While I concur that anti-American sentiment across the world and criticism of the Bush administration's current policies have much do to with the ahistoricism with which contemporary crises are considered (ie not recognizing the US role in supporting brutal dictatorships across the world and actively suppressing democratic movements), this diatribe is way too simplistic. Yes, the US, Canada and other G-7 nations are still overwhelmingly dominated by structures of patriarchy, racism and classism, but to describe the US as a 'white country' and the rest of the world as 'people of colour' is asinine. For one thing, it simply ignores decades of transmigration and ethnic conflict everywhere.
Still, it is quite interesting to see the hypocrisy with which government officials and mainstream media alike present the protagonists in this current 'war'. The Iraqis today are accused by the Pentagon of 'perfidy' and 'treachery' because of faking surrender and then opening fire on Marines. What? How is this new? This is one of the oldest tricks of warfare known to human history--it is NOT terrorism or outside the bounds of war. I see generals say that the Iraqis won't "play by the rules" and instead hide amongst civilians and melt into the population (again, guerrilla tactics as old and as familiar as those used by Germanic tribes, Owain Glendower, or Robert the Bruce). But the "rules" in this engagement are not exactly describing a level playing field, are they? You have the greatest military and technological force on one side confronting a mostly ill-equipped and conscripted army (with some exceptions) fighting with mainly 1980s weapons. Apparently "fairness" in this case means to sit tight and wait for the bombs to sear you into your APC. It's also instructive to note that each of the twenty or so British and American casualties so far (regrettable, tragic, and avoidable as they were) is listed individually on CNN's website, while Iraqi dead are merely numbered as statistics. Now THERE's racism in action, not of a 'white country' but of a network that knows where it's bread is buttered, that the death of 1 American (brown, black, white, whatever) is worth 1000 Iraqis. At least that's the ratio and the lesson learned from the last gulf war. Pablo -- Pablo Shiladitya Bose Research Coordinator, Ethics of Development-Induced Displacement Project Research Associate, Centre for Refugee Studies Doctoral Candidate, Faculty of Environmental Studies York University, Toronto, Canada Tel: (416) 736-2100 ext. 20559 ___________________________________________________________ FoIB Mailing List - Bits, Analysis, Digital Group Therapy http://www.ianbell.com
