La conjuration des imbéciles

Fouad Laroui has a witty and observant radio-essay on some recent meshugaas from Haarlem  (the double -aa- is accurate in both cases), which you can savor here:

http://www.medi1.com/player/player.php?i=5310972

A school was decorated with some calligraphy reminiscent of arabesque, though the letters were Latin. “C’est alors que la conjuration des imbéciles  se mit en branle.”  Right-wing xenophobes and “salafis analphabètes” (pour ne pas dire: analphabêtes)  sounded the alarm:  This was Arabic writing, was the (innaccurate) cry from both (otherwise interopposing) sides; and either vocally opposed it, though for opposite reasons.

What caught my attention was this detail:   When their linguistic error was pointed out, nobody slapped his forehead and said “My bad!”;  rather, they redoubled in vehemence, contriving further reasons for outrage.   And this is but too reminiscent of the scene in America these dark days, where (among others) the Birthers are simply outside the realm of logic, evidence, and rational discourse.