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Reading the war as a soap opera
of manifest destiny
by Norma Alarcon
Mar. 20, 2003
PfP Members:
I wrote this letter on Thursday morning after watching the TV
spectacles on the start of war. The letter has resonance with Soap
Opera readings since that is how they broadcast, and that's the level
of reading of the white American public in general. There's no
education in this nation outside of a self-righteous history of
Manifest Destiny. The militarized tensions on the U.S./Mexican
border and Latin America and the Caribbean (since the 19thc) have
been a "training ground" for these cowboys! [By the way the talk
shows are doing the job for home culture, and the wives and children
of the soldiers "over there" are pushed forward to do their patriotic
weeping.]
My counter soap opera read:
Dear Carlos:
I watched the officials of war on TV last night. Bush's
speech is calamitous. He makes a smooth ideological flower
arrangement of such egregious proportions that it will be
extremely difficult to undo since the heartland of Amerika is
right with him--for public opinion they consulted journalists from
Orlando, San Diego and Chicago. All the generals have to do is
make it a quick ordeal. The multi-corporations are in charge of
putting marketable order in Iraq when The Bushes are done with
their deadly work. The multis will implement freedom and
democracy! They were even planning the post-war Iraq already!
How clear it is that the military in U.S. has been for sale,
Merchant Marines, Navies, Armies, etc. for big bucks, of course.
Post-war Iraq planning is for the consumption of U.S. citizens
(mostly white). "We" are such nice people after all, always
worried about the misery of others. "We" want them to have as much
as we do. All "we" are doing is sharing what we have with these
miserable people who have been held hostage by a tyrant. The
thing is that all the miserable people in the world are from U.S.
point of view held hostage by tyrants, hence they are ready for
the liberator! Have a Hershey bar! That's the gambit there!
Can you believe that? Such descaro, he puts the multis in
charge of administrative order in a raped nation--just like they
have in Central America and will be doing in Colombia which they
haven't finished off yet but they are virtually finished. Then
Bush has the audacity to refer to U.S. as a "her." "She" is such
a savior at home and abroad. "She" means so well. I watched his
face very carefully--it has become righteously impassive--it is
the kind of face that looks around and would spit upon any
resistor not white, and the women are out of order, as always, for
him--he'll spit on them too. [If one is not a Stepford Wife, one
is out of order!] It is now a very dangerous face--negotiations
are over, diplomacy is over, talking even within the domain of
power is over. If you look at the Bushes faces carefully you will
see they barely have any lips--it is a stereotyped characteristic,
but nevertheless a characteristic
This web of self mis-representation is hovering over the
whole world. Did you notice the string of nations in the
coalition--Salvador, Nicaragua, Eritrea, Checkoslovakia, Somalia,
Phillipines, and more--all formerly raped in the same form and now
controlled by them. They are isolating Western Europe,
characterizing France as a traitor to the righteous war, and Spain
has gone along in order to have more control over the European
Union which had placed Spain in marginal position. The European
Union is in tatters. They are calling for France and Germany and
other Western european leadership to be now silent in the process
ahead. They will be made to "heel" in the coming multi-corps
administrative order in Iraq. [It may explain why Britain never
adapted the coin EURO itself--a great chauvinism.] It is a
Christian Crusade! They are also now talking about having Colin
Powell resign, scrutinizing his fumbling at the U.N.
The Pope is saying that those who perpetrate such a war will
have a grave responsibility. And Bush is saying we acknowledge
our responsibility and will free the people of Iraq. It sounds as
if they are working together. [More Christians for the Pope!]
After listening to this unconscionable smooth talk, it does seem
as if Malcolm X had it correctly: "the "Christian" civilization of
America--which is propping up the white race around the world--is
Christianity's remaining strongest bastion." (p. 376) The
ideology of Christianity is one of rape--suffer now, we'll give
you heaven later--when you are dead. The survivors of this
calamity will be spiritually dead, and as such will be maneuvered
into virtually anything, because all they can now say, is "please
stop." The strategy of bombing is a form of psychic
dis-stabilization. Like any tortured persons, they will only be
able to say, "please stop."
You should hear all the "ethnic-bashing" dirty laundry they
are placing at Hussain's door for publicity reasons, of course.
From the bushes point of view there are no "ethnics" in U.S. They
have already been bashed. When will the greater horror of all
this come "home," I wonder. They are in total control. We might
as well be living in Chiapas, rather than California.
I am sure that you know all this, but I guess I had to
verbalize my observations from watching the controlled media and
public. No one can speak to them as I verified via the selected
interviews they do, i.e. on France. There are no reasonable
grounds for appeal. There is only a paper trail--and so many
historians just wait for the scavenger hunt--they have no memory,
just methodically sift through a pile of papers truncated by their
chosen period of analysis! No historian is prepared for this, as
we know.
The advisors on all this are brilliant in their perpetration
of obfuscation. The obfuscation that will sell to the white and
pseudo white american public. Indians have no voice that can be
heard, and some Blacks are in grave danger if they don't
heel--like Powell. Talk of his resignation is part of the "heel"
move. To them we are all stereotypes, from a perverted point of
view this is good because it enables us to see how the stereotypes
are "pawns" in this Chess game. What "pawn" will be played at
home? If Malcolm X has them analyzed correctly, then the pawn at
home will include a variety of organizations that have been
already speaking via Christianity and of course the Muslim Black
Church members are also in danger. There is a homemade limit belt
around their control at home, this includes the internal divisions
among jews which may be seen as of one piece in any case, for use
only as called upon. I am sure these people are being watched
carefully and like Colin Powell will be tested. The rest of us
don't count, at this time, though I am sure we are also watched.
As The World Order Turns (new soap opera), we will have our
turn--Asians (they've already been picking on the Chinese and
criminalizing other Asians), Chicanos (what hispanics will they
select next), Indians are imprisoned actually or virtually, and so
on et al. They are playing with Identity Politics and always have
been--part of the foundations of the nation!
They are playing Chess via one world location at a time!
Wonder where China is on all this? They have mistreated their
"other ethnics" too and are very reluctant capitalists western
style, and of course there's another women's issue--state
sanctioned infanticide. Haven't heard much about India, must be
in their pocket with all the "other ethnics" they have, and their
cultural control of women!
Divide and conquer via ethnicities (not to speak of their
religious affiliations), we should be familiar with that, don't
you think? I mean the university has been playing that game for
quite some time while the others watched thinking it did not mean
them. It has always meant them too--it's a race game with all
appropriate markers--religion, ethnicity, gender, class,
sexuality, for starters. Who knows what else they have in their
pockets in this version of Identity Politics.
Thanks for listening to things you already know,
Norma
Dear Colleagues: As you may know, the war against Iraq has
regretfully started tonight. We have therefore run out of time
and will not be able to implement our plans for a Teach Out. In
lieu of the Teach Out we are requesting,if you are teaching class
tomorrow, to please walk out with your students and hold your
class outdoors (weather permitting) to discuss the war and its
consequences. If you have a noon class, it would be good if you
could accompany your class to the rally. If you don't teach
tomorrow, please try to attend the rally.
We are cancelling our Faculty Peace Committee meeting scheduled
for tomorrow noon since we are co-sponsoring tomorrow's rally
with the student Berkeley Coalition Against the War. Our next
meeting will be held after Spring break and you will be notified
as to date, time, and place. Peace, Carlos
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