You can tell a lot about a person based on what they find funny.
And, while most of the American media (thought certainly not the Italian one) has forgotten the Sgrena incident, it is still alive and well in the right-wing blogosphere, where it is a source of much mirth:
http://www.crankyneocon.com/crankyneocon/2005/03/sgrena_the_musi.html
http://beautifulatrocities.com/archives/2005/03/the_little_tota.html
I don’t know what’s more hilarious; that an unarmed journalist from a US-allied country was fired upon by American troops, or that an Italian Secret Service agent was killed.
Naturally, the US Army has been entirely candid and open about this issue by refusing to let anybody look at the car that Sgrena was being driven in (thanks to MoxieGrrrl for bringing this to my attention).
Apparently their biggest issue is that Sgrena is a Communist. What does that have to do with the situation at all? Are Italians more shootable than other people? When Ann Coulter was hit in the face by a pie, the conservative media howled for weeks. Now, they’re openly pining for Sgrena to be murdered.
The fact, of course, is that their jingoistic mindset has reached the point where it embraces and encourages the death of those who disagree with them. I honestly don’t think this is as far as they’ll go, and I don’t think this blatant disregard for human life is only directed against those on the far left. If you asked the people at Powerline, Little Green Footballs, Cranky Neocon etc. whether we should put everyone who disagrees with President Bush in prison or to death, they would agree. I dare you; post that idea on their comment boards, and for every rational response you’ll get 10 people who say ‘HELL YEAH!!!’
On another note, why do so many (mostly male) armchair neocons adopt such ultra-buff, militaristic imagery and rhetoric for their blogs and other writings? I always assumed it was because of the shame they felt for sending other people to fight and die for their political ideals, but I might be wrong.
Friday, March 25, 2005
Thursday, March 24, 2005
The United States of Amnesia
There are lies, there are exaggerations, there is propaganda. And then there are statements that are one might call ‘sins of ommission’:
We had to take down Saddam! He’s a brutal dictator! He gassed his own people and invaded Kuwait!
Certainly true, but very little of that could have been achieved without our help. Let's not forget the decade or so the Reagan and Bush I administrations spent propping him up, providing him with chemical weapons, and granting tacit approval to the invasion of Kuwait? Or how we allowed the anti-Saddam resistance we promised to support collapse back in ’92? Wasn’t there a better way to lose the lives of 1,500 American troops and spend $200 billion? Is none of this relevant? I find it difficult to believe that Rumsfeld and those folks have all turned over a new leaf and promised never to support dictators again, especially since that’s not at all what they’ve been doing.
Bush brought free and fair elections to Iraq!
One could argue with how free and fair the Iraqi elections were, but it’s fairly clear that Bush wasn’t behind them. In fact, he strenuously opposed them. Bush wanted a national assembly chosen by the hand-picked members of the Iraqi Governing Council. it was only when Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani demanded elections, and crowds of Iraqis held rallies every day in support of elections that would be open to all, did the US relent. This also buys into the conservative notion that history is made by powerful individuals, not the people themselves, but that's another issue.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_east/july-dec03/iraq_12-02.html
The US had nothing to do with causing the 9/11 attacks!
Well, I won’t try to claim that the attacks were deserved (I can’t think of anyone in the U.S. who claims that, though Chomsky et al. have been accused of it). But the fact is that it was the Reagan administration which trained and funded Osama and the Taliban to fight the Soviets. I realize Reagan is dead, but there are plenty of people still around who were involved in that whole affair; why aren't the being punished? W himself was rather fond of the Taliban when he was governor of Texas and up till 9/11; after the WTC attacks he went to the Taliban and politely asked them, in the name of friendship, to turn in bin Laden. They declined, and only then did we decide to invade Afghanistan.
These are only three small examples. The causes of this may seem simple; we have short attentions spans and short memories, we’re not inclined to think ill of our country, and it’s not wise to confuse ourselves with too much nuance. Rubbish, I say. Rubbish! We didn’t get these ideas out of nowhere; they have to be rammed into our heads from in early age and constantly reinforced.
