Mazisi Kunene's “Thoughts on June 26 (South African Liberation Day)”
My friend and colleague Gwen Becker pointed out to me how this brilliant poem by South African writer Mazisi Kunene could be read not only in a voice of defiance, but of profound ambivalence. "Was I wrong when I thought All shall be avenged? Was I wrong when I thought The rope of iron holding the neck of young bulls Shall be avenged? Was I wrong When I thought the orphans of sulphur Shall rise from the ocean? Was I depraved when I thought there need not be love There need not be forgiveness, there need not be progress, There need not be goodness on the earth, There need not be towns of skeletons, Sending messages of elephants to the moon? Was I wrong to laugh asphyxiated ecstasy When the sea rose like quicklime When the ashes on ashes were blown by the wind When the infant sword was left alone on the hilltop? Was I wrong to erect monuments of blood? Was I wrong to avenge the pillage of Caesar? Was I wrong? Was I wrong? Was I wr
Comments
Allan Nair fits this profile perfectly. He claims to support the right of oppressed people in Indonesia, but on the other hand he supported the genocides committed by Serbs in Bosnia and Kosovo, as well as Soviet invasion of Afghanistan which killed over 1 million people.
I guess if an anti-American commits massacres it is alright. Same moral bankrupcy you hear from the far right, the likes of Pat Buchanan, the gang on Front Page Magazine, and various other extremists. I would take McCain over either left wing or right wing extremist anytime. McCain is a decent guy, if misguided on the Middle East.
And we shouldn't forget, Zbigniew Brerzinski is one of the best foreign policy thinkers in America today, and it is certainly a good sign that Obama has him as an adviser as well as Samatha Power. Unfortunately Obama has already sold out to various lobbies so it is not known if he'll follow their good advice.
You condemn the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan--correctly. But you praise Brzezinski, who has repeatedly claimed credit for having lured the Soviet Union into Afghanistan in the first place?
Please refocus.
The comment was aimed at Allan Nair. I do praise Brzezinski because he is correct on all (or almost all) foreign policy issues. I condemned the part of the Left that only cares of victims if they are killed by America and pro-American forces, while ignoring, denying, or minimizing the victims of the "anti-American" forces. I should add here that most of those "anti-Americans", except some Communists and some in the Middle East, would in a heartbeat become pro-Americans given a chance, and continue acting the same as they do now. For example Indonesia was seen as pro Western (even though it really wasn't either pro or anti West), then the wise men of the left singled it out for harsh criticism over it's human rights abuses, most of which were real. Now how do these wise left wingers explain Western role in the Asian economic crisis which hurt Indonesia most of all, and how do they explain the West forcing Indonesia to give up East Timor against the will of it's people, which lead to a surge in anti-West sentiment.
I guess then they should have sided with Indonesia since it magically "switched sides" (but not really). That is the sort of absurdity I'm talking about.
This link http://greatersurbiton.wordpress.com/2007/12/12/left-wing-unity-with-thugs-and-rapists/ summarizes how the "anti-West" sentiment trumps all other factors, even if it involves murder. The Balkan conflict is another great example.
I believe of criticism where it is due, like about 90% of US policy in the Mid East (as it is executed), but praise where it is due, like about 70% of US policy in other regions (without a further regional breakdown). If you were to take a survey you would find that places that are most anti-American is where the governments are pro American, in some cases very much so. On the other hand America is popular in places such as Kenya and Nigeria for reasons that I do not know, perhaps because it is seen as a land of opportunity.
I disagree with any ideologues, as they completely lack introspection, and ability to see the disadvantage of their own position. I don't care if the ideology pertains to race, religion, nation, class or
anything else. If the cure is worse than the disease then I will not support it.
In general I agree with the Euston Manifesto on many points, as I don't think that the "Western" style of government or economy is evil, it is far from perfect but it provides for a more civilized
alternative to most other systems of government.
Left-wing unity with thugs and rapists.