Posted on 02/07/2003 12:22:57 PM PST by andrew
Edited on 02/07/2003 12:40:38 PM PST by Jim Robinson. [history]
The Salon Interview: Camille Paglia Bad omen: Why the Columbia disaster should make Bush think twice about rushing to war with Iraq.
- - - - - - - - - - - - By David Talbot
Feb. 7, 2003 |
Camille Paglia is a rarity in the increasingly polarized world of public intellectuals, a high-profile thinker and writer who is not readily identified with any political camp or party line. She burst onto the scene in 1990 following the publication of her book, "Sexual Personae." Paglia was a rough-trade feminist not afraid to challenge the orthodoxy of the women's movement or its reigning sisterhood; a professor from a small college with no qualms about torching the Parisian academic trends then enthralling Ivy League humanities departments; a self-proclaimed "Democratic libertarian" who voted twice for Bill Clinton and then loudly denounced him for bringing shame to his office.
Given Paglia's originality and unpredictability, we had no idea what to expect when we phoned her earlier this week for her opinions on the Bush administration's looming war with Iraq. Paglia proudly describes herself as a Dionysian child of the '60s, a generation not known for its martial spirit. And yet, during her long run as a Salon columnist, she developed an enthusiastic following among conservatives, including retired and active military personnel, for her eloquent tributes to family, tradition, country and uniformed service, as well as her stop-your-blubbering take on modern American life.
Paglia retired her Salon column last year to focus on teaching -- she is university professor of humanities and media studies at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia - and to finish her fifth book, a study of poetry that will be published by Pantheon Books. She returns in the Salon Interview to reveal her opinions on Iraq for the first time. "The foreign press has asked me repeatedly to comment on Iraq, and I've said I don't think it's right as an American citizen to do that. I said I should reserve my criticisms of the administration for home consumption," said Paglia. "That's why I'm talking to you now."
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What rush? This is the French/Saudi/Daschle line, hoping that delay will end up with no action, like in 1998. This whole charade has less to do with Bush and Hussein than French and Russian fears their Saddam approved oil contracts will be revoked, and Saudi strategic policy to keep Iraqi oil production depressed while they assume the Iraqi shortfalls of previous OPEC allotments. It's called "containment" ie, money for Saudi and France.
Don't take it from me, hear it from an OPEC official himself:
The ideal outcome for Russia is exactly the same as that for Saudi Arabia and OPEC, i.e. maintenance of the status quo and the sanctions regime on Iraqi oil. Thus, Russia's opposition to a U.S. invasion of Iraq is completely rational.
It would be an irony indeed if events in Baghdad this winter were to signal the end of the modern oil era and OPEC, just as 42 years ago they saw its start
If there truly were an authentic international coalition that had been carefully built, and if the administration had demonstrated sensitivity to the fragility of international relations, I'd be 100 percent in favor of an allied military expedition to go into Iraq and find and dispose of all weapons of mass destruction.
Again, the French/Saudi/Daschle delay tactic. Totally disconnected from reality, totally connected to some lefty and ill-informed media hypothecations. Jeez, our receptionist who doesn't follow the news much knows that we have allies. At least Paglia doesn't use the word "unilateral" - a slogan of the ignorant.
But most members of the current administration seem to have little sense that there's an enormous, complex world beyond our borders.
"Seem"...meaning what columnists did she read to filter the information for her? Another example of media-privileged "intellectuals" wrapt up in their own daily business, but speaking with "authority" about something some teenager with a computer has a better understanding of. Maybe she reading too many French representations of America and our admin.
The president himself has never traveled much in his life.
Sniff...nose in air.
They seem to think the universe consists of America and then everyone else -- small-potatoes people who can be steamrolled. And I'm absolutely appalled at the lack of acknowledgment of the cost to ordinary Iraqi citizens of any incursion by us, especially aerial bombardment.
Let me guess ... their "voices" aren't beang "heard" because some American newspaper doesn't talk about them enough? I'm surprised, she's just reacting to the patina of media representations and interests as if it reflected some reality.
Regime change
That's been US policy since 1998.
Probably dropped $200 in total value by the time she got to the door.
Actually, Drudge listed FR in his resources column a couple of years ago and then decided to take the FR link down. Who knows why? I think some of the views expressed on FR maybe a little too hardcore right-wing for Drudge.
Tell 'em your a rich Republican and you'll never drive one of their cars! Link: Infiniti
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