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steve
管理人員
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Posted -
2001/9/10 上午 10:05:24
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Whats the official church view?
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Cecil
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Posted -
2001/9/11 下午 05:14:36
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By that, do you mean the view(s) apart from that of Fr. Hans Kung?
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Cecil
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Posted -
2001/9/11 下午 05:15:50
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If you are also interested in my humble view, I will say a few words.
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steve
管理人員
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Posted -
2001/9/12 上午 12:00:33
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Well thats a strange answer indeed cecilia.
I dont suppose Hans kung's opinion is the church official opinion.
I am collecting research material on the ethical implication on globalization. The church is obviously very uncomfortatble about it.
Some say globalization is a new form of colonialism. Some say its the tyranny of capitalism fully blown........
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steve
管理人員
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Posted -
2001/9/12 上午 12:14:10
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Sorry, it is Cecil not Cecilia, I was confused.
Of course, am grateful to any comments. I am in the process of writing a dissertation on social ethics and globalization. I d like to know the rationals behind pro and anti-globalization and where does the church stand?
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Cecil
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Posted -
2001/9/12 下午 03:16:37
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Well, Cecil or Cecilia, just a nickname for logging in purpose.
I am not aware of the "official" Church stand. However, globalization is really controversial. A couple of ideas may be worth pondering about - it is a by-product of free capitalism, and ostensibly advocates fairness of competition. It is foward looking, so if you start off on the level playing field, you can't really turn back - like the WTO, if you join, you have to play strictly by the rules of the game, which is not up to your own choice or preference. Hence, you are virtually being "driven" to compete.
That said, competition is a compulsory ingredient under this set up. Note that it does not otherwise qualify competition. Its sense of "fairness", however, is very arbitrary - those IN POWER sets the rules of the game. Others are but to follow. Take it or leave it.
Remember, too, that competition is NOT necessarily the only way to progress. Cooperation is an equally, if not more efficacious, alternative, but it is out of place in this game.
So, in the long run, humanity will be driven to slashing each other's throats. Just like the terrorists - you have World Trade Tower, I bomb it. You have the Pentagon, I slash it. It is just like worshipping Bebel tower. Yes, globalization in many ways tantamount to the Bebel Tower.
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steve
管理人員
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Posted -
2001/9/12 下午 04:22:46
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How shock that we now learn that even terrorism can be globalized with the help of technology, the whole world ( globe ) is witnessing this tragedy.
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靚仔
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Posted -
2001/9/14 上午 09:51:27
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On my understanding, the church is for the "real" globalization. she is againsting the "elite economic globalization."
inline with the church teachings on development and solidarity, the world is one family, so globalization is a logical result.
Good topics for a thesis. You can get some info from the last issue of the "Justice and Peace" by the J&P Comission.
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steve
管理人員
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Posted -
2001/9/14 上午 11:08:18
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Thanks buddy, I will take a look. Do u mind to drop me a mail so that I can call u directly? I still feel quite lost. I can be reached at steve.kwan@db.com
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steve
管理人員
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Posted -
2001/9/18 下午 12:55:20
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Finally, a good piece from apply daily.
Globalization can take any form?
Globalization = Americanization?
