Mickey Z

Cool Observer

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Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Wednesday with Ward (and much more)

As promised, another excerpt from Ward Churchill’s new book, Since Predator Came:

“One of the more perplexing problems confronting contemporary socio-political theorists concerns the persistence of genocide, both as an overt instrument of state policy and as an almost incidental by-product of the functioning of advanced industrial society. While it can be said with virtual certainty that genocide today exists on a widespread and possibly growing basis, it cannot be correspondingly contended that the phenomenon is understood. At the most fundamental level, it may be asserted hat we presently lack even a coherent and viable description of the processes and circumstances implied by the term ‘genocide’.”

Order here: http://tinyurl.com/bf7h3

“The point at issue is that whole cultures, whole peoples, are being forced to cease to exist as such. The result is genocide, whether such elimination is accomplished in the name of racial/cultural superiority on the one hand, or on the basis of technological/economic development on the other. Until the principle is accepted that the essence of genocide is to be discovered in the coercive elimination of humans groups per se, by whatever means and under any rubric, the term will likely not only remain ill-defined, but largely devoid of any practical meaning at all.”

+++

Herman Hesse sez:
“We kill at every step, not only in wars, riots, and executions. We kill when we close our eyes to poverty, suffering, and shame. In the same way all disrespect for life, all hard-heartedness, all indifference, all contempt is nothing else than killing.”

Other stuff:

FBI put peaceful protesters in terrorism files
http://tinyurl.com/c736h

E-Mails Expose Katrina PR Woes
http://tinyurl.com/72wlf
(Thanks, Linda)

For Rexroth fans:
http://www.bopsecrets.org/rexroth

Sneering at Redemption: Why Arnold Killed Tookie (by Dave Zirin)
http://www.alternet.org/story/29497

I have another op-ed in the free NYC newspaper Metro today, re: the death penalty. Again, since it’s not on-line, you can read it by clicking on the word more at the end of this post.

Last but certainly not least: A big congrats to my wife Michele. Yesterday, she finished her Masters program in pediatric physical therapy.

That’s Michele (one L) in the blue shirt at Barnes & Noble last week. With her is Michelle (two L’s)...one of our dearest friends. (Photo by Michelle’s husband, Sacha Lecca.)