It might be worth considering that multinational capitalism, though
considerably, is not exclusively American; it involves Shell and Sony as
well as IBM, Lloyds as well as Aetna, the Bourse as well as Wall Street.
It might be worth considering that the Arab countries are governed by
variously corrupt oligarchs who are more concerned with their own wealth
than the welfare of their people, and who in time-honored fashion feed
the latter on nationalism and scapegoats.
It might be worth considering that amidst the images of violent
stupidity that Western popular culture offers the Third World are images
of free individuals, independent women, and self-creating youth, which
are intolerable to authoritarian fanatics.
It might be worth considering that for Osama bin Laden and his ilk
Israel and the Palestinians are merely a pretext. They see themselves
as involved in a war of civilizations, sworn to purge the Dar al-Islam
from corrupt Western influences and to return it to purity - which bin
Laden has explicitly equated with the code of the Taliban.
Let me make it clear that I condemn all bigotry and scapegoating - most
immediately, that of Arab-Americans. That I oppose Sharon's
provocations, and Israeli settlers seizing Palestinian land. But I also
oppose maniacs blowing up themselves and 20 or 40 or 50 - or 5000 -
innocent people. America could take a stronger position against the
settlements. But if there were genuine goodwill and desire for peace on
the part of Arab governments, instead of the convenient scapegoating I
mentioned, they would long since have worked out a peace that would have
satisfied and benefited all parties.
Let me add two things. One: I regard all fundamentalism - whether that
of bin Laden, the ayatollahs, Orthodox xenophobes, or Jerry Falwell and
Pat Robertson - as a sickness. Two: I oppose George W. Bush and all
his beliefs and policies. Yet I have to agree with him that the events
of Tuesday are an attack on civilization itself.
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