頭 號 公 敵 正 是 美 國 日期 : 2001年09月18日
綠 田 園 基 金 理 事 周 兆 祥
如果你們（美國人）甘願終生辛勞冒那麼大的風險排除萬難，甚至不惜犧牲生命來完成任，可想而知，你們內心積聚的憤怨是多麼大，無奈感是多麼強，對世情已經如何絕望。連你們仍然清醒的心理學家也指出，這些行動不是反社會的瘋子或病態的懦夫行為，而是智勇雙全、有理想有幹勁的不凡人物的傑作。
以為自己替天行道
過去整整半個世紀，美國以公義之名在各地作威作福，由韓戰到越戰到海灣戰爭，一直相信自己是在替天行道，從未留意到世人雖然受到大美國主義文化洗腦，仍然大致上良心未泯、眼睛雪亮、冷眼旁觀，不是在搖首歎息，就是敢怒而不敢言。
與此同時，你們大肆製造污染破壞、浪費地球資源，還將建公路網、吃漢堡包、用完即棄的美國生活方式外銷，成功征服了大部分世界各地的文化。再加上你們大力推銷的核電工業和基因改造工程，使你們成為全人類甚至眾生的公敵。早在二三十年前我已經指出，美國人將會是毀滅我們孫兒孫女的頭號敵人。
當然，九月十一日的以萬計在貴國死傷的平民是很無辜的，我十分同情他們，但是我也十分同情過去五十年來以千萬甚以億計直接間接死於貴國的槍炮、農藥、香煙、漢堡包、汽水等等同樣無辜的南美洲人、亞洲人、非洲人，他們的犧牲絕少得到CN報道，也不會出現在香港的電視螢幕和報章上而引起香港人的廣泛同情。
如果貴國和傳媒仍然叫九月十一日做「恐怖主義」，叫發動者為「兇徒」，證明大家仍然未走出無知自大的濃霧，人類與眾生繼續岌岌可危。
傷害平民是絕不值得嘉許的行為，但是對於久遭壓迫、身陷絕境的人民來說，國際社會沒有給他們比較可以接受的翻身途徑。他們自己、家人、社區一直以來因你們而吃的苦頭以及目前的窘境，比你們此刻的哀痛，至少十倍百倍。
貴國二百多年前立國的精神既崇高又開風氣之先，值得全人類景仰。倘若美國精神、美國文化果然是非一般見識、文明水平高於你們譴責的一輩，那麼懇請你們率先走出冤冤相報的惡性循環。不是說「To err is human, to forgive, divine」（人皆有錯，能寬恕才是神聖的做法）嗎？
忘 記 過 去 重 建 和 平
消滅敵人的最佳方法是化對方為朋友，你們品格崇高、眼光遠大、胸襟廣闊、識見不凡，請伸出橄欖枝，向對方說讓咱們忘記過去，重建和平的全球文明，這樣百分之百會流芳百世，贏得全人類的掌聲。
此時此刻，地球上每一條小蟲每一隻雀鳥每一個人都在顫慄，擔心你們報復的怒火搞出世界末日。一直以來大家早已知道美國總統掌握人類歷史上最強大的殺傷能力，為此誠惶誠恐。請你們理解我們在美國死亡陰影之下掙扎的心情。
很想你們知道，現在全世界數十億人正在分擔你們受襲之後的哀痛，理解你們受襲之後的心理創傷，大家更在焚香祝禱你們秉持的公義、和平、博愛精神終於勝利——不是用轟炸或制裁之類的蠻力而得到，而是寬恕（愛的真正行動）、祝福。
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Cecil
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Posted -
2001/9/18 下午 03:19:26
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哇,好精彩的文章。
不過,亦不要以為美國一個就代表了所有的污染和荼毒。業師霍韜晦教授早於十年前已大聲疾呼,說人類在當代的西方文化帶動下,將步向滅亡 - 地球死亡,人類互相滅絕,絕症流行。這全非危言聳聽!
是的,事後孔明不值錢,但他老早十多年已不斷提點著我們這些後學了。
美國人民始終是具高質素的;受過教訓亦會很快反省。看看他們怎樣手望相助,如何團結一致,就明白為何人家是第一了。
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steve
管理人員
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Posted -
2001/9/18 下午 04:47:50
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Well, that I cannot agree with your last comment about the Americans.
Especially in the context of globalization, the Americans are " forcing" the rest of the world to follow and punish whoever is in their way.
Thier globalization, as mentioned in the above text, range from fast food to computer operating systems....hollywood to human rights.....
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Cecil
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Posted -
2001/9/18 下午 05:13:00
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Well, Steve, the Americans really stand for a set of value. That much I agree. Because they are economically strong and politically aggressive, they are being viewed as an aggressor.
