Noam Chomsky: On the Bombings

[Dean Worth]

Dear Seelangs recipients,
        I support Michael Flier's comments. I think it essential that we
concentrate on what unites us (some ill-defined devotion to Slavic
cultures, I suppose) and our surely widely varying views of the political
world in which we live. I agree with a lot of what Noam Chomsky has to say,
but our Slavic part of the net is the wrong place to pursue this. Dean Worth


At 09:10 PM 9/12/01 -0400, you wrote:
>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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