[Peace-discuss] Fwd: FW: [MSANews] American Intellectuals: Letter to Europeans:
Text
Al Kagan
akagan at uiuc.edu
Fri Apr 12 10:31:06 CDT 2002
Thanks to Morton Brussel for forwarding this.
>Delivered-To: akagan at alexia.lis.uiuc.edu
>Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2002 11:22:39 -0500
>Subject: Fwd: FW: [MSANews] American Intellectuals: Letter to Europeans: Text
>From: "Morton K. Brussel" <brussel4 at InsightBB.com>
>To: akagan at uiuc.edu (Al Kagan)
>Status:
>
>Here's the article/letter I mentioned to you last night at the
>concert. I received it from Francis Boyle,after reading a French
>version in Le Monde. I thought it put forth the issues compellingly.
>
>
>
>Begin forwarded message:
>
>>From: "Boyle, Francis" <FBOYLE at LAW.UIUC.EDU>
>>Date: Wed Apr 10, 2002 01:45:17 PM US/Central
>>To: "'Morton K. Brussel'" <brussel4 at InsightBB.com>
>>Subject: FW: [MSANews] American Intellectuals: Letter to Europeans: Text
>>
>>
>>D
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: MSANews Service [mailto:msanews_eds at yahoo.com]
>>Sent: Tuesday, April 09, 2002 9:57 PM
>>To: msanews-list at topica.com
>>Subject: [MSANews] American Intellectuals: Letter to Europeans: Text
>>
>>
>>*****************************************************
>> MSANEWS
>> Support MSANEWS, a project of learning
>> and enlightenment
>> "Truth today is estranged; and those who claim
>> it are unknown." -- Al-Jahiz (776-868)
>>
>> "The Universe is undergoing a complete upheaval...
>> Its nature is going to change so as to enable its
>> creation anew." -- Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406)
>>*****************************************************
>>
>>Source: Direct Submission
>>Email: "Richard B. Du Boff" <rduboff at brynmawr.edu>
>>Date: Tue, 9 Apr 2002 22:28:46 -0400
>>Title: Text: Letter to Europeans
>>
>>TEXT:
>>
>>Below is the original English version of the letter that was
>>published in Le Monde, 9 avril 2002, followed by the up-to-date
>>list of signatutes (total 137):
>>
>>_____
>>
>>LETTER FROM UNITED STATES CITIZENS TO FRIENDS IN EUROPE
>>
>>The central fallacy of the pro-war celebrants is the equation
>>between "American values" as understood at home and the exercise
>>of United States economic and especially military power abroad.
>>
>>* * * *
>>
>>Following the 11 September 2001 suicide attacks on the World
>>Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, U.S.
>>President George W. Bush has declared an open-ended "war on
>>terrorism". This war has no apparent limits, in place, time or
>>the extent of destruction that may be inflicted. There is no
>>telling which country may be suspected of hiding "terrorists"
>>or declared to be part of an "axis of evil". The eradication of
>>"evil" could last much longer than the world can withstand the
>>destructive force to be employed. The Pentagon is already
>>launching bombs described as producing the effect of earthquakes
>>and is officially considering the use of nuclear weapons, among
>>other horrors in its constantly improving arsenal.
>>
>>The material destruction envisaged is immeasurable. So is the
>>human damage, not only in terms of lives, but also in terms of
>>the moral desperation and hatred that are certain to be felt by
>>millions of people who can only watch helplessly as their world
>>is devastated by a country, the United States, which assumes
>>that its moral authority is as absolute and unchallengeable as
>>its military power.
>>
>>We, as United States citizens, have a special responsibility to
>>oppose this mad rush to war. You, as Europeans, also have a
>>special responsibility. Most of your countries are military
>>allies of the United States within NATO. The United States
>>claims to act in self-defense, but also to defend "the interests
>>of its allies and friends". Your countries will inevitably be
>>implicated in U.S. military adventures. Your future is also in
>>jeopardy.
>>
>>Many informed people both within and outside your governments
>>are aware of the dangerous folly of the war path followed by the
>>Bush administration. But few dare speak out honestly. They are
>>intimidated by the various forms of retaliation that can be
>>taken against "friends" and "allies" who fail to provide
>>unquestioning support. They are afraid of being labeled
>>"anti-American" -- the same label absurdly applied to Americans
>>themselves who speak out against war policies and whose protests
>>are easily drowned out in the chorus of chauvinism dominating
>>the U.S. media. A sane and frank European criticism of the Bush
>>administration's war policy can help anti-war Americans make
>>their voices heard.