Looking on the history lessons we give children (and, for the most part, adults) nowadays, what we get is an extremely simplified version of events, with very little time given over to opposing viewpoints. Presidents are heroes, failures, or unknown. Wars have good guys and bad guys. The US spreads democracy and freedom everywhere, and only attacks when provoked.
The problem is not entirely one of blind patriotism; I don’t think we need textbooks that endlessly bash our country either. The problem is that there’s no balance and there’s no gray area. History, as is commonly conceived of in this country, is an endless straight line leading us towards more progress. Not everyone thinks so, and it might be nice to hear from them once in a while. An equilibrium should be achieved between Howard Zinn and what we have now.
I doubt anyone here has ever read 1066 and All That, which was a satire of British history textbooks (written 73 years before America the Book) but one of its more pointed jokes was the constant tendency to group historical figures and events in one-dimensional categories. I remember this passage especially:
We had to take down Saddam! He’s a brutal dictator! He gassed his own people and invaded Kuwait!
Certainly true, but very little of that could have been achieved without our help. Let's not forget the decade or so the Reagan and Bush I administrations spent propping him up, providing him with chemical weapons, and granting tacit approval to the invasion of Kuwait? Or how we allowed the anti-Saddam resistance we promised to support collapse back in ’92? Wasn’t there a better way to lose the lives of 1,500 American troops and spend $200 billion? Is none of this relevant? I find it difficult to believe that Rumsfeld and those folks have all turned over a new leaf and promised never to support dictators again, especially since that’s not at all what they’ve been doing.
Bush brought free and fair elections to Iraq!
One could argue with how free and fair the Iraqi elections were, but it’s fairly clear that Bush wasn’t behind them. In fact, he strenuously opposed them. Bush wanted a national assembly chosen by the hand-picked members of the Iraqi Governing Council. it was only when Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani demanded elections, and crowds of Iraqis held rallies every day in support of elections that would be open to all, did the US relent. This also buys into the conservative notion that history is made by powerful individuals, not the people themselves, but that's another issue.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_east/july-dec03/iraq_12-02.html
The US had nothing to do with causing the 9/11 attacks!
Well, I won’t try to claim that the attacks were deserved (I can’t think of anyone in the U.S. who claims that, though Chomsky et al. have been accused of it). But the fact is that it was the Reagan administration which trained and funded Osama and the Taliban to fight the Soviets. I realize Reagan is dead, but there are plenty of people still around who were involved in that whole affair; why aren't the being punished? W himself was rather fond of the Taliban when he was governor of Texas and up till 9/11; after the WTC attacks he went to the Taliban and politely asked them, in the name of friendship, to turn in bin Laden. They declined, and only then did we decide to invade Afghanistan.
These are only three small examples. The causes of this may seem simple; we have short attentions spans and short memories, we’re not inclined to think ill of our country, and it’s not wise to confuse ourselves with too much nuance. Rubbish, I say. Rubbish! We didn’t get these ideas out of nowhere; they have to be rammed into our heads from in early age and constantly reinforced.
Looking on the history lessons we give children (and, for the most part, adults) nowadays, what we get is an extremely simplified version of events, with very little time given over to opposing viewpoints. Presidents are heroes, failures, or unknown. Wars have good guys and bad guys. The US spreads democracy and freedom everywhere, and only attacks when provoked.
The problem is not entirely one of blind patriotism; I don’t think we need textbooks that endlessly bash our country either. The problem is that there’s no balance and there’s no gray area. History, as is commonly conceived of in this country, is an endless straight line leading us towards more progress. Not everyone thinks so, and it might be nice to hear from them once in a while. An equilibrium should be achieved between Howard Zinn and what we have now.
I doubt anyone here has ever read 1066 and All That, which was a satire of British history textbooks (written 73 years before America the Book) but one of its more pointed jokes was the constant tendency to group historical figures and events in one-dimensional categories. I remember this passage especially:
Henry the VII overthrew Richard III, who was Bad all around, and paved the way for Queen Elizabeth, which was definitely a Good Thing. But, he was notably cruel to his own wife, thus making him a Good King but a Bad Man.I think whoever wrote that might’ve gotten a job with Houghton-Mifflin.
