Date: Sun, 23 Sep 2001 18:52:51 +0100
Subject: Re: [P_F_P] Sontag on the current crisis




Hugh,

Yes - what's interesting about this particular event is the extent to 
which it is 'global' and appears to involve all the G20 countries as 
well as those who are trying to rejoin the global community i.e. Iran, 
and are using this as a way out of their isolationist positions. From 
this, perhaps/of course they'll get the aid they desperately need to 
support the 3million afghan refugees on the border... (the media 
representation of this number is going down at the moment, perhaps to 
make them not have to think about the recent hooha over a couple of 
thousand refugees camped out at the french end of the cross channel 
tunnel....)

Whilst I respect some of Sontag's writing, the idea that the attack on 
the US, the WTC, was solely a national attack rather misses the point of 
WTC and their positions in the Global symbolic order... The rhetoric 
remains, on CNN and elsewhere, based on the nation state, but the 
reality is that it was attack on global institutions and the response is 
confirming this...

regards

sdv

hbone wrote:

>I certainly respect Sontag.  She went to Sarajevo more than once when the
>bullets were flying, and our leaders were hoping the genocide would just go
>away.
>
>But I think the U.S. sorely needs an appearance of unity and action to get
>the cooperation of other nations.  Without their cooperation, future actions
>of the U.S. may be as ineffective as its actions in the past.
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>>FYInterests.
>>
>>Best, ddd
>>
>>
>>
>>>Let's Look Reality in the Face. By Susan Sontag Monday, September 17,
>>>
>>2001
>>
>>>(Le Monde )
>>>
>>>For a terrified and sad New Yorker, America never seemed to be further
>>>away
>>>from recognizing reality than facing the monstrous dose of reality of
>>>Tuesday, September 11.
>>>
>>>The gulf which separates what occurred and what one should understand,
>>>
>>on
>>
>>>one hand, and the sheer deception and self-satisfied nonsense peddled
>>>
>>by
>>
>>>practically all the leading public figures of American life, and its
>>>television commentators, is stupifying and depressing.
>>>
>>>The voices authorized to keep track of the events seem to be joined in
>>>
>>a
>>
>>>campaign aimed at treating the public like children. Who has
>>>
>>acknowledged
>>
>>>that it wasn't a matter of "cowardly" aggression against
>>>
>>"civilization,"
>>
>>>or
>>>"freedom," or "humanity," or the "free world," but an aggression
>>>
>>against
>>
>>>the
>>>United States, the self-proclaimed world superpower, an aggression
>>>
>>which
>>
>>>is
>>>the consequence of specific American actions and interests? How many
>>>Americans know about the continuation of American bombings in Iraq?
>>>
>>And
>>
>>>since we're using the word "cowardly," shouldn't it be applied to
>>>
>>those
>>
>>>who
>>>kill from high in the sky, out of the range of possible reprisals,
>>>
>>rather
>>
>>>than to those who are willing to die in order to kill others?
>>>
>>>As for courage -- a morally neutral virtue -- whatever one can say of
>>>those
>>>who perpetrated Tuesday's slaughter, they were not cowards.
>>>
>>>At all costs American leaders want to make us believe that everything
>>>
>>is
>>
>>>all
>>>right. America is not afraid. Our resolve is not broken. "They" will
>>>
>>be
>>
>>>hunted down and punished (whoever "they" might be). We have a
>>>robot-president who assures us that America always has its head held
>>>
>>high.
>>
>>>A whole range of public personalities, vigorously opposed to the
>>>
>>foreign
>>
>>>policy of this administration, apparently feel free to say nothing
>>>
>>but: we
>>
>>>are all united behind president Bush.
>>>
>>>We've been reassured that everything was going along well, or close to
>>>
>>it,
>>
>>>even on a day marked by the stamp of infamy, and even if America was
>>>
>>now
>>
>>>at
>>>war. Yet all is not well. And this isn't Pearl Harbor. Considerable
>>>reflection is going to be necessary, maybe it's being done now in
>>>Washington
>>>and elsewhere, on the colossal failure of American intelligence and
>>>counter-intelligence, on the possible options for American foreign
>>>
>>policy,
>>
>>>in the Middle East in particular, and on what constitutes an
>>>
>>intelligent
>>
>>>program for military defense.
>>>
>>>But those in charge of official functions, those who wish to be and
>>>
>>those
>>
>>>who have been in the past, have decided -- with the willing complicity
>>>
>>of
>>
>>>the major media -- not to ask the public to bear too great a part of
>>>
>>the
>>
>>>burden of reality. The complacent and unanimously lauded platitudes of
>>>
>>a
>>
>>>Congress composed of one Soviet-like party appeared contemptible. The
>>>unanimity of moralizing rhetoric, aimed at masking reality, poured out
>>>
>>by
>>
>>>leading Americans, and the media, in recent days is unworthy of a
>>>
>>mature
>>
>>>democracy.
>>>
>>>Leading American figures, and those who would like to be, have let us
>>>
>>know
>>
>>>that their duty is only one of manipulation: to impart confidence and
>>>manage
>>>the pain. Politics, the politics of democracy-which involve
>>>
>>disagreements
>>
>>>and encourage sincerity-have been replaced by psychotherapy. Let's
>>>
>>suffer
>>
>>>together. But let's not be stupid together. A little historical
>>>
>>conscience
>>
>>>can help us understand exactly what happened, and what might continue
>>>
>>to
>>
>>>happen.
>>>
>>>"Our country is strong", they keep telling us. For my part, that
>>>
>>really
>>
>>>doesn't console me. Who can doubt that America is strong? But America
>>>should
>>>not be only that.
>>>
>>>
>>____________________________________________
>>  D. Diane Davis
>>  Division of Rhetoric and Composition
>>  Department of English
>>  University of Texas at Austin
>>  PARLIN 227  (512-471-8765)
>>  Austin TX 78712-1122
>>
>>  ddd-AT-mail.utexas.edu
>>  http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~davis
>>
>
>
>