>>
>>Celebrating power may be the world's oldest profession among
>>poets and men of letters. As supreme world power, the United
>>States naturally attracts its celebrants who urge the nation's
>>political leaders to go ever farther in using their military
>>might to impose virtue on a recalcitrant world. The theme is
>>age-old and forever the same: the goodness of the powerful
>>should be extended to the powerless by the use of force.
>>
>>The central fallacy of the pro-war celebrants is the equation
>>between "American values" as understood at home and the exercise
>>of United States economic and especially military power abroad.
>>
>>Self-celebration is a notorious feature of United States
>>culture, perhaps as a useful means of assimilation in an
>>immigrant society. Unfortunately, September 11 has driven this
>>tendency to new extremes. Its effect is to reinforce a
>>widespread illusion among U.S. citizens that the whole world is
>>fixated, in admiration or in envy, on the United States as it
>>sees itself: prosperous, democratic, generous, welcoming, open
>>to all races and religions, the epitome of universal human
>>values and the last best hope of mankind.
>>
>>In this ideological context, the question raised after September
>>11, "Why do they hate us?" has only one answer: "Because we are
>>so good!" Or, as is commonly claimed, they hate us because of
>>"our values".
>>
>>Most U.S. citizens are unaware that the effect of U.S. power
>>abroad has nothing to do with the "values" celebrated at home,
>>and indeed often serves to deprive people in other countries of
>>the opportunity to attempt to enjoy them should they care to do
>>so.
>>
>>In Latin America, Africa and Asia, U.S. power has more often
>>than not been used to prop up the remnants of colonial regimes
>>and unpopular dictators, to impose devastating commercial and
>>financial conditions, to support repressive armed forces, to
>>overthrow or cripple by sanctions relatively independent
>>governments, and finally to send bombers and cruise missiles to
>>rain down death and destruction.
>>
>>The "Right of Self-Defense"
>>
>>(1) Whose right?
>>
>>Since September 11, the United States feels under attack. As a
>>result its government claims a "right to self-defense" enabling
>>it to wage war on its own terms, as it chooses, against any
>>country it designates as an enemy, without proof of guilt or
>>legal procedure.
>>
>>Obviously, such a "right of self-defense" never existed for
>>countries such as Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Libya, Sudan or
>>Yugoslavia when they were bombed by the United States. Nor will
>>it be recognized for countries bombed by the United States in
>>the future. This is simply the right of the strongest, the law
>>of the jungle. Exercising such a "right", denied all others,
>>cannot serve "universal values" but only undermines the very
>>concept of a world order based on universal values with legal
>>recourse open to all on a basis of equality.
>>
>>A "right" enjoyed only by one entity -- the most powerful -- is
>>not a right but a privilege exercised only to the detriment of
>>the rights of others.
>>
>>(2) How is the United States to "defend" itself?
>>
>>Supposedly in self-defense, the United States launched a war
>>against Afghanistan. This was not an action specially designed
>>to respond to the unique events of September 11. On the
>>contrary, it was exactly what the United States was already
>>doing, and had already planned to do, as outlined in Pentagon
>>documents: bomb other countries, send military forces onto
>>foreign soil and topple their governments. The United States is
>>openly planning an all-out war -- not excluding use of nuclear
>>weapons -- against Iraq, a country it has been bombing for a
>>decade, with the proclaimed aim of replacing its government with
>>leaders selected by Washington.
>>
>>(3) Precisely what is being "defended"?
>>
>>What is being defended is related to what was attacked.
>>
>>Traditionally, "defense" means defense of national territory. On
>>September 11, an attack actually took place on and against U.S.
>>territory. This was not a conventional attack by a major power
>>designed to seize territory. Rather, it was an anonymous strike
>>against particular targeted institutions. In the absence of any
>>claim of responsibility, the symbolic nature of the targets may
>>have been assumed to be self-explanatory. The World Trade Center
>>clearly symbolized U.S. global economic power, while the
>>Pentagon represented U.S. military power. Thus, it seems highly
>>unlikely that the September 11 attacks were symbolically
>>directed against "American values" as celebrated in the United
>>States.