However, if with God's grace, they 'sell' a different set of values - that of true equality, true liberty, higher sense of economic freedom, I am pretty certain that they could do it equally efficiently, or even more so.
I remember when I visited India in 1995, I saw many relics from the time of the empire of the mighty 阿育皇(King Ashoka), the one who really pushed Buddhism to its summit. If the leaders are after a set of true values (for Christians we call it the divine truth of God),I think it could be the best ever thing that could happen on earth!
So let us instead of just condemning the adverse values of the great Americanism, also begin to evangelise true faith and its true values.
Let peace begin with each of us.
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a.l.
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Posted -
2001/9/27 下午 02:38:13
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It seems to me that the advocates against globalization have confused about the ORIGIN of the sufferings of the poor people in the less-developed countries.
First, we need to acknowledge that the sufferings as well as the poverty of these poor countries are NOT CAUSED by the Americans ( or any other capitalist nations). In most cases, the poverty in these countries are actually the direct consequences of their own political turmoil.
If we look at the poorest nations in the world today, we shall find out that the most common reason for poverty is because of civil war within their own countries. Political parties fighting against political parties. Different races and ethnic groups against each other. Different religious extremist fighting against each other.
And many of these countries are so poor because they themselves have established many many unreasonable political policies.
It is true that we catholics should have a lot of compassion and sympathy to the minorities, and the less fortunate people in our world. Christ asked us to stay with the "outcasts" - the lepers, the tax collectors, the prostitutes, and the gentiles.....This is true. And this is good too!
Yet we as catholics should not let our compassion to the poor be transformed to a "reverse discrimination" against the richer people.
I think our compassion to the poor should not make us confused about the origin of the sufferings of these poor people. We should remember , in most instances, the Mcdonalds and other "American cultural icons" are actually being attracted to these poor nations because of their "good" nature. Americans did not "force to open" a Mcdonald in any poor country.
Americans have not pointed their guns and missiles to these nations and then "Americanize" them.
On the contrary, it is these poor nations who are attracted to these icons themselves that make these "capitalist American businesses" so sucessful in their nations.
A typical example for this will be the McDonalds and KFC opening in Beijing many years ago.
People from Beijing actually choose on their own free will to use one month of their salary to buy a hamburger of a piece of fried chicken.
If we analyze this phenonmenon, then we shall find out that it is actually the "good image" and the "good food" which actually attracts people to these American icons. They are not FORCED with a gun in their head to "Americanize". They are attracted to do so.
One of the most EVIL temptations being produced by
the terrorist in WTC bombing is that we agree with them that the cause of their sufferings is being CAUSED by Americans.
This is NOT true.
And we should not fall into the trap of these terrorists.
Please think about this. What do the terrorist want most ??
My answer to this will be : They want the world to admit that their own sufferings are caused by Americans.
Personally, I think this is extrememly unresponsible. Because, in most cases, their sufferings are the cause of their own doings.( Or more precisely, I should say their sufferings is caused by NO ONE at all. It just happens. No one is responsible.) But those terrorist intend to shift the blame of their sufferings to Americans.
This is unfair. And also far from the truth.
Many of these extreme muslims countries do not allow woman to work, and they do not allow society to function normally by prohibiting many forms of businesses( like electronics or music....) and they even forbid their citizens to receive proper education. Their poverty is actually the cause of their own fault.
Yes, they are poor and unfortunate.
And maybe they also have no way out of their poverty.
As catholics, we should have a lot of compassion and sympathy to them, especially the civilians, who have nothing to do with the policies of their countries. And if we can, we should also do something to help them too.
But.....we really should not let out compassion be "manipulated" by these terrorists and begin a sort of "reverse discrimination" against the rich.
Afterall the gospel of our Lord is for ALL people, the gospel is not only for the poor, but also for the rich as well.
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steve
管理人員
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Posted -
2001/9/28 上午 01:26:14
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There you are, when you are warning us not to fall into the trap of terrorism, you yourself have fallen into the trap of the ' American ' values.
