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Ever read the book "Jihad vs. McWorld" by Benjamin Barber? He's some sort of political-futurist who divides the world into two distinct groups: those who support Jihad (Islamic terrorists, but he focuses a lot more on unrecognized nations such as Abkhazia, Ossetia, Balochistan, Kurdistan, etc.) and McWorld (stands for any international business "chain"). I had to read excerpts from the book and I found some of the claims to be quite ridiculous and paranoid.
"JIhad and McWorld operate with equal strength in oposite directions, the one driven by parochial hatreds, the other by universalizing markets, the one re-creating ancient subnational and ethnic borders from within, the other making national borders porous from without."
"It has not been too difficult to contrive a civil religion for Americans...but for Basques and Normans? What need have they for anything but blood and memory? And what of Alsatians, Bavarians, and East Prussians? Kurds, Ossetians, East Timorese, Quebecois, Abkhazians, Catalonians, Tamils, Inkatha Zulus...people trying to seal themselves off not just from others but from modernity? These are frightened tribes running not to but from civic faith in search of something more palpable and electrifying."
and without further adieu...
"Even the internet has its neo-Nazi bulletin boards and Turk-trashing Armenian "flamers" (who assail every use of the word turkey, fair and fowl alike, so to speak), so that the abstractions of cyberspace too are infected with a peculiar and rabid cultural territoriality all their own."
Naturally I put to rest all hype, paranoia, and self-made messiah that Barber puts himself off as. I remember class discussion being laughable. "Yeah, I guess he is right...McWorld is bad." "Who? Why do they need a country?"
Me: "These people need their own countries because of centuries and centuries of persecution that exists up until this day - especially Abkhaz and Ossetians who experience what is essentially Jim Crow-like discrimination in Georgia."
Prof: Blank stare.
Me: "And where does this guy get off comparing Neo-nazis to Armenians? Armenians were victims of genocide by Turks - wouldn't you be pissed if major world powers didn't acknowledge this so that they could continue their own blood wars? That's like saying xxxs shouldn't be mad at Nazis!"
Prof: Blank stare.
Me: "This guy presents the classic 'the world is divided into two groups but both are wrong and I can provide the solution!' Western mentality that has so permeated our society as to be a virtual cliche. Pwned!"
Anyway, if you've heard of this book let me know what you think.
"JIhad and McWorld operate with equal strength in oposite directions, the one driven by parochial hatreds, the other by universalizing markets, the one re-creating ancient subnational and ethnic borders from within, the other making national borders porous from without."
"It has not been too difficult to contrive a civil religion for Americans...but for Basques and Normans? What need have they for anything but blood and memory? And what of Alsatians, Bavarians, and East Prussians? Kurds, Ossetians, East Timorese, Quebecois, Abkhazians, Catalonians, Tamils, Inkatha Zulus...people trying to seal themselves off not just from others but from modernity? These are frightened tribes running not to but from civic faith in search of something more palpable and electrifying."
and without further adieu...
"Even the internet has its neo-Nazi bulletin boards and Turk-trashing Armenian "flamers" (who assail every use of the word turkey, fair and fowl alike, so to speak), so that the abstractions of cyberspace too are infected with a peculiar and rabid cultural territoriality all their own."
Naturally I put to rest all hype, paranoia, and self-made messiah that Barber puts himself off as. I remember class discussion being laughable. "Yeah, I guess he is right...McWorld is bad." "Who? Why do they need a country?"
Me: "These people need their own countries because of centuries and centuries of persecution that exists up until this day - especially Abkhaz and Ossetians who experience what is essentially Jim Crow-like discrimination in Georgia."
Prof: Blank stare.
Me: "And where does this guy get off comparing Neo-nazis to Armenians? Armenians were victims of genocide by Turks - wouldn't you be pissed if major world powers didn't acknowledge this so that they could continue their own blood wars? That's like saying xxxs shouldn't be mad at Nazis!"
Prof: Blank stare.
Me: "This guy presents the classic 'the world is divided into two groups but both are wrong and I can provide the solution!' Western mentality that has so permeated our society as to be a virtual cliche. Pwned!"
Anyway, if you've heard of this book let me know what you think.
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