>>
>>Rather, the true target seems to have been U.S.economic and
>>military power as it is projected abroad. According to reports,
>>15 of the 19 identified hijackers were Saudi Arabians hostile to
>>the presence of U.S. military bases on Saudi soil. September 11
>>suggests that the nation projecting its power abroad is
>>vulnerable at home, but the real issue is U.S. intervention
>>abroad. Indeed the Bush wars are designed precisely to defend
>>and strengthen U.S. power abroad. It is U.S. global power
>>projection that is being defended, not domestic freedoms and way
>>of life.
>>
>>In reality, foreign wars are more likely to undermine the
>>domestic values cherished by civilians at home than to defend or
>>spread them. But governments that wage aggressive wars always
>>drum up domestic support by convincing ordinary people that war
>>is necessary to defend or to spread noble ideas. The principal
>>difference between the imperial wars of the past and the global
>>thrust of the United States today is the far greater means of
>>destruction available. The disproportion between the material
>>power of destruction and the constructive power of human wisdom
>>has never been more dangerously unbalanced. Intellectuals today
>>have the choice of joining the chorus of those who celebrate
>>brute force by rhetorically attaching it to "spiritual values",
>>or taking up the more difficult and essential task of exposing
>>the arrogant folly of power and working with the whole of
>>humanity to create means of reasonable dialogue, fair economic
>>relations and equal justice.
>>
>>The right to self-defense must be a collective human right.
>>Humanity as a whole has the right to defend its own survival
>>against the "self-defense" of an unchecked superpower. For half
>>a century, the United States has repeatedly demonstrated its
>>indifference to the collateral death and destruction wrought by
>>its self-proclaimed efforts to improve the world. Only by
>>joining in solidarity with the victims of U.S. military power
>>can we in the rich countries defend whatever universal values we
>>claim to cherish.
>>
>>* * * * * * * *
>>
>>
>>LIST OF SIGNATURES
>>
>>Daphne Abeel, Journalist, Cambridge, MA.
>>Julie L. Abraham, Professor of English, New York City.
>>Michael Albert, ZNet, Boston.
>>Janet Kestenberg Amighi. Anthropologist, Hahneman University,
>>Philadelphia.
>>Electa Arenal, Hispanic & Luso-Brazilian Literatures, City
>>University of New York.
>>Anthony Arnove, Editor/Publisher, South End Press, Boston.
>>Stanley Aronowitz, Center for Cultural Studies, City University
>>of New York.
>>Dean Baker, economist, Center for Economic and Policy Research,
>>Washington, DC
>>Houston A. Baker, Jr., Duke University, Durham, NC.
>>David Barsamian, Director, Alternative Radio, Boulder, CO.
>>Rosalyn Baxandall, Chair, American Studies at SUNY-Old Westbury.
>>Medea Benjamin, Founding Director, Global Exchange, San Francisco.
>>Dick Bennett, Professor Emeritus, University of Arkansas.
>>Larry Bensky, KPFA/Pacifica Radio.
>>Joel Bleifuss, Editor, In These Times, Chicago
>>Chana Bloch, Professor of English, Mills College.
>>William Blum, author, Washington, DC.
>>Magda Bogin, Writer, Columbia University.
>>Patrick Bond, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
>>Francis A. Boyle, Professor of International Law, University of
>>Illinois.
>>Gray Brechin, Department of Geography, University of
>>California, Berkeley.
>>Renate Bridenthal, Professor Emerita of History, The City
>>University of New York.
>>Linda Bullard, environmentalist, USA/ Europe.
>>Judith Butler, University of California, Berkeley.
>>Bob Buzzanco, Professor of History, University of Houston.
>>Helen Caldicott, pediatrician, author, founder of Physicians
>>for Social Responsibility.
>>John Cammett, historian, New York.
>>Stephanie M.H. Camp, Assistant Professor of History, University
>>of Washington.
>>Ward Churchill, Author, Boulder, CO.
>>John P. Clark, Professor of Philosophy, Loyola University, New
>>Orleans.
>>Dan Coughlin, Radio Executive Director, Washington, DC.
>>Sandi Cooper, historian, New York.
>>Lawrence Davidson, Professor of Middle East history, West Chester
>>University, PA
>>David Devine, Professor of English, Paris, France.
>>Douglas Dowd, economist, Bologna, San Francisco.
>>Madhu Dubey, Professor, English and Africana Studies, Brown
>>University
>>Richard B. Du Boff, Bryn Mawr College, PA.
>>Peter Erlinder, Past President, National Lawyers Guild, Law
>>Professor, St. Paul, MN.
