From: ian glendinning (psybertron@gmail.com)
Date: Fri May 27 2005 - 05:51:14 BST
Sad is indeed the word, Arlo.
Ian
On 5/26/05, Arlo Bensinger <ajb102@psu.edu> wrote:
> [Platt wrote about a "Modern Brujo" saying"]
>
> >Following are excerpts from an essay by Keith Thompson citing his reasons
> >for "leaving the left" after a lifetime of "long-term intimate
> >relationship." He reminded me of the story of the brujo in Lila, although
> >as far as know, Mr. Thompson has yet to suffer torture for his rebellion
> >against today's liberal priests.
>
>
> [Arlo responds]
> So, to be a "Brujo" one simply needs to embrace the entrenched power of the
> right? This ongoing illusion of the poor "right", suffering while doing
> naught by good works under the villany of the "left" is funnier each time
> you try to inject it into the dialogue.
>
> As far as I remember, the Brujo acted in a way that brought condemnation
> from "society", not just one side in your ongoing "left is all evil, right
> is all good" worldview. Methinks a true "Brujo" would act in a way that was
> neither right nor left, but brought in cultural change to society as a
> whole. That is, both your "right" and "left" would be altered by the
> Brujo's actions (albeit it it would only be in retrospect that society
> would see this). As long as you cling to this deliberately false dichotomy,
> Platt, all your examplars do is demonstrate your uncritical, unyielding
> acceptance of "right-wing'" dogma, and how all your philosophy is
> subservient to this.
>
> Keith Thompson may be right to be critical of the left (pun intended), but
> this hardly implies that the right is above criticism. The Saudis continue
> to rule with tyranny and oppression, and yet they are part of the House of
> Bush's inner circle. There is no criticism from the right on this. That
> Saddam was a brutal leader is indeniable, and yet napalming Iraqis against
> all global bans is also undeniably "evil". If the "right" is so vocal on
> Iraqi rights and freedom, where was this voice for all the years that Bush
> the First sold weapons and was chummy with Saddam? Don't tell me its
> because we "didn't know he was evil then". We certainly did, but it was in
> our favor to support his tyranny. We supported the Iraq/Iran conflict,
> supporting both sides in a historical bloodbath that only served to keep
> the region destabilized and prevent a global power from emerging. To only
> look at the "elections" and not the history of the "right's" involvement
> and claim to be some morally noble freedom-bringer in not only naive but so
> distorted it smacks of pure Orwellian tactics. (To be fair, it is not only
> the "right", but both political parties (i.e., the American Governement),
> that should be critically examined for its historical role in the middle east).
>
> Mr. Thompson favors the use of "evil" to talk about those responsible for
> the millions of murders under Stalin. I say, fine! Good! Let's do that!
> But, let's also be fair and call those responsible for the "trail of
> tears", the exterminations of the Indians, the support of brutal dictators
> in South America, those who used and benefitted from American slavery
> "evil". Let's be as critical of ourselves as we are of others. But let's
> also get one thing clear, what people objected to in Reagan's "evil empire"
> term was that it de-humanized the entire population of Russia. You might
> not think it was supposed to, but it did. Russians as a whole became evil
> in American eyes. Look at the movies and popular culture about Russia at
> the time. It was populated by evil, deceitful people all willingly corrupt
> and without morals. This language played right into American xenophobia. No
> one was talking about how Russians are good people, with good hearts and
> sons and daughters and families who are mostly like us but living under an
> oppressing regime. The language shaped our cultural attitudes, and the
> pervasive wave of anti-Russian xenophobia that swept the nation is evidence
> of what even Limbaugh knows, "words mean things". Right now, the same
> cultural xenophobia is being tapped into with regards to North Korea. If
> you follow CNN or Fox or any mainstream media broadcast, you'd walk away
> believing the North Koreans are, as a people, power mad, lunatics bent on
> war and destruction. I'm sure there are some like this, but the people of
> North Korea (not the regime, but the people) are more like us than
> different. They are fathers and sons and mothers and daughters, who wake up
> each day, kiss their kids, work, play and dream. I shouldn't even have to
> point out that the same de-humanizing rhetoric surrounded our involvement
> with Iraq. Were you, Platt, concerned about the innocent mothers and
> daughters, fathers and sons, killed by American bombing? Or were they
> somehow "expendable"? Are you also expendable, or does your life have more
> value?
>
> Everyone I know that you would call "leftist" wants self-determination for
> the Iraqis, and it is only with mild annoyance that this comes at the
> expense of right-wing hypocrisy. But we also want self-determination for
> the citizens of Saudi Arabia, Africa, and all other areas of the world
> where people are under external or tyrannical power. When Bush invades
> Saudi Arabia and places his "belief in freedom" above his families
> long-term financial and power interests, perhaps the right-wing mantra of
> "freedom" will sound at least a little more genuine. Do we take freedom
> along with the hypocrisy? Sure. Do you simply let that go uncritically? No.
>
> Of course, to make it sound like those on the "left" want to see Iraq
> implode to make Bush look bad is simply more evidence of the "vile dogma"
> injected into the forum. It is wrong, and is only used as political
> propaganda by those favoring a "great and glorious right, evil and immoral
> left" worldview. Sad.
>
> Arlo
>
>
>
>
>
>
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