Re: [doublespeak] media & 9.11

[Kristidel Pandolfo <tidel@mind.net>]

Hello, all.

This is my first post here, so be gentle. :)

One of the focuses of my studies has been postcolonial literature, or the
writing coming out of countries that have been colonized, either
physically or economically, by Western powers.  I was poignantly reminded
this week of Darwish's Memory for Forgetfulness.  Darwish is a Palestinian
who was living in Beirut during the bombings by Israel in 1982.  He was
one of millions of Palestinian refugees, many of whom are still in
Lebanon, having been denied shelter in other Arab countries.  The strike
on Beirut was targeted at those refugees, and yet killed Lebanese as
indiscriminately as Palestinians.  Indeed, bombs have no means of
selecting targets.  Darwish wrote in his novel of gaping holes in the
Beirut skyline, where buildings had once stood.  Those bombs were launched
by Israel, but were supplied to Israel by the United States.

I am heartsick over what happened this past week, and the effect on my
students has been indescribable.  One young man told me yesterday that his
father, a reservist in our armed forces, had been called up.  The mingled
pride and fear on his face touched me to the heart.  For his sake, for all
our sakes, we (The United States) do need to address the issue of
terrorism in the world. However, I also believe that we will not be able
to do that effectively unless we also confront our own role in terrorism.  
We have been a part of the problem, and we must examine that fact before
we can formulate an effective solution.

Although I agree war seems likely, I do not know if war is the answer.  
Yes, my heart cries out for revenge, for retribution, but my mind seeks
justice, a much harder proposition.  This has the potential to be a moment
of profound self reflection for the leaders of our country.  I hope that
this event will lead to the end of our policies supporting terrorists and
commandos in foreign countries.  I hope it will end our coldly rational
policies of self interest towards the middle east.  While keeping the
middle east in a perpetual state of unbalance is in the best economic
interest of out country, I think this past week's event may indicate that
economics are not equal with quality of life.

Just my two cents,

Kristidel