The Inscrutable West

The cover feature of the LA Weekly is about Jodie Foster's new vigilante movie, The Brave One, which supposedly says something about the post-9/11 American soul (or whatever).

There's a sidebar interview with director Neil Jordan. Here's a bit that stood out:

You know, I’m your traditional European leftie, basically. But I don’t believe anybody knows the territory that they’re in as a person who lives in the West at the moment. Nobody can explain why a doctor in Glasgow set himself on fire in a truck laden with explosives — a sophisticated, Western-educated person.

Actually, there were two people involved in this incident, Bilal Abdulla and Kafeel Ahmed. Is there anything Jordan's leaving out about these sophisticated, Western-educated guys that might lead to an explanation for their actions?

Here's another passage worth pondering:

Q: Is there something uniquely American about this story?

A: I think so. Retributive justice, deciding to kill someone without compunction or pity and stuff like that.