Chomsky Does It Again
Still wondering why they hate us? Or maybe you know, but would like a nice comprehensive account of all the reasons again, in a tight, virulent, well-written and easy to read book. Then please read the latest Noam Chomsky book: Failed States. It will not disappoint. Whether you are new to politics and curious as to why the whole world seems to know more about the US empire than you, or you have read repeatedly about the atrocities your government is and has been committing since its inception, this book is for you.
posted by Intrepidflame at 8:59 AM
7 Comments:
Since you mention it--why should ask "Why do they hate us?" Aren't "Why do they hate us," and "Why do they hate us?" also really important questions too?
It's an important distinction. If American irresponsibility were entirely at fault, we'd have seen way more than four plane crashes in the last thirty years.
3:53 PM
I think Neil raises a few good points, which I would like to address:
Firstly, Why do they hate us? I guess it is vital to define they. The obvious answer would be freedom hating, fanatical Jihadists, sitting in the deserts of the Middle East looking for shit to blow up, themselves included. But a more careful inquiry would unearth a plethora of other peoples and nation that have an ax to grind with Uncle Sam. Like I said the Chomsky book would give you a nice idea of what I am talking about, but pick a continent and there are people there who hate the US government. Here is a list of nations that have been severely affected by American interventions: Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Haiti, The Dominican Republic, Chile, Columbia, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Palestine, Greece, Italy. Actually it may have been easier if I would have made a list of countries that the American government hasn’t fucked with. I think the answer would be none! I guess if you really want to look at it fairly we should change the they to we and the us to them and say why don’t we hate them, and put ourselves with the rest of the world population and start hating the US government. I know the people of New Orleans have done so, and I worked with some kids in the Bronx who were already thinking along those lines.
Let’s move to the next question, Why do they hate us? This may be easier to answer because I am not sure if hate it the right word. Most people, I think, respect the idea of America. It is the hypocritical, genocidal policies that the government adopts that rub people the wrong way. When you are living in your shit and don’t have enough food to eat so some asshole in Texas can have another BMW, you might start to resent the people responsible for the fact that your water supply now belongs to the same guy who owns the factory you slave away in.
But I think your last point, “If American irresponsibility were entirely at fault, we'd have seen way more than four plane crashes in the last thirty years,“ is the most relevant. First, I think it is more than irresponsibility. I think it would be better looked at it as, a systematic, merciless, violent attempt at global domination, both militarily and economically. If this sounds far fetched than please read this book, and when you’re done with it let me know because there are a few others you may want to read. But you are right why hasn’t there been more reprisals? I think that speaks volumes on the reality of the War on terror an dhow much is real and how much is propaganda, but I would be worried that soon the divide between the rich and the poor will get to an irreversible gap, an dthat will be something to fear.
5:35 AM
But that's sort of my point--I hate the White Devil as much as the next guy, but that's not sufficient to explain, say, terrorism (of course I haven't read the book, but we're all familiar with the general argument.)
The US has done all sorts of crooked things, but that's human history at this point, not just American. Why not fly planes into Buckingham Palace? Or the Kremlin? Or the Forbidden City? Any country with any pull has done some awful things to a good number of people.
The most telling point, once you start researching terror, is that economic deprivation isn't nearly enough to explain things either. There are a lot of unemployed kids in Palestine throwing rocks, but the real shit-stirrers all have advanced degrees and serious bank. One prominent figure in SE Asia (Bali), for instance, has a PhD in physics and can teach people to build bombs from scratch in under a day, like MacGyver with darker skin and a huge beard. It's fucked up, and I don't think blaming The Man is really getting things done. Islamists who hate Whitey are, paradoxically, The Man in their countries of origin to a large degree. A conflict of Man versus Man, if you will.
10:29 PM
I think you answered your own question with this comment: I don't think blaming The Man is really getting things done. Islamists who hate Whitey are, paradoxically, The Man in their countries of origin to a large degree. A conflict of Man versus Man, if you will.
Both “the Mans” are taking advantage of economically deprived populations to do their bidding. Bush sends poor kids from the states to fight poor kids in Baghdad. Both figures would have much less power if they lived in functioning societies.
I agree with you, however, that we cannot justify terrorism, as an answer to American global aggression, so I guess the question is what can answer it? At what point is revolution considered terrorism? Ask Malcolm X, or more recently the film V for Vendetta tried to tackle this topic. I know I am all over the place but work with me. In this day and age how do you fight the man and not end up in Gitmo?
As for this comment: Why not fly planes into Buckingham Palace? Or the Kremlin? Or the Forbidden City? Any country with any pull has done some awful things to a good number of people.
Do you not remember the July attacks last year in London or Baslan in Chechnya? You are right there are other “bad” guys besides the US, but the US is such a hypocritical and obvious one, it is a good place to start. Also my fuckin tax dollars are paying for all the shit they keep doing, and I would rather see it pay for something worthwhile. Maybe like some decent fucking schools in our country so the kids can bring the fuckers down, but I don’t see that happening soon…
6:18 AM
Not sure what a trotcunt is. Sounds british. If it is good:Thanks. If not: go fuck yourself!
6:15 PM
I understand what you're saying, but I don't think the math adds up to say that anger at American policy explains anti-American terrorism once you actually look at where terrorists come from.
Re: Beslan, London, etc-- of course those were tragic events and had at least some (more in London, less in Beslan) political content. My point is that even those weren't the sort of over the top terror attacks that would vault them into a category with 9/11 (most of the schoolkids in Beslan ended up getting gunned down by Russian security); if Chomsky et al's argument is correct, we should have seen a lot more than one 9/11.
FWIW, I don't know what a troutcunt is either.
6:49 PM
Point well taken. Let's drop this volley. Although it has been a good one, we could go back and forth forever. Till next time!
4:49 AM
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