Noam Chomsky: On the Bombings
Subhash.Jaireth at AGSO.GOV.AU
Subhash.Jaireth at AGSO.GOV.AU
Thu Sep 13 02:04:20 UTC 2001
Friends,
I whole heartedly support Andrzei. The 'Slavic World' and its bulletin board
is not isolated from whatever is happening in the world.
Subhash
-----Original Message-----
From: andrzej niekrasz [mailto:aniekrasz at HOTMAIL.COM]
Sent: Thursday, 13 September 2001 12:07
To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU
Subject: Re: Noam Chomsky: On the Bombings
Dear all:
As both a Slavic-born Slavic literatures graduate student
(and a subscriber
to the "seelangs" list), and as a US resident appalled by
yesterday's tragic
attacks, I would like to defend Mr. Oushakine's right to
post his "personal
views" (or Chomsky's, for that matter), and invite a general
discussion. As
a unique forum for open and often spontaneous discussion
among the Slavist
community, this listserv should welcome any serious
discussion on pressing
issues, political or otherwise. It seems to me an important
privilege to
open a discussion, however brief or limited, of yesterday's
shocking events
with others from the conscientious academic community.
Sincerely,
Andrzej Niekrasz
Northwestern University
>From: "Michael S. Flier" <flier at FAS.HARVARD.EDU>
>Reply-To: Slavic & East European Languages and Literature
list
><SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU>
>To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU
>Subject: Re: Noam Chomsky: On the Bombings
>Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2001 21:10:55 -0400
>
>Mr. Oushakine:
>
>I am appalled by your abuse of a scholarly bulletin board
devoted to Slavic
>languages and literatures to air your personal views
concerning the
>terrorist attack on the United States and the conflict in
the Middle East
>by disseminating recent articles by Chomsky and Fisk
through SEELANGS. If
>you wish to argue about American and Middle Eastern
politics publicly, then
>do so in an appropriate forum, but not on a Slavic bulletin
board. This is
>a gross violation of our common trust.
>
>Michael Flier
>
>
>
>At 07:04 PM 9/12/01 -0400, Serguei Alex. Oushakine wrote:
>>On the Bombings
>>Noam Chomsky
>>
>>
>>The terrorist attacks were major atrocities. In scale they
may not reach
>>the
>>level of many others, for example, Clinton's bombing of
the Sudan with no
>>credible pretext, destroying half its pharmaceutical
supplies and killing
>>unknown numbers of people (no one knows, because the US
blocked an inquiry
>>at the UN and no one cares to pursue it). Not to speak of
much worse
>>cases,
>>which easily come to mind. But that this was a horrendous
crime is not in
>>doubt. The primary victims, as usual, were working people:
janitors,
>>secretaries, firemen, etc. It is likely to prove to be a
crushing blow to
>>Palestinians and other poor and oppressed people. It is
also likely to
>>lead
>>to harsh security controls, with many possible
ramifications for
>>undermining
>>civil liberties and internal freedom.
>>
>>The events reveal, dramatically, the foolishness of the
project of
>>"missile
>>defense." As has been obvious all along, and pointed out
repeatedly by
>>strategic analysts, if anyone wants to cause immense
damage in the US,
>>including weapons of mass destruction, they are highly
unlikely to launch
>>a
>>missile attack, thus guaranteeing their immediate
destruction. There are
>>innumerable easier ways that are basically unstoppable.
But today's events
>>will, very likely, be exploited to increase the pressure
to develop these
>>systems and put them into place. "Defense" is a thin cover
for plans for
>>militarization of space, and with good PR, even the
flimsiest arguments
>>will
>>carry some weight among a frightened public.
>>
>>In short, the crime is a gift to the hard jingoist right,
those who hope
>>to
>>use force to control their domains. That is even putting
aside the likely
>>US
>>actions, and what they will trigger -- possibly more
attacks like this
>>one,
>>or worse. The prospects ahead are even more ominous than
they appeared to
>>be
>>before the latest atrocities.
>>
>>As to how to react, we have a choice. We can express
justified horror; we
>>can seek to understand what may have led to the crimes,
which means making
>>an effort to enter the minds of the likely perpetrators.
If we choose the
>>latter course, we can do no better, I think, than to
listen to the words
>>of
>>Robert Fisk, whose direct knowledge and insight into
affairs of the region
>>is unmatched after many years of distinguished reporting.
Describing "The
>>wickedness and awesome cruelty of a crushed and humiliated
people," he
>>writes that "this is not the war of democracy versus
terror that the world
>>will be asked to believe in the coming days. It is also
about American
>>missiles smashing into Palestinian homes and US
helicopters firing
>>missiles
>>into a Lebanese ambulance in 1996 and American shells
crashing into a
>>village called Qana and about a Lebanese militia - paid
and uniformed by
>>America's Israeli ally - hacking and raping and murdering
their way
>>through
>>refugee camps." And much more. Again, we have a choice: we
may try to
>>understand, or refuse to do so, contributing to the
likelihood that much
>>worse lies ahead.
>>
>>Noam Chomsky
>>
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>***************************************************************************
***
>PROF. MICHAEL S. FLIER, Chairman
>
>Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures
>Harvard University
>Barker Center, 12 Quincy Street
>Cambridge, MA 02138
>
> : : : : : : : :
>
>TEL. (617) 495-4065 [Slavic Department]
>TEL. (617) 495-4054 [Linguistics Department]
>TEL. (617) 495-7833 [Ukrainian Research Institute]
>FAX (617) 864-2167 [private]
>WEB
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~slavic/faculty/michael_flier.html
>
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