I am by no means anti-American. I have a colleague who is still 'missing' in the WTC tragedy during a client visit. i would not hesitate in joining the world to condemn terrorism.
But I suppose we should also look beyond our T.V. screen. We are at the mercy of the media. We all feel the pain and shock of the Americans when we watched the disaster as if we were right there at the scene. But what about those ( Iraqis or whoever, no one cares really ) who have lost their families when the mighty Americans bombed their homes. Who can share their feelings when it is never reported?
That is one of the many short comings of globalization. As in this case, whoever controls the media controls the heart of its audience.
And needless to say.... cultural and economical aspects of globalization that we should all take a closer look.
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steve
管理人員
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Posted -
2001/9/28 上午 11:18:36
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A young boy has no one but himself to blame for killing himself because of not having enough money to buy a pair of Air Jordon ( Nike sneakers )???
He should blame himself, his parents, his school perhaps, his peers, his brought up, his family values, society, culture, government???
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steve
管理人員
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Posted -
2001/9/28 下午 02:04:43
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Or should he blame the world?
I cannot figure yet how all these can relate systematically. But it will be an over simplification to say : Nike has not put a gun against his head and force him to buy. Similarly, it would be heartless to say : He chooses vanity out of his own "free" will.
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a.l.
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Posted -
2001/9/28 下午 05:12:26
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Dear Steve,
I understand your concern to represent the voice of the 'un-spoken' and 'un-represented' minorities. In fact, in this area, I am 100% with you.
However, the logic in your examples is something that I might not agree.
With all respect, please allow me to discuss my humble opinion to your examples.
Before I go on, please do not take this as any personal attack on you. By no way this is what I intended to do. It is purely a mature discussion on the topic. OK? No hard feelings?? Nothing personal, ok? Just an expression of different opinions among fellow friends and brothers and sisters in Christ... ok?
In your examples of the Iraqis who have been bombed by the American bombs.
You said who can share their feelings when it is never reported.
I agree, if those American bombs are mistakenly being bombed at the civilian target, then this will be a tremendous pain and sufferings for those Iraqis, especially if the victims are innocent by-standers who just crossed the road of history in the wrong time.
There is nothing that can logically express our dis-satisfaction on the mis-fortune that happened to these innocent victims. And the Americans are wrong in killing innocent civilians, no doubt about it.
But to be true to the historical fact, we need to understand why do the Americans bombed Iraq in the first place. If it is not Sadam Heussin and his Military forces who invaded Kuwait first.....why should America bombed them?
If anyone wants to speak for the unspoken victims in Iraq....then who will speak for the many many other unspoken victims in Kuwait ???
What about the many many innocent Kuwait childrens who have been slaughtered and raped by the Iraqis ??? Who will speak for them ?
Yes, America is not the "infinite justice" who she claims she is. Only God is the infinite justice. And there is no doubt that the United States is having selfish motives in the gulf war.
But if anyone is to be blamed.....then it is the Iraqis who have to be blamed themselves first.
If the Iraqi government did not commit such un-humane acts of war on Kuwait first, why would any country bomb Iraq ?
As for the victims in the bombings....if they are thinking with their mind and not with their emotions, then they should actually blame the Iraqi givernment, and not the Unites States.
Because afterall, the actions of terror originates from Iraq. It does not originates from the U.S. It is the Iraqis themselves who started this war first. It is the Iraqis who murdered innocent victims first. Sin and evil originates from Iraq first.
The Americans are actually speaking for the "unspoken" victims of Kuwait. Please think about this.....if these crazy Iraqi murderers and invaders are not stopped....how many more innocent people will be killed by them ?
Yes, war....in any way is a "dirty" and "un-godly" thing. No matter which side we are on, the good or the bad.....war is often the most dirtiest violent evil of all.
But sometimes, the use of military power to protect ourselves and to protect other innocent victims are inevitable. Not that I like war, I hate it. But if another country start a war against an innocent country. Should'nt someone do something to stop these ambitous 'Hitlers' ?
