and for all, there are many more extremists in the Islamic religion than peaceful people, and the peaceful ones are generally sympathetic to the mind numb killers.
It was a huge mistake for the Europeans to import these radicals … wait and see, this problem will become much larger before it gets better. I can see it already, death cultist driving cars full of explosives into the Louvre, or blowing themselves up during mass at St. Peter's Square. Those that doubt it could happen, need to remember what they did on September 11, 2001.
So stop the politically correct defense for these evil doers … they are pure evil, and are not worthy of defense. PERIOD!
"There are many more extremists in the Islamic religion than peaceful people."
Really? Can you provide some statistitics to support your statement?
Just want to mention two persons I know of, although totally OT.
First one is a second generation American Indian, looks a lot like an Islamic person. After 9/11, he was mistreated everywhere. On airplanes, people refuse to sit next to him. In bars or restaurants, people are hostile to him. Fortunately, he is an American and knows of the ways to deal situations like such.
Second one is not so lucky. He was an Iranian, one of the most gentle persons I know. After trying to be accepted by us but being mistreated a lot, he jumped off the platform and hit by a train.
I'm not trying to be politically correct, but just want to point out a lot of times ignorance creates fear and fear creates prejudice. It was Blacks yesterday, Muslims today, and who is next tomorrow? North Koreans, Chinese, or Indians?
I agree that some fundamentalist Christians are essentially apolcalyptic death cults. But there is a big difference: They don't have enough members to stage 100,000 person marches in LONDON, ENGLAND, let alone to try it in RIYAHD, SAUDI ARABIA!
In addition, the churches of Christianity are not riddled through with terrorists, and the Catholic leader is not sympathetic AT ALL with such activity.
I think the "terror comes in all religions, so don't worry about Islam" bubble has popped.
As for the Crusades, all lands that are now Muslim were originally Christian; Spain and large areas of Europe were overtaken by the Muslims. The Vatican was surrounded by a Muslim army. I'm glad folks long ago found the courage to do something about it. I just hope it doesn't get that bad again. If governments don't have the guts to print a cartoon, I'm worried about their ability to survive much longer; why is it there was no deployment of military during the Paris riots? Why wasn't order forced upon the Muslims with bullets? Because many of these governments no longer have the courage to resist.
As for Keith's question about coverage in the USA, the media seemed to be trying to ignore it for the first two days or so (the same way they ignored the Paris riots for the first week), but then they realized they can't hide it.
I don't think it will have much of an effect on the US bubble. For London, maybe, if anything bad happens in the next 24 hours. But the 7/7 and 7/21 Muslim bombings should have been the first big wake up call.
'All lands that are muslim were once Christian'??
I am assuming you are talking about Iberia and not, say, Indonesia.
Also, I was in Paris during the riots and the military was out in force. One day when I was going to the Etoile/CDG station to bring my son out to a play date with friends in an affluent suburb just west of Paris I saw snipers on the roofs of buildings along the Champs Elysee. The french intelligence had intercepted text messages inciting people to go into Paris itself to riot. There were actually only three small instances of rioting within the city itself. A car set afire in the third, the seventeenth and the twentieth arrondissement.
Interestingly the head imam in France called for a fatwah against any muslim involved in rioting, and the incidence went down by half the night night. Something else I bet that wasn't reported back here was that fully half of the arrests for rioting were of non-muslims. Yes, half of those arrested were Portugese Catholics or west Africans of animist relions.
I am not saying there aren't terrorists in Islam. Obviously there are quite a few, but educate yourself and don't just take everything you hear on Fox at face value. Only half of the rioters arrested outside of Paris were muslims, something which wouldn't be as exciting for Fox and other American media outlets to report.
I am sure that during the 1930s families in Germany were sitting around their dinner tables terrified by whatever anti-Semitic propoganda Goebbels and Goring were coming up with. Fear and ignorance can get people to scapegoat others and give up their liberties and freedoms for perceived safety faster than anything else.
"can you name a single Muslim country where the majority of the population is not hostile toward the United States?"
-Jordan
-Ethiopia (55% muslim majority)
-Kuwait
Source: Economist 2005
I hope this answers your question.
Oh I get it, because I call it the way I see it, I’m ignorant. Like the days of the Nazis or the KKK … Please spare me with the nonsense. I studied several religions in two sociology classes when I was at USC. I don’t need to hear the BS that I’m ignorant. Islam is a religion that derives from the sword … PERIOD!
And to think there are still people in our country that see nothing wrong with their traditions. I’ve got an idea, let’s revert back to Islamic law like the Saudis – heck, we can stone Madonna, take the keys away from your wife, burn those Playboys between the mattresses, jail those that speak of another religion, and for God sakes … no more first amendment.
That’s why these people are not welcomed by many in the Western World.
Oh I get it, because I call it the way I see it, I’m ignorant.
The problem is what you see mostly is distorted version of things. Keep an open mind and don't be so angry, pal!
aw, wish I could've gotten one of these to wear to the london protest today!
http://www.shopmetrospy.com/
only 4,000 of 'em showed up today (vs. the 100,000 predicted)... guess they thought they might get deported if they got crazy.. and they all know london is much better than the hell hole they came from
http://egyptelection.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1258
so.. no trouble today in london for the world, no trouble for housing. let's see how next week goes
On airplanes, people refuse to sit next to him. In bars or restaurants, people are hostile to him.
Did they saw his head off and post the video on the Internet?
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