Virtual lynching

A young Chinese man was betrayed by his wife. The man told his neighbors about his wife's unfaithfulness. Virtual sleuths discovered the identified of the man's wife's lover. Thousands demanded they be punished. Chinese netizens cried "chop off their heads."

This remarkable story appeared in an editorial in the China Daily. Raymond Zhou discusses how common place virtual lynchings are in China. Zhou could just as easily been talking about America, when he said,

Trial by virtual lynching has become the norm in China's cyberspace. When a controversy erupts, the rational voice is usually drowned out in vociferous condemnation.

I'm not saying our netizens are always wrong. As a matter of fact, they have a strong sense of justice - so strong that they see the world in only black and white. There's no room for shades of gray.

We have witnessed our own unique brand of flaming. Congressman Murtha is a true Flamer, for he's already convicted our troops of "cold blooded murder" in Haditha.

Murtha and others foolishly believe they can control an outraged mob. Like others that came before so inclined, they will be devoured by the beast of their own creation.