>>Francis Feeley, Professor of American Studies, Université
>>Stendhal, Grenoble.
>>Richard Flynn, of Literature and Philosophy, Georgia Southern
>>University.
>>Michael S. Foley, Assistant Professor of History, City
>>University of New York.
>>John Bellamy Foster, Eugene, OR.
>>H. Bruce Franklin, Professor of English and American Studies,
>>Rutgers University
>>Jane Franklin, Author and historian, Montclair, NJ.
>>Oscar H. Gandy, Jr., Annenberg School for Communication,
>>University of Pennsylvania.
>>Jamshed Ghandhi, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
>>Larry Gross, Annenberg School for Communication, University of
>>Pennsylvania.
>>Beau Grosscup, Professor of International Relations, CSU Chico, CA.
>>Zalmay Gulzad, Professor of Asian-American Studies, Loyola
>>University, Chicago.
>>Thomas J. Gumbleton, Auxiliary Bishop, Roman Catholic
>>Archdiocese of Detroit.
>>Marilyn Hacker, Professor of English, The City College of New
>>York
>>Robin Hahnel, Professor of Economics, American University,
>>Washington, DC.
>>Edward S. Herman, economist and media analyst, Philadelphia.
>>Marc W. Herold, University of New Hampshire.
>>John L. Hess, Journalist and correspondent, New York City.
>>David U. Himmelstein, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine,
>>Harvard Medical School.
>>W.G . Huff, University of Glasgow.
>>Adrian Prentice Hull, California State University, Monterey Bay
>>Marsha Hurst, Director, Health Advocacy Program, Sarah Lawrence
>>College, NY.
>>David Isles, Associate Prof. of Mathematics, Tufts University,
>>Medford, MA.
>>Robert Jensen, School of Journalism, University of Texas.
>>Diana Johnstone, journalist, Paris, France.
>>John Jonik, Political Cartoonist/Activist, Philadelphia.
>>Louis Kampf, Professor Emeritus of Literature, Massachusetts
>>Institute of Technology.
>>Mary Kaye, Professor of Fine Arts, Art Institute of Boston, Lesley
>>University.
>>Douglas Kellner, University of California, Los Angeles.
>>Michael King, Senior News Editor, The Austin Chronicle, TX.
>>Gabriel Kolko, author, Amsterdam.
>>Joyce Kolko, author, Amsterdam.
>>Claudia Koonz, history professor, Duke University, NC.
>>Joel Kovel, Bard College.
>>Marilyn Krysl, writer, University of Colorado.
>>Mark Lance, Philosophy, Justice and Peace, Georgetown University.
>>Ann J. Lane, University of Virginia.
>>Karen Latuchie, book editor, New Jersey.
>>Peggy Law. Executive Director, International Media Project,
>>Oakland, CA.
>>Amy Schrager Lang, Associate Professor of American Studies,
>>Cambridge, MA.
>>Helena Lewis, Historian, Harvard University Humanities Center.
>>Dave Lindorff, Journalist, Maple Glen, Pennsylvania.
>>Eric Lott, Professor of English, University of Virginia.
>>Angus Love, Esq., Narberth, PA.
>>David MacMichael, Director, Association of National Security
>>Alumni, Washington, DC.
>>Harry Magdoff, co-editor, Monthly Review, New York City.
>>Sanjoy Mahajan, physicist, University of Cambridge, England.
>>Michael Marcus, Dept. of Mathematics, City College, NY.
>>Robert McChesney, University of Illinois.
>>Jo Ann McNamara, Historian Emerita, Hunter College, NY.
>>Arthur Mitzman, Emeritus Professor of Modern History,
>>University of Amsterdam.
>>Robert Naiman, Center for Economic and Policy Research,
>>Washington, DC.
>>Marilyn Nelson, Poet/Professor, University of Connecticut.
>>Suzanne Oboler, University of Illinois, Chicago.
>>Bertell Ollman, Department of Politics, New York University.
>>Alicia Ostriker, Professor of English, Rutgers University, NJ.
>>Christian Parenti, author, New College of California.
>>Michael Parenti, author, Berkeley, CA..
>>Mark Pavlick, Georgetown University, Washington, DC.
>>Michael Perelman, Professor of Economics, Chico State
>>University, CA.
>>Jeff Perlstein, Executive Director, Media Alliance, San
>>Francisco.
>>David Peterson, writer and researcher, Chicago.