In the WTC bombing, our pope also said he 'understands' the U.S. actions if America is to use military force to protect herself.
Well.......I do not agree with war. I hate war as much as you do, steve. But I think we should understand it. Just like Pope John Paul II did. Particularly if this war is for the good purpose - to defend against the evil.
As for your Nike example - the same line of thought can be applied.
Nike shoes - by all means - is just a pair of sneakers. Nike shoes is not EVIL in itself.
Nike shoes is a neutral thing. Sin does not originate from these Nike shoes.
Sin originates from the boy.
And yes.....the young boy should be the number one person to be blamed.
Maybe I can use back our catholic example to show you what I mean.
In the garden of Eden, there is that tree which God planted. That "apple" tree.
The tree is a dead thing. Actually , that particular tree is nothing different from any other tree in heaven. But God said to Adam and Eve not to touch this tree.
Now....where do sin originates from? Does sin come from the tree? Or does sin come from the God who planted the tree there? NO!
Sin comes from man. Sin comes from man's weakness to withstand the temptation of Satan.
The tree should not be blamed. God who planted the tree there should not be blamed too.
In fact, in my personal opinion, although Satan is to be blamed at some extent for providing the environment for man to sin.
The number one person who is to be blamed is afterall - man ourselves.
The same apply to Nike. The Nike sneakers are not to be blamed - just like the tree.
The people who produces the Nike are not to be blamed too - like God who produce the tree.
Yes - the society's over-emphasis on a materialistic world is to be blamed - like Satan.
But afterall - it is the boy - ( the Adam and Eve ) who is the number 1 person who is to be blamed.
Because Sin originates from this Boy. Just like sin originates from Adam and Eve ( or mankind ) And the "origin" of sin - Iraq, the young boy, and Mankind( Adam and Eve) should be the number ONE party who is to be blamed for the evil afterwards.
Do you agree, Steve? What do you think of my analysis ?
Of course, the origin of sin is still a very heated topic in theology. And I think there is no consensus yet on this too. I do not know if I am correct. But I remember I saw some books which said this is still a mystery, is it true? I will try to do some research on this later. Do you have any insight on this?
The topic of sin is one of my weakest area in my understanding of Catholicism. It is such a huge topic. Right now, I am still working on my understanding of faith- what we should do. I am not that advance to work on sin- what we should not do -- yet. Steve , if you have any valuable insight or if you find any flaw in my discussion, please teach me and share your thoughts with us. Please ? : )
I am very sad for your friend who are missing in WTC. I will remember to pray for your friend tonight. May God bless your friend.
Sincerely, Anthony. ( A.L. )
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Cecil
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Posted -
2001/9/28 下午 05:35:49
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The answers are not simple, as a.l., or any one here has put them. Yes, they are all wrapped up - no over-simplification can explain the phenomenon. Americans are not philanthropists, even if they would LIKE to see themselves so. This is because they have employed the WRONG MEANS to achieve this end (if this IS their end). Politics are always present in this world, so if we say poverty IS a result of politicis, I think this is very foolish. One major aim of politicians IS to enrich their own country, themselves, and so stay in power for ever more. So if one nation wants to 'conquer' the other, they need NOT use force of arms - they can just "overwhelm" the other by economic means. So politics and economy are inseperably interlinked with each other.
Like Afghanistan, I think this is a most unfortunate nation. You just CANNOT say that its people brought the plight upon themselves - the country is strategically situated. All the great powers want to control this country for their own benefit. This is NOT of the Afghans' own doing or choosing! Of course, the Americans are now turning around and "use" the northerners to fight Taliban, whom they "used" to assist to oppose the northerners. So you see that in politics, there is simply NO righteous principle. MIGHT IS RIGHT there.
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Cecil
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Posted -
2001/9/28 下午 06:16:19
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Furthermore, I don't think one or two isolated incident or "example" will suffice to explain the plight that have been brought upon the different political entities.
