A drug

At least a drug that is not prohibited by the government. Maybe the only drug that we will be allowed to use in the future (for example, like now they want to close all coffee shops and De Wallen even in Amsterdam).
A war that will clean the world of all evil, filth and sin. And indeed can give a sense of meaning and freedom.
If you ask me, war is the most potent and dangerous drug and controlled by the most powerful and dangerous men and woman in the world: the social economic elite.
As John Gray said “A moralist citizen is the ultimate decadence”.

Did you fire any guns when you were in Iraq and Afghanistan? And if not, did you feel an urge to do so? I think 'Happiness is a warm gun' is a great Beatles-song, and though Lennon probably meant it as wordplay (loose the H and see what you get) it does seem to express a pretty universal thruth.

To what extend is it the removal of the ban on violence - army= permitted violence- that provokes that sense of freedom?

Mieke

To avoid misunderstandings: I didn't have this sense of freedom in Afghanistan or Iraq. It was only after seeing this movie that I had this strange sensation.

Arnon

Have you ever considered a visit to Syria?

bernhard

don't exaggerate!
they 're not closing all the coffeeshops and "de wallen even"... (?)
i guess there will always be drugs, for sure alcohol and not to forget all that stuff that grows all over the world, like magic mushrooms e.g.

Batta

Yes. Why?
(I'm not going to seduce men on your behalf. Forget it.)

Hordijk

No, and no temptation either but I did fire guns in Austria.

Arnon

A psychologist once explained to me that one of the mayor causes of depression is the restrain of agression in nowadays society. In situations it is allowed whe experiencs a sense of liberation. So I guess we all have to release the beast inside now and then.

@Diane d
Yes… but more than one CDA politician states that closing all coffees hops and window is their ultimate goal.
OK, sometimes I get angry and overreact when I see and hear those ‘deliberately falsifying the facts’ faces of politicians, and I do not mean Wilders in this case.
(in my comment, I meant, “… even in Amsterdam, …)

Wearing short sleeves on a picture full of well-equipped soldiers - is this a sign or image of braveness or were you just being pragmatic? (I guess when presented with such an either or question you may prefer your own way out)

Mieke

I fullt agree with that. Who was this psychologist?

All

Bit off-topic, but did you read this? http://artistiekbureau.blogspot.com/2009/07/onleesbaar-schrijven-met-slechte-zinnen.html

Arnon

I am planning to visit Syria in spring. I am still looking for a hairstylist.
(On whose behalf would you seduce men?)

Mieke

Hey Mieke, do you think the psychologist would reckon there would be less depressive people if everybody could lash out every once in a while? The statement credible of course, and if I think back of the last weeks I can even sympathize, wholeheartedly so. But if you think about it, I suppose the other way around much more people would be depressive to a much more serious degree. Wouldn't you agree?

Jan Allemagne

It was a teacher of mine, Mr. Glorieux, but I don't think it was his own theory.

Mieke, MJ

Wouldn't it then be a sensible hypothesis that, since Mr Grunberg experienced this sense of freedom after seeing this movie, it can also be healthy to watch a movie with violence in it, maybe identifying yourself with characters that are violent, go to war etc, and thus releaving yourself from anxiety and stress, without actually having to hit anybody yourself? Maybe violent movies could then be considered therapy against depression. I think more information about the movie and the exact reaction of Mr Grunberg on different scenes would be needed to confirm or deny this hypotheis.

M J

There are many ways to let your anger out. I don't think it's necessary to slash around, but what I do believe in, is that if you are provoked you keep reacting instead of remaining silent. It's the silence that makes you ill. Giving a response in the form of irony or sarcasm, can be very satisfying.

M Hordijk

I agree with you. Only Arnon can make the correct analysis of what provoked that sense of freedom.

Hordijk

My reaction to this movie surprised me. It's definitely not the violence that triggered this "sense of freedom." I have seen violent movies before.
As to violence and movies: I believe a study showed that the weekend that a violent movie opens in the US overall violence in the US is down.

Sprokel

This picture was taken in the early summer of 2008, north of Baghdad. The temperature that day was between 120 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Not unusual for that period of the year.
Hence my short sleeves.