>>James Petras, State University of New York, Binghamton.
>>Joan Pinkham, Translator, Amherst, MA.
>>Lawrence Pinkham, Professor Emeritus of Journalism, University of
>>Massachusetts.
>>Cathie Platt, Licensed Professional Counselor, Charlottesville, VA.
>>Gordon Poole, Istituto Universitario Orientale, Naples, Italy.
>>Douglas Porpora, Professor of Sociology, Drexel University,
>>Philadelphia.
>>Larry Portis, American Studies, Université Paul Valéry,
>>Montpellier, France.
>>Ellen Ray, Institute for Media Analysis, New York City.
>>Elton Rayack, Professor of Economics Emeritus, University of
>>Rhode Island.
>>Lillian S. Robinson, Simone de Beauvoir Institute, Concordia
>>University, Montreal.
>>Rick Rozoff, medical social worker, Chicago.
>>Albert Ruben, writer.
>>Sten Rudstrom, Theater Artist, Berlin
>>William H. Schaap, Institute for Media Analysis, New York City.
>>Ellen Schrecker, Yeshiva University, New York City.
>>Gretchen Seifert, artist and photographer, Chicago
>>Anne Shaver, Professor Emerita of English, Denison University, OH.
>>Gerald E. Shenk, Social & Behavioral Sciences Center,
>>California State University, Seaside.
>>Mary Shepard, media critic, St Paul, Minnesota.
>>Francis Shor, professor, Wayne State University, MI.
>>Robert M. Smith, Brandywine Peace Community, Swarthmore, PA.
>>Alan Sokal, Professor of Physics, New York University.
>>Norman Solomon, author and syndicated columnist, San Francisco.
>>William S. Solomon, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.
>>Sarah Standefer, nurse, Minneapolis, MN.
>>Abraham Sussman, Clinical Psychologist, Cambridge, MA.
>>Malcolm Sylvers, University of Venice, Italy.
>>Paul M. Sweezy, co-editor, Monthly Review, New York City.
>>Holly Thau, Psychotherapist, Oregon.
>>Reetika Vazirani, Writer, New Jersey.
>>Gore Vidal, writer, Los Angeles
>>Joe Volk, Friends Committee on National Legislation,
>>Washington, DC.
>>Lynne Walker, Historian, London.
>>Karin Wilkins, University of Texas at Austin.
>>Howard Winant, Temple University, Philadelphia.
>>Steffie Woolhandler, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine,
>>Harvard Medical School.
>>George Wright, Department of Political Science, California
>>State University, Chico.
>>Howard Zinn, writer, Boston, MA.
>>
>>(total 137)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>*****************************************************
>>
>> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
>> <> ... On that account: We ordained for
>> <> the Children of Israel that if anyone
>> <> slew a person - unless it be for
>> <> murder or for spreading mischief
>> <> in the land - it would be as if
>> <> he slew the whole people: and if
>> <> any one saved a life, it would
>> <> be as if he saved the life of
>> <> the whole people."
>> <> Holy Qur'an, Surah al-Maidah 5:32.
>> <> URL: http://quran.al-islam.com/
>> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
>>
>>*****************************************************
>>
>> "And the mind - may God preserve you - is more
>> prone to deep sleep than the eye. Neediest of
>> sharpening than a sword. Poorest to treatment.
>> Fastest to change. Its illness, the deadliest.
>> Its doctors, the rarest. And its cure, the
>> hardest. Whoever got a hold of it, before the
>> spread of the disease, found his sake. Whoever
>> tried to wrestle it after the spread would not
>> find his sake. The greatest purpose of knowledge
>> is the abundance of inspiring thoughts. Then,
>> the ways to go about one's needs are met."
>> -- Al-Jahiz ("Puffy"), 9th Century Baghdad,
>> Kitab at-Tarbi` wat-Tadweer ("Squaring
>> the Circle"), p. 101, Edited by Prof. Charles
>> Pellat, Institut Francais de Damas, 1955.
>>
>>READ THE TEXT, IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE PEOPLE
>>OF THE DESERT, WHEN WE GO BACK TO OUR 'MECCA'
>>URL: http://msanews.mynet.net/books/ajaib/
>>
>>*****************************************************
>>
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>Morton K. Brussel
>2003 George Huff Drive
>Urbana, Illinois, 61801
>Preferred e-mail: brussel at uiuc.edu
>Fax: 217 333-1215
--
Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA
tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu
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