If we as Catholics stand up for justice and righteousness, I think it is vital that we bear in mind that we are NOT alone in this world. Leave a space for the others, live and let live. If we manage to bear this firmly in mind, then it is not that difficult to penetrate the different moves wrapped up in different guises by politicians of different nations. Here is an exceprt from a E Mail that I got circulated shortly after 9.11 (Anthony may be upset by it, but even so, I think he should come to know of it):
"..."I selected a book for the purpose of teaching 'citizen responsibility': "Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything our American History Testbook Got Wrong" by James W. Loewen. ISBN: 06848-18868. It confirmed what I knew: our political leaders lie to us; they do that becasue they look at the latest pools, beacuse they are shortsighted, or because {i leave this open for your own anser}. The Europeans have known that for eons, they consider thier politicains as - well! - scumbags. And they are afriad of "war campaigns" because of the lingering draft. The US is, in its essence, a by-product of Western Europe's plitics. Therefore, no wonder if our own politicians, and our presidents who reached to the op, are MANIPULATORS. It takes guts, and disaster to get out and, like the kind the Andersen's tale, shout that the emperor is naked, that we fed snakes which com back and bite us, that our evanelists are just aas fanatic (or worse) than some crazy islamists, that "who sows a wind harvests a tempest". (Larry Mosqueda, Ph.D., The Evergreen State College, on 15.9.2001)
The, "Like all Americans, on 9-11, I was shocked and hoorified to watch the WTC Twin Towers attacked by hijackers planes and callpse, resulting in the deaths of perhaps up to 10,000 innocent people.
I had not been that shocked and horrified since 16 Jan. 1991, when the then President Cush attacked Baghdad, and the rst of Iraq and began killing 200,000 poeple during that "war" (sluaghter). This includes the infamous "highway of death" in the last days fo the slaughter when US pilots literally shot in the back retreating Iraqi civilians and soldiers. ...Over the course of my lige I have been shocked and hoorified by a variety of US governmental actions, which as the US psonsored coup against democracy in Guatemala in 1954 which resulted int he deaths over 120,000 loval pesnats....Last Teusdya's evnets reminded me of the shock and horror I flet in 1973 when the US overthrew the government of Chile and helped to murder 30,000 people, INCLUDING US citizens. 9-11 reminded me of the shock and horror I felt in 1965 when the US sponsored a coup in Indonesia resulting in the mruder of over 800,000 people and later in 1975 a slaughter of over 250,000 innoccent people in East timor with the direct complicity of Presidnet Ford and SS Henry Kissinger.
...Of course, the largest and most shocking war xcrime of the 2nd half of the 20thc, is the US assult of Indochina from 1954-1975 exp. Vietnam, where OVER 4 MILLION people were bombed, nanlmed, crushed, shot and individually "hands on" murdered in the 'Phoenix Program'....The above list is by no means complete or comprehensive. It is merely a list that is easily accessible and not unknown, expecially to the econoic and intellectual elites. It HAS JUST BEEN CONVENIENTLY ELIMINATED FROM THE PUBLIC DISCOURSE AND PUBLIC CONSICOUSNESS. A conservative number of those who have been killed by US terror and military action since WWII is over 8 MILLION people. Repeat - 8 MILLION people. this does not include the wounded, the imprisoned, the displaced, the refugees, etc. Martin Luther King. Jr. stated 1967, during the Vietnam War, "My government is the WORLD's LEADING PRUVEYOR OF VILOENCE". Shocking and horrifying.
