File spoon-archives/bhaskar.archive/bhaskar_2001/bhaskar.0109, message 19


Date: Sun, 16 Sep 2001 14:21:02 -0500 (CDT)
From: viren viven murthy <vvmurthy-AT-midway.uchicago.edu>
Subject: Re: BHA: Stop the rush to war


Of course in some sense, "the murder of thousands of innocent people
'justifies' the reaction we have seen so far."  However, given that this
is a list about critical realism, I think that it is important for us to
reflect on the way in which the media's coverage of the event has been
superficial, totally overlooking the structural problems that give rise to
terrorism.  The various articles that Jan sent made this point well.(  I
think I finally am beginning to understand Zizek.)  

Anyway there is another sense in which we can easily say that the reaction
has been disproportionate, that is when compared to the millions of
murders committed by the U.S government.  We rarely hear much about the
people who die in Iraq, but the people who died in the Twin Towers are
given names, faces and a narrative.  While I am not against this, I
believe
that similar consideration should be given to those that are killed in
other parts of the world.

Clearly, we now hit upon  the question of nationalism, and I am not quite
sure what critical realism has to contribute the study of nationalism, but
I am
interested in hearing responses.  I think that CR theorists
can develop Zizek's analysis of the ideological construction of the
terrorists as pure evil, cowards who are not afraid to die, primitive and
extremely deceptive.  I think a CR approach to this event would be to link
 symbolic production to the material relations that sustain it.  The
terrorists ruptured a symbol of capitalism, and as the plight of the
airline companies shows, their actions will have serious economic
repercussions. 


Viren
On Sun, 16 Sep 2001, Erik Weissengruber wrote:

> >
> >The reaction to the terror action against USA has been totally out of
> 
> >proportion.
> 
> I think the murder of thousands of innocent people justifies the reaction
> we have seen so far
> 
>  
> 
> The media hardly report on anything else and there are mourning
> 
> >ceremonies all over Europe and no doubt elsewhere. I have never seen
> such
> >strong worldwide emotional reaction to any conflict, war or disaster
> anywhere.
> >
> >Anti-islamic sentiments are rising and it seems like the clash between
> >christians and muslims is reaching dangerous heights.
> >
> >
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> 
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