"The US (unlike Afghanistan which is of course *more*
than open
to criticism!) is currently the most powerful country
-economically,
militarily and culturally in the world arena."
Some advises how to become the most powerful nation -
You go to Bulgaria, for example, and say to the
governement:
"If you dont sell us your power plants , you got
yourself big trouble."
The reason for that action: we supply whole turkey
with electricity, believe it or not.
But then again, there are american company, who feeds
a whole region of our country...
Regards!
jIVKO
> I was aware that I was leaving myself open to this
> kind of criticism
> when I made my remarks. However I would like to say
> a few things
> here. The US (unlike Afghanistan which is of course
> *more* than open
> to criticism!) is currently the most powerful
> country -economically,
> militarily and culturally in the world arena. It
> also purports to
> play a world leadership role. This has very
> practical effects on
> those living in other countries which those living
> in the US might
> not be aware of. Just to use the example of even a
> 1st world country
> like Australia - since the Bush administration came
> into power the
> Australian dollar has plummeted on the world market
> making it
> difficult for ordinary people to travel out of the
> country and making
> American as well as other imported goods (of which
> there are many)
> very expensive. Australian cinemas and tv channels
> are flooded with
> American films and tv shows and have been for years.
> The Prime
> Minister was in the US last week when everything
> happened to ratify a
> military treaty with the US. (He had to return home
> without doing
> this). Australians are affected by US leadership,
> foreign policy and
> culture at a very practical day to day level in ways
> they can't
> escape.
>
> One can also draw attention to the impact of English
> language culture
> in non English speaking countries. Given these
> circumstances, the
> rest of the world watches anxiously during US
> elections to see what
> political leadership is voted in and hopes that the
> response of that
> leadership on the world stage will be enlightened
> and moderate. Bush
> appears to have toned down some of his initial
> remarks which is a
> relief to the many people who are very worried about
> the potential
> for world conflict in response to recent events. One
> of the few
> avenues of influence non Americans have in these
> contexts is to open
> questions for discussion. (terrorism is not power -
> it is about
> violence and the limits of power - Foucault makes a
> clear distinction
> here) If one country is able to exercise as much
> power as the US is,
> the rest of the world is quite within its rights to
> raise questions
> for discussion about its foreign policy, civic
> education and
> electoral systems. Indeed I think these questions
> should be discussed
> in relation to *every* society and not necessarily
> just by members of
> those societies. No society is exempt from
> criticism.
>
> The US also claims to be a democracy and much has
> been made of this
> during recent events. One notes however that only a
> small percentage
> - 30% (does anyone have the right figures here?) -
> of the potential
> voting public actually voted in the last
> presidential elections and
> then there was the saga over the vote counting...
> What are we to make
> of this disjunction between the rhetoric and the
> practice?
>
> >
> >The distinction between state-sponsored and
> non-state sponsored terrorism
> >is porous. Surely a list where the distinction
> between private and public
> >decisions in capitalist societies is treated with
> skepticism should show
> >similar skepticism about terrorists who could not
> flourish without being
> >harbored by a host country.
>
> I agree with you on this and offer a useful citation
> from Foucault
> here. I still think in the interests of the
> avoidance of global
> conflict that a distinction does need to be made.
> Even if terror
> potentially lies at the heart of the state power,
> one needs to limit
> this tendency and not respond with terror to terror
> in escalating
> spirals. Foucault remarks 'In a more general way,
> terror is revealed
> as the most fundamental mechanism of the dominant
> class in the
> exercise of its power, its domination, its power of
> persuasi0n and
> its tyranny'. (1976) 'Le savoir comme crime', in
> Dits et Ecrits, t.
> III. Paris: Gallimard, 1994. p.83.
>
>
> At 21:24 +0200 14/9/01, Erik Hoogcarspel wrote:
> >I don't think elections have anything to do with
> it.
>
> snip
>
> >To achieve this, U.S. policy will probably have to
> change. It must become more
> >respectful, more supportive, and more polite, less
> directive, less
> >hypocrite and
> >less selfish. Self-respect is easy and useless, you
> have to earn respect from
> >others. This is very difficult for a country full
> of cowboy and countryboy
> >sentimentalism, full of obsession by violence and
> small town protestantism. I
> >think the change has to come from education..
>
> I agree change has to come from education and
> educated people are in
> a better position to vote for more enlightened
> leaders who can play
> their part in contributing to the reduction of
> levels of hatred and
> exploitation of human beings in every country.
>
> I would like to make a final comment on the
> inspiring courage and
> hard work of all the rescue workers, fireman and
> doctors and others.
> As one journalist remarked it draws attention,
> particularly within
> the context of budget cuts, to how heavily the rest
> of the social
> body relies on these infrastructures in these
> situations. To bring in
> the Foucauldian connection here - check out
> Foucault's excellent
> short review of a book on firefighters and their
> social role (1975)
> 'Un pompier vend la mche', in Dits et ecrits,
> Paris: Gallimard,
> 1994, t.II, pp. 698-702.
> --
> Clare
> ************************************************
> Clare O'Farrell
> email: panopticon1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> website: http://home.iprimus.com.au/panopticon1/
> ************************************************
__________________________________________________
Terrorist Attacks on U.S. - How can you help?
