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Yes, indeed, Dave - but at the same time, it seems to me ever more crucial to remember the many Americans who are now struggling to make their voices heard and understood in the patriotic hysteria. And also not to forget how many ideas about freedom and justice have been nurtured in - why yes - the US of A. (In fact, those casualty figures were put together by an American academic, who perhaps is facing funding cuts or anathemetising as a "traitor" for doing so). These voices of conscience also are being crushed, and they are in the eye of the storm - and it behoves us not to participate in the crushing - not that I think you are. Off my soap box now and to more quotidian things, like wrapping Christmas presents - do you know, my tree this year DID NOT FALL DOWN. In such small triumphs are the consolations. Cheers Alison >Go to it, Alison! > >And the matters referred to in this, and in the other Guardian article you >reproduced on civilian casualties in Afghanistan under this same thread, are >exactly the kind of thing that people like myself (and I suspect Lawrence) >are so concerned about, and the bludgeoning into silence of which by some >American writers provokes such a reaction. > >Best > >Dave > > >David Bircumshaw > >Leicester, England > >Home Page > >A Chide's Alphabet > >Painting Without Numbers > >www.paintstuff.20m.com/index.htm > >http://homepage.ntlworld.com/david.bircumshaw/index.htm >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Alison Croggon" <[log in to unmask]> >To: <[log in to unmask]> >Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2001 9:19 PM >Subject: Re: Hypocrisies > > >> Another disturbing swallow... >> >> A >> >> At 1:20 PM +0000 20/12/2001, Guardian Unlimited wrote: >> >Today, Duncan Campbell in Los Angeles says course funds are threatened >> >and professors denounced and suspended for organising teach-ins on >> >the war and voicing criticism of American foreign policy. >> > >> >The universities of the United States often become the battlegrounds >> >on which ideological and political wars are waged so it should be no >> >surprise that there have been some metaphorical skirmishes taking >> >place on campuses over the last three months. >> > >> >What is interesting is that it is the academics rather than the >> >students that are getting involved more publicly in the dust-ups. >> > >> >Liberal academics who have organised teach-ins on the war, voiced >> >opposition or criticised American foreign policy, claim that they >> >have been identified as unpatriotic and that funding of their courses >> >is now at risk. >> > >> >They blame the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA), the >> >conservative watchdog group founded by Lynne Cheney, wife of the >> >vice-president, and Senator Joe Lieberman, for targeting them. >> > >> >* Read on here >> >>http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/journalist/story/0,7792,621053,00.html >> -- >> >> >> Alison Croggon >> >> Home page >> http://www.users.bigpond.com/acroggon/ >> Masthead >> http://au.geocities.com/masthead_2/ >> -- Alison Croggon Home page http://www.users.bigpond.com/acroggon/ Masthead http://au.geocities.com/masthead_2/