HTML VERSION:

I certainly respect Sontag.  She went to Sarajevo more than once when the
bullets were flying, and our leaders were hoping the genocide would just go
away.

But I think the U.S. sorely needs an appearance of unity and action to get
the cooperation of other nations.  Without their cooperation, future actions
of the U.S. may be as ineffective as its actions in the past.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FYInterests.

Best, ddd

Let's Look Reality in the Face. By Susan Sontag Monday, September 17,

2001

(Le Monde )

For a terrified and sad New Yorker, America never seemed to be further
away
from recognizing reality than facing the monstrous dose of reality of
Tuesday, September 11.

The gulf which separates what occurred and what one should understand,

on

one hand, and the sheer deception and self-satisfied nonsense peddled

by

practically all the leading public figures of American life, and its
television commentators, is stupifying and depressing.

The voices authorized to keep track of the events seem to be joined in

a

campaign aimed at treating the public like children. Who has

acknowledged

that it wasn't a matter of "cowardly" aggression against

"civilization,"

or
"freedom," or "humanity," or the "free world," but an aggression

against

the
United States, the self-proclaimed world superpower, an aggression

which

is
the consequence of specific American actions and interests? How many
Americans know about the continuation of American bombings in Iraq?

And

since we're using the word "cowardly," shouldn't it be applied to

those

who
kill from high in the sky, out of the range of possible reprisals,

rather

than to those who are willing to die in order to kill others?

As for courage -- a morally neutral virtue -- whatever one can say of
those
who perpetrated Tuesday's slaughter, they were not cowards.

At all costs American leaders want to make us believe that everything

is

all
right. America is not afraid. Our resolve is not broken. "They" will

be

hunted down and punished (whoever "they" might be). We have a
robot-president who assures us that America always has its head held

high.

A whole range of public personalities, vigorously opposed to the

foreign

policy of this administration, apparently feel free to say nothing

but: we

are all united behind president Bush.

We've been reassured that everything was going along well, or close to

it,

even on a day marked by the stamp of infamy, and even if America was

now

at
war. Yet all is not well. And this isn't Pearl Harbor. Considerable
reflection is going to be necessary, maybe it's being done now in
Washington
and elsewhere, on the colossal failure of American intelligence and
counter-intelligence, on the possible options for American foreign

policy,

in the Middle East in particular, and on what constitutes an

intelligent

program for military defense.

But those in charge of official functions, those who wish to be and

those

who have been in the past, have decided -- with the willing complicity

of

the major media -- not to ask the public to bear too great a part of

the

burden of reality. The complacent and unanimously lauded platitudes of

a

Congress composed of one Soviet-like party appeared contemptible. The
unanimity of moralizing rhetoric, aimed at masking reality, poured out

by

leading Americans, and the media, in recent days is unworthy of a

mature

democracy.

Leading American figures, and those who would like to be, have let us

know

that their duty is only one of manipulation: to impart confidence and
manage
the pain. Politics, the politics of democracy-which involve

disagreements

and encourage sincerity-have been replaced by psychotherapy. Let's

suffer

together. But let's not be stupid together. A little historical

conscience

can help us understand exactly what happened, and what might continue

to

happen.

"Our country is strong", they keep telling us. For my part, that

really

doesn't console me. Who can doubt that America is strong? But America
should
not be only that.

____________________________________________
  D. Diane Davis
  Division of Rhetoric and Composition
  Department of English
  University of Texas at Austin
  PARLIN 227  (512-471-8765)
  Austin TX 78712-1122

  ddd-AT-mail.utexas.edu
  http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~davis