Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 14:36:30 +1200
Subject: Re: national subjects/poco epistemologies


Elizabeth DeLoughrey wrote on 16/9/01 4:58 PM:

> Posts to the list that state merely: you are an ignorant american
> who was lulled into a sense of security that you never deserved due to your
> nation's policies overseas AND/OR this was a revolutionary act against
> western capitalist imperialism and should be lauded--without expanding on
> the logic of the argument have not been especially helpful.

Without wanting to lump Liz's thoughtful post in the same pile as the highly
objectionable posts by Bruce King and Wolf Factory, statements like the
above make me wonder if I'm on the same list as the U.S. residents.

I haven't noticed *any* knee-jerk posts stating the options presented by Liz
above, let alone the outright fabrications ('it's about time they suffered')
suggested by Bruce and Wolf. In particular, most of the posts to the list
have explicitly avoided this kind of "moral summation" (good, evil,
laudable, etc.), in favour of placing the events in a wider context, which
is what I thought academics were supposed to do.

What *is* notable is the difference between this discussion and those which
have previously occurred on this list. Those who stand accused of
"pathological deviancy" have, with few exceptions, previously responded to
some pretty appalling US-centric ignorance with a reasonable amount of
equanimity and well-referenced support for their arguments. In other words,
with respectful adherence to the conservative, Enlightenment values of
academia that Bruce seems to imply that have been overturned by the tenured
radicals in "postcolonialism". Some have maintained this academic
perspective despite describing direct, personal connections to people dying
in acts of war essentially sponsored by the U.S. Government, which I find
quite remarkable. They don't deserve having their arguments fabricated in
this discussion, no matter what the scale of the tragedy that has occurred.

The most striking aspect of the follow-up to the attack for me has been a
recognition of how few tools the average white U.S. resident has for
thinking outside their culture. While those of us in settler nations cringe
at the racism we are confronted with on a day-to-day basis, we are at least
used to the idea that indigenous issues are covered in the media and that
there might be different perspectives on what it means to be a nation. The
U.S. media appears to actively suppress such thinking. White liberal
commentators who wouldn't walk down 125th St unselfconsciously describe the
attack as an assault on "American" values.

Like a lot of people who work in media and grew up with U.S. culture, I have
often given consideration to living in the United States for a while. Now,
for the first time I can remember, I have absolutely no desire to pursue
this idea. Not because I fear terrorism, but because so much of the last
week has brought home the ugly insularity of white U.S. culture. I'm not
just talking about CNN, I'm talking about academics posting on mailing
lists, who supposedly study world affairs. I'm talking about people I know
to be genuine, kind, and thoughtful - who still cannot conceive that people
might perceive U.S. actions to "preserve democracy" in a negative light. I'm
talking about a culture which honestly believes that if you do the right
thing, everything will be alright - or at least it would if the blacks,
hispanics, arabs and academics would get with the program.

My fear, and the fear of most others outside the U.S., centers on what will
happen now. The correlation of Bush's frightening promises of aggression and
his escalating approval rating make me shudder.

My sympathies are, of course, with those who have lost friends and family in
these terrible attacks. But most of all, my heart goes out to those of you
trying to introduce postcolonial studies to your students in the U.S. - your
work is of greater courage and importance as tolerance recedes. In
particular, I feel deep concern for those list-members of Arab descent in
the current climate. Please take care.

peace,

Danny

relevatn guardian commentary:
They can't see why they are hated: Americans cannot ignore what their
government does abroad
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,551036,00.html

Wolf Factory wrote on 16/9/01 9:32 AM:

> Some of the people on the list are saying the equivalent of the United States
> has only itself to blame for this attack because of its foreign policies. This
> is an unacceptable statement and ought not be repeated by academics who should
> know better.

00acking-AT-bsuvc.bsu.edu wrote on 16/9/01 3:38 AM:

> Frankly the response by many members of this list to the terrorist attacks
> has been sickening. It almost seemed like proof that many who claim to be
> intellectuals are really the pathologically deviant. There seemed to be no
> feeling of common humanity, or awareness that an act of war had been
> carried out on a  population by a group of religious and political
> fanatics that none of us would want or be allowed to live under. Instead
> there were almost insane declarations of lack of sympathy, of 'it is about
> time they suffered', expressions of anticapitalism, and other such crap.



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