Given the government' track record of lying to its people, Osama Bin Laden being the mastermind of 9-11 should not be accepted as fact at this point of time. If indeed his is the mastermind, he is responsible for the deaths of perhaps 10,00 people - a shocking and horrible crime. Ed Herman in his book The Real Terror Network: Terrorism in Fact asnd Propaganda does not jsutify any terrorsim but points out that states often engage in :wholesale; terror, while those whom governments define as "terrorits' engage in 'retail' terrorism. While qualiftatively they result in the smae, there is a clear QUANTITATIVE difference. And as Herman and others point out, the seeds, the roots, of much of the 'retail; terror are in fact FOUND in the 'wholesale'terror of states.Again, this is not to jsutify, in anyw aym, the actions of 9-11, but TO PUT THEM IN A CONTEXT AND SUGGEST AN EXPLANATION....A shocking as the events were, thjey are likely to geenrate even more horrific actions by the US government that will add significantly to the 8 million figure stated above. This response may well be qualitatively and quantitatively worst than the events of 9-11. The NY TImes headline of 9/14/01 states that, :Bush and Top Aides Proclaim Policy of Ending States That Back Terror" as if that was a rationale, measured, or even same option. States that have been identigied for possible elimination are "a number of Asian and African countries, like Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan, and even Pakistan" This is beyond shocking and horrific - it is just as potentially sucidal, homicial, and more insame thatn the hijackers themselves.
The reatail terror is that of desperate and sometimes fanatical small groups and individuals who often have legitimate grievances, but engage in individual criminal and illegitimate activities; the whole terror is that of 'rational' educated men, where the pain, suffering, the dearths of millions of poeple are contemplated, planned and too often, executed, for the purpose of further ing a nebulous convept called the "national interest".
...None of the previously identified Asian and African countries are democracies, which means that the people of these coutnreis have virtucally no impact on deve,oping the policies of their govts. When one examines the recent history of these countries, one will FIND THAT THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT HAD DIRECT AND INDIRECT INFLUENCES ON CREATING THE CONDITIONS FOR THE EXISTENCE OF some of these governments. This is espcially true of the Taliban government itself....In a few short pages it is impossible to delineate all of the events described over the past week or to give a comprehensive accountign of US foreign policy. Please read and see; http://www.fair.org
Links on Middle East: http://al-awda.org/newtork/links.html
For background read (by N. Chomsky) "Necessary Illusions: Though Control in Democratic Societies"; "Fateful Triange: The United States, ISreal and Pleastinians"; "Deterring Democracy"; "Chronicles of dissent"."
Well, Steve and Al, hope the above is informative.
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steve
管理人員
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Posted -
2001/9/28 下午 09:39:50
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We are a bit carried away, aren’t we? This is not a place for politics. Nevertheless, where there is human society, there is politics.
I am really glad that the rubbish I posted up would attract such deep and thoughtful response from both A.L. and Cecil.
A.L. has a strong sense of right and wrong. (e.g. one need to identify who makes the wrong move first to determine who should be penalized; Iraqi invaded Kuwait first and it doesn’t matter who bombed Iraq, Iraqi has no right to complain) or (e.g. between Nike and the boy, it must be the boy who is sinful). This line of thinking is safe and conventional.
There I am committing the crime of oversimplification again.
But I tend to agree with Cecil : “You just CANNOT say that its people brought the plight upon themselves” To say Iraqi cannot blame the Americans because their country invaded Kuwait is to say a boy should be punished by the authority because his father is a thief. Or may be I should stop using analogy because I am so bad at it all the time.
My intention is not to identify where the finger should point. It is so difficult to judge anyway. I just wish the discussion can move back to where it begins : Globalization. Going back to Nike, there are a lot of interesting points to note. Just to name a few :
Globalization helps multinational companies to pave its way across national boundaries through the help of international organizations who safeguard successful penetration. These super law makers are above national laws.
Or
Globalization advocates the need for every nation to tear down its wall so that higher walls can be built to protect the interests of multinational corporations.
Or
Globalization means reducing restrictions on those who are already rich and powerful, and strengthening the walls which imprison the poorest and the most vulnerable
Or
Globalization homogenizes and imposes its cultures and values. It has no mercy on the diversity of products, culture, ideas, the way that individuals, communities and nations organize their economic and social lives….
And the discussion can go on and on
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steve
管理人員
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Posted -
2001/9/28 下午 09:42:06
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We better stop posting because the theology police might come after us. ( for those who can post in Chinese, please do so )
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