Monday, March 21, 2005
Nancy Drew They're Not
Is this the face of corporate hegemony:
Or is this?
A shadowy group called the Girls’ Intelligence Agency (which offers very little information about itself), is described on Yahoo thus:
Ever wonder where your friend Suzy got such new schlock? And why she invited you to her slumber parties even though you weren't really good friends? Well, now you know.
Business is business, and business must grow (as Dr. Seuss used to say), but doesn't this seem a bit desperate? If the only way to expand the market is through espionage geared at younger and younger kids, eventually the limit will be reached. What will the corporations do when there's nowhere to go? Maybe ours will be the first generation to have pre-natal advertising; a Motorola instead of a Mozart effect.
Or is this?
A shadowy group called the Girls’ Intelligence Agency (which offers very little information about itself), is described on Yahoo thus:
Slumber party guests have more to worry about than frozen underwear these days. The Girls' Intelligence Agency (GIA) is a marketing firm that collects information about the buying habits of female 'tweens (girls ages 8-to-13) through its "Slumber-Party-In-A-Box" marketing tool. GIA recruits girls, secret-agent style, to host slumber parties where they open a box full of never-before-seen products, including movie and TV previews, branded T-shirts, and samples, aimed at the 'tween market. The company collects girls' reactions from thousands of slumber parties and reports them to clients such as Disney, FOX, and Capitol Records."They claim to have a 'network of over 40,000 secret agent influencers nationwide." Creepy.
Ever wonder where your friend Suzy got such new schlock? And why she invited you to her slumber parties even though you weren't really good friends? Well, now you know.
Business is business, and business must grow (as Dr. Seuss used to say), but doesn't this seem a bit desperate? If the only way to expand the market is through espionage geared at younger and younger kids, eventually the limit will be reached. What will the corporations do when there's nowhere to go? Maybe ours will be the first generation to have pre-natal advertising; a Motorola instead of a Mozart effect.
Friday, March 18, 2005
For All Those Who Think the Universities are Full of Elite, Out-of-Touch Radicals Who Hate Their Country…
…. You’re not alone.
The Chinese Communist Party and Chairman Mao stand with you.
Just a sample:
I have undertaken the task of organizing conservative students myself and urging them to protest a situation that has become intolerable.
David Horowitz
The Campus Blacklist
April 18, 2003
Students on University campuses were organized into groups of “Red Guards” and were given the chance to challenge those in authority. Students quickly turned their attacks on their closest adversaries, their teachers and university administrators.
Therese Hoffman
The Chinese Cultural Revolution:
Autobiographical Accounts of a National Trauma
2001
...
Horowitz's organization has published ads in campus newspapers calling on students to report professors who try to "impose their political opinions" in the classroom.
The Daily Texan
Conservatives gaining ground at UT
March 8, 2004
Mao actively urged young people to confront, denounce, and even punish their teachers and other authority figures in their lives.
Christian Science Monitor
China hums with change
June 10, 2004
Naturally, organizations where it's the duty of people to study, learn, and debate are going to be strongolds of left-of-center thinking. Colleges are unique among other stages of learning because what people are taught is not harmonized - that is, a student could learn an idea in one class, then a contradictory one in another. Naturally, the ruling right-wing theories should be given a fair hearing, but they usually wither away in the face of overwhelming evidence.
Could you imagine the horror of a place where all institutes of higher learning instill the students with unquestioning awe of their leaders, ardent nationalism, and hatred of their country's enemies? Oh yeah, you can - it's called North Korea. Or Saudi Arabia, or Syria, or - well, you get the idea.
It's the responsibility of each generation to deal with the problems their elders leave behind. That can't happen if they're conditioned to believe the status quo is perfect.
The Chinese Communist Party and Chairman Mao stand with you.
Just a sample:
I have undertaken the task of organizing conservative students myself and urging them to protest a situation that has become intolerable.
