[lit-ideas] Re: Europe's September 11 ?
- From: Michael Chase <goya@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2004 08:13:19 +0100
Le mardi, 16 mars 2004, =E0 02:59 Europe/Paris, Phil Enns a =E9crit :
> David Savory wrote:
>
> "The will of the people was that Spain's government shouldn't have=20
> given
> in to American political stupidity in the first place. THAT's what
> Spain's vote tells us."
>
> The problem is how to explain the fact that the polls pre-attack had=20=
> the
> incumbent party heading towards another majority government, the
> anecdotal evidence of people deciding to vote because of the attack,=20=
> and
> the incoming government's primary promise of getting Spain out of =
Iraq.
> Is there a way of telling the story of this election that does not =
have
> the plot turning on the attack and the pullout of Iraq? It seems to =
me
> that two conclusions are likely to be drawn from the telling of this
> tale. First, terrorism works. Spain has undermined the legitimacy,
> however slight it might have been, of the occupying force in Iraq, a
> core goal of al Qaeda. Second, whatever the incoming government wants
> to claim about its commitment to fighting terrorism, the claim will be
> framed within the context of an election won by virtue of and as a
> reaction against a terror attack. Consider here the logic of Bush
> arguing for greater democracy in the world where people in the world
> think of Florida. How will the Spanish government bring about justice
> against the terrorists when its first actions is to reject the efforts
> of the U.S. and U.K. to bring justice against the terrorists?
M.C. Ahem. Precisely which "efforts to bring justice" are we talking=20
about here, Mr. Enns? The bombing, invasion and annexation of Iraq? Its=20=
subsequent exploitation by Haliburton et al? Or pehaps the=20
incarceration without charge of hundreds of prisoners at Guantanamo?
Walk me through it like I was a six-year-old : in what sense can =
the=20
rape of Iraq be interpreted as "bringing justice" to Osama bin Laden, a=20=
Saudi based in Afghanistan whose main center of support is that=20
stalwart US ally, Pakistan?
> No matter
> what one thinks of the efforts by the U.S. and the U.K. in its war on
> terrorism, it seems to me that the alternatives open to the Spanish =
are
> very difficult to see.
M.C. The alternatives open to Spain are to take the same route as=20
France, Germany, and many other European countries: they can henceforth=20=
cease their slavish adulation of a corrupt, imperialist and hegemonic=20
American government, refrain from illegal invasions of secular states=20
that have *diddly-squat* to do with terrorism, and respect the=20
international rule of law.
As long as Bush remains in power, the only salvation for Europe =
lies=20
with Europe. *That*'s the message of Madrid, and I hope Blair, the=20
Polish government, and the rest of Eastern Europe don't take too long=20
to get it.
>
> Best, Mike.
> Michael Chase=09
(goya@xxxxxxxxxxx)
CNRS UPR 76/
l'Annee Philologique
Villejuif-Paris
France
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