It's also geographical in that it tells us something about the
geographical imagination and how the original (non-spoof?) pleas for
money out of Nigeria (even those claiming not to be from Nigeria) allow
us to script that country into the world financial system.
Andy
Dr. Chad Staddon wrote:
>Let me add myself to the list of those who found the "George W Bush" letter
>a humorous and pointed satire.
>
>As for the objection that "this is not geography" I must heartily
>disagree -- this satire is all about at least two things geographical:
>
>1. an emergent geopolitics founded on a doctrine of American Unilateralism
>2. our potential complicity as academics and as taxpayers in this New World
>Order
>
>The first issue is geographical by anyone's definition (I should hope).
>
>The second issue is geographical in the sense that it suggests that we must
>all get off our couches and act, wherever we live, if we wish to make space
>for a less lethal and threatening geopolitics. Far from being
>"anti-American", I took the satire to be aimed at that committee of
>capitalists who seek to consolidate its control over us all.
>
>Surely this is critical geography?
>
>Yours,
>Chad Staddon
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Simon Batterbury <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Saturday, February 01, 2003 7:01 PM
>Subject: Re: Single-issue geographers etc.
>
>
>
>
>>1) Anyone had time to stay in their office all day and read a book lately?
>>Not me.
>>2) I vote the messages stay. But David Wood's emails are still coming in
>>with a non-html version, followed by a coded html (webpage coding) version
>>below it. This makes them six times as long as they should be, and does
>>
>>
>not
>
>
>>endear him or the content to the subscribers who receive messages in this
>>way (probably the majority). Please turn off the html option. It is pretty
>>easy on most email systems.
>>3) Don't worry - there are other critical geographers in Arizona to
>>
>>
>compensate
>
>
>>for the one unsubscribing today. Maybe there are more of us down here at
>>the other Department (in Tucson)?
>>More troubling is that many key individuals in geography have already
>>
>>
>unscribed,
>
>
>>claiming message fatigue.
>>4) The list used to be better. Discussion on published work (John Short's
>>piece in Area, for example, that takes on the "concentration of power" in
>>a few hands in the RAE system in the UK, or Noel Castree's earlier rant
>>
>>
>about
>
>
>>critical geography in the same journal, or the free articles in ACME) is
>>one way out of the cul de sac. Follow-up discussion is a natural extension
>>of the critical debate that got things started years ago, when the issue
>>for the list was whether RGS should retain Shell sponsorship. And
>>
>>
>(generalizing)
>
>
>>geography as a discipline is now fighting for its survival in UK outside
>>the red brick and elite universities who got at least a 4 in the RAE.
>>
>>
>Should
>
>
>>provide plenty of discussion fuel.
>>
>>
>>
>>Dr Simon Batterbury
>>Assistant Professor
>>Dept. of Geography and Regional Development
>>The University of Arizona
>>409 Harvill Building, Box #2
>>Tucson, AZ 85721-0076, USA
>>Phone: (520) 626-8054
>>Fax: (520) 621-2889
>>http://geog.arizona.edu/~web/faculty.htm
>>
>>
>>
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Andrew Herod
Associate Professor
Department of Geography
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602, USA
Ph: + 1 706 542 2856 (main)
+ 1 706 542 2366 (direct)
Fax: + 1 706 542 2388
www.ggy.uga.edu/people/faculty/aherod
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