David Horowitz
The Campus Blacklist
April 18, 2003
Students on University campuses were organized into groups of “Red Guards” and were given the chance to challenge those in authority. Students quickly turned their attacks on their closest adversaries, their teachers and university administrators.
Therese Hoffman
The Chinese Cultural Revolution:
Autobiographical Accounts of a National Trauma
2001
...
Horowitz's organization has published ads in campus newspapers calling on students to report professors who try to "impose their political opinions" in the classroom.
The Daily Texan
Conservatives gaining ground at UT
March 8, 2004
Mao actively urged young people to confront, denounce, and even punish their teachers and other authority figures in their lives.
Christian Science Monitor
China hums with change
June 10, 2004
Naturally, organizations where it's the duty of people to study, learn, and debate are going to be strongolds of left-of-center thinking. Colleges are unique among other stages of learning because what people are taught is not harmonized - that is, a student could learn an idea in one class, then a contradictory one in another. Naturally, the ruling right-wing theories should be given a fair hearing, but they usually wither away in the face of overwhelming evidence.
Could you imagine the horror of a place where all institutes of higher learning instill the students with unquestioning awe of their leaders, ardent nationalism, and hatred of their country's enemies? Oh yeah, you can - it's called North Korea. Or Saudi Arabia, or Syria, or - well, you get the idea.
It's the responsibility of each generation to deal with the problems their elders leave behind. That can't happen if they're conditioned to believe the status quo is perfect.
Thursday, March 17, 2005
Updates! Updates for All!
What good is a news story without a follow-up?
Global Warming
Further signs of this problem: the snows of Kilimanjaro have disappeared! Take that, Hemingway.
About a month ago, another study came out claiming that humans are causing this rapid, unexpected rise in world temperatures. I think that brings the total number of scientific inquiries blaming pollution up to about 290.
But all is not lost; if we’d simply phase out the older, dirtier polluters (coal factories, inefficient cars, etc.) and replace them with their cleaner, more modern equivalents, we’d be in good shape. After all, the average car in 2004 produces 1/10 as much pollution as the average car in 1970, and maybe less.
Sgrena
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi announced today that Italy would begin to withdraw its 3,000-strong force in Iraq. This certainly wasn’t Berlusconi’s idea; he’s a firm supporter of the war and a friend of President Bush. The Italian public, however, is strongly anti-war, and the business with Sgrena was just too much for them to take. I guess some aspects of democracy aren't totally dead in Italy. Yet.
P.S. Does Eason Jordan get his job back?
Saddam’s (Faked?) Capture
No more news yet; the US media is ignoring this thing entirely. The only references I’ve been able to find are Arabic publications repeating the original article and neocons calling the marine a liar. Of course, no one actually wants to have an investigation; the truth has a way of embarrassing everybody. Maybe we’ll find out in 50 years when the CIA files are unsealed.
Global Warming
Further signs of this problem: the snows of Kilimanjaro have disappeared! Take that, Hemingway.
About a month ago, another study came out claiming that humans are causing this rapid, unexpected rise in world temperatures. I think that brings the total number of scientific inquiries blaming pollution up to about 290.
But all is not lost; if we’d simply phase out the older, dirtier polluters (coal factories, inefficient cars, etc.) and replace them with their cleaner, more modern equivalents, we’d be in good shape. After all, the average car in 2004 produces 1/10 as much pollution as the average car in 1970, and maybe less.
Sgrena
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi announced today that Italy would begin to withdraw its 3,000-strong force in Iraq. This certainly wasn’t Berlusconi’s idea; he’s a firm supporter of the war and a friend of President Bush. The Italian public, however, is strongly anti-war, and the business with Sgrena was just too much for them to take. I guess some aspects of democracy aren't totally dead in Italy. Yet.
P.S. Does Eason Jordan get his job back?
Saddam’s (Faked?) Capture
No more news yet; the US media is ignoring this thing entirely. The only references I’ve been able to find are Arabic publications repeating the original article and neocons calling the marine a liar. Of course, no one actually wants to have an investigation; the truth has a way of embarrassing everybody. Maybe we’ll find out in 50 years when the CIA files are unsealed.
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