Donate cash, emergency relief information
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/fc/US/Emergency_Information/
than open
to criticism!) is currently the most powerful country
-economically,
militarily and culturally in the world arena."
Some advises how to become the most powerful nation -
You go to Bulgaria, for example, and say to the
governement:
"If you dont sell us your power plants , you got
yourself big trouble."
The reason for that action: we supply whole turkey
with electricity, believe it or not.
But then again, there are american company, who feeds
a whole region of our country...
Regards!
jIVKO
> I was aware that I was leaving myself open to this
> kind of criticism
> when I made my remarks. However I would like to say
> a few things
> here. The US (unlike Afghanistan which is of course
> *more* than open
> to criticism!) is currently the most powerful
> country -economically,
> militarily and culturally in the world arena. It
> also purports to
> play a world leadership role. This has very
> practical effects on
> those living in other countries which those living
> in the US might
> not be aware of. Just to use the example of even a
> 1st world country
> like Australia - since the Bush administration came
> into power the
> Australian dollar has plummeted on the world market
> making it
> difficult for ordinary people to travel out of the
> country and making
> American as well as other imported goods (of which
> there are many)
> very expensive. Australian cinemas and tv channels
> are flooded with
> American films and tv shows and have been for years.
> The Prime
> Minister was in the US last week when everything
> happened to ratify a
> military treaty with the US. (He had to return home
> without doing
> this). Australians are affected by US leadership,
> foreign policy and
> culture at a very practical day to day level in ways
> they can't
> escape.
>
> One can also draw attention to the impact of English
> language culture
> in non English speaking countries. Given these
> circumstances, the
> rest of the world watches anxiously during US
> elections to see what
> political leadership is voted in and hopes that the
> response of that
> leadership on the world stage will be enlightened
> and moderate. Bush
> appears to have toned down some of his initial
> remarks which is a
> relief to the many people who are very worried about
> the potential
> for world conflict in response to recent events. One
> of the few
> avenues of influence non Americans have in these
> contexts is to open
> questions for discussion. (terrorism is not power -
> it is about
> violence and the limits of power - Foucault makes a
> clear distinction
> here) If one country is able to exercise as much
> power as the US is,
> the rest of the world is quite within its rights to
> raise questions
> for discussion about its foreign policy, civic
> education and
> electoral systems. Indeed I think these questions
> should be discussed
> in relation to *every* society and not necessarily
> just by members of
> those societies. No society is exempt from
> criticism.
>
> The US also claims to be a democracy and much has
> been made of this
> during recent events. One notes however that only a
> small percentage
> - 30% (does anyone have the right figures here?) -
> of the potential
> voting public actually voted in the last
> presidential elections and
> then there was the saga over the vote counting...
> What are we to make
> of this disjunction between the rhetoric and the
> practice?
>
> >
> >The distinction between state-sponsored and
> non-state sponsored terrorism
> >is porous. Surely a list where the distinction
> between private and public
> >decisions in capitalist societies is treated with
> skepticism should show
> >similar skepticism about terrorists who could not
> flourish without being
> >harbored by a host country.
>
> I agree with you on this and offer a useful citation
> from Foucault
> here. I still think in the interests of the
> avoidance of global
> conflict that a distinction does need to be made.
> Even if terror
> potentially lies at the heart of the state power,
> one needs to limit
> this tendency and not respond with terror to terror
> in escalating
> spirals. Foucault remarks 'In a more general way,
> terror is revealed
> as the most fundamental mechanism of the dominant
> class in the
> exercise of its power, its domination, its power of
> persuasi0n and
> its tyranny'. (1976) 'Le savoir comme crime', in
> Dits et Ecrits, t.
> III. Paris: Gallimard, 1994. p.83.
>
>
> At 21:24 +0200 14/9/01, Erik Hoogcarspel wrote:
> >I don't think elections have anything to do with
> it.
>
> snip
>
> >To achieve this, U.S. policy will probably have to
> change. It must become more
> >respectful, more supportive, and more polite, less
> directive, less
> >hypocrite and
> >less selfish. Self-respect is easy and useless, you
> have to earn respect from
> >others. This is very difficult for a country full
> of cowboy and countryboy
> >sentimentalism, full of obsession by violence and
> small town protestantism. I
> >think the change has to come from education..
>
> I agree change has to come from education and
> educated people are in
> a better position to vote for more enlightened
> leaders who can play
> their part in contributing to the reduction of
> levels of hatred and
> exploitation of human beings in every country.
>
> I would like to make a final comment on the
> inspiring courage and
> hard work of all the rescue workers, fireman and
> doctors and others.
> As one journalist remarked it draws attention,
> particularly within
> the context of budget cuts, to how heavily the rest
> of the social
> body relies on these infrastructures in these
> situations. To bring in
> the Foucauldian connection here - check out
> Foucault's excellent
> short review of a book on firefighters and their
> social role (1975)
> 'Un pompier vend la mche', in Dits et ecrits,
> Paris: Gallimard,
> 1994, t.II, pp. 698-702.
> --
> Clare
> ************************************************
> Clare O'Farrell
> email: panopticon1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> website: http://home.iprimus.com.au/panopticon1/
> ************************************************
__________________________________________________
Terrorist Attacks on U.S. - How can you help?
Donate cash, emergency relief information
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/fc/US/Emergency_Information/