Thursday, June 24th, 2004
ASSAD PURGES SYRIAN MILITARY
The Debka File is reporting that Syrian ruler Bashar Assad has purged much of the senior leadership of the armed forces, replacing them with younger men more loyal to himself.
Archive for 2004
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2004
NORTH KOREA: A STUDY IN MANIACAL INTRANSIGENCE
The Cold War History Project sees a long-term pattern of behavior in the DPRK’s current nuclear standoff with the United States. The North Koreans were apparently as miserable a client regime as they are an enemy.
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2004
A COMMON SENSE OBSERVATION ON THE FUTURE PROSPECTS OF THE PALESTINIANS
By Michael Totten.
Where I’d disagree is that I believe in a free election in Gaza and the West Bank…or what would pass for one given the goon squad nature of the PA…that the Palestinians would probably elect Arafat as their negotiating spokesman simply to spite Israel( though a hardline Islamist candidate would poll well. A moderate candidate who seemed to have more potential than just a fringe candidacy would probably be assassinated by the Islamists or jailed by the PA).
My reasoning is that in public expression of political feeling, nationalism among the Palestinians takes a backseat to anti-Zionism at the present time. Privately expressed opinion may differ but apparently harming Israelis through terrorism is still valued too highly by a large enough minority of Palestinians to make peace negotiations, much less a lasting peace, impossible. The two state solution will work only when a large enough majority of Palestinians strongly value the establishment of a state enough to want their representatives to use force to suppress the bitter-end militants.
Monday, June 21st, 2004
IN DEFENSE OF RONALD REAGAN
Russell Burgos, Joyce Milton and yours truly take Juan Cole to task on H-Diplo for his essay ” Ronald Reagan De-Mythologized “
Monday, June 21st, 2004
AMERICAN NATIONALISM, A POLITICAL CREED ?
So argues Minxin Pei. A key excerpt from the Foreign Policy article differentiating American nationalism from darker, more ethnocentric versions abroad:
“First, American nationalism is based on political ideals, not those of cultural or ethnic superiority. That conception is entirely fitting for a society that still sees itself as a cultural and ethnic melting pot. As President George W. Bush said in his Fourth of July speech last year: “There is no American race; there’s only an American creed.” And in American eyes, the superiority of that creed is self-evident. American political institutions and ideals, coupled with the practical achievements attributed to them, have firmly convinced Americans that their values ought to be universal. Conversely, when Americans are threatened, they see attacks on them as primarily attacks on their values. Consider how American elites and the public interpreted the September 11 terrorist attacks. Most readily embraced the notion that the attacks embodied an assault on U.S. democratic freedoms and institutions
Second, American nationalism is triumphant rather than aggrieved. In most societies, nationalism is fueled by past grievances caused by external powers. Countries once subjected to colonial rule, such as India and Egypt, are among the most nationalistic societies. But American nationalism is the polar opposite of such aggrieved nationalism. American nationalism derives its meaning from victories in peace and war since the country’s founding. Triumphant nationalists celebrate the positive and have little empathy for the whining of aggrieved nationalists whose formative experience consisted of a succession of national humiliations and defeats.
Finally, American nationalism is forward looking, while nationalism in most other countries is the reverse. Those who believe in the superiority of American values and institutions do not dwell on their historical glories (though such glories constitute the core of American national identity). Instead, they look forward to even better times ahead, not just at home but also abroad. This dynamism imbues American nationalism with a missionary spirit and a short collective memory. Unavoidably, such forward-looking and universalistic perspectives clash with the backward-looking and particularistic perspectives of ethno-nationalism in other countries. Haunted by memories of Western military invasions since the time of the Crusades, the Middle East cannot help but look with suspicion upon U.S. plans to “liberate” the Iraqi people. In the case of China, U.S. support for Taiwan, which the Chinese government and people alike regard as a breakaway province, is the most contentious issue in bilateral relations. The loss of Taiwan—whether to the Japanese in 1895 or to the nationalists in 1949—has long symbolized national weakness and humiliation.”
After that analysis the article moves on to fairly pedestrian observations regarding American insularity and the general disinterest in foreign travel or cultures. Pei’s piece brought to mind a fairly well-known Foreign Affairs article on the characteristics of Liberal Nationalism by Michael Lind, years back that stirred controversy ( unfortunately, you must pony up $ 5.95 to read the whole thing or have access to a research library but the excerpt gives the flavor at least).
