Michael Pollak wrote:
>
> On Wed, 10 Apr 2002, Gar Lipow wrote:
>
> > > And if you really think that the Palestinians will get the Israelis to
> > > dismantle the settlements and go back to 67 borders by being nice,
> > > nonviolent, and civilized, you are a fool.
> >
> > Him and Edward Said.
>
> And also Eqbal Ahmad and Noam Chomsky. In the excellent book of
> interviews that David Barsamian did with him before he died (_Eqbal Ahmad:
> Confronting Empire_. NB: when searching, author=Barsamian), Ahmad
> describes how all three told Arafat to his face several times,
> individually and as a group, insistently and repeatedly, starting in 1968
> and continuing for the next 25 years, that it was his historic mission to
> become a Gandhi, and that any other strategy would be self-defeating.
Yes, "become a Gandhi." This implies a number of things.
1) That the populace stop actively participating in politics and turn all decision-making over to the "Maximum Leader."
2) That no independent decisions on the part of any individuals, local groups, etc. occur
3) That the powers-that-be do not interfere in the lines of communication between "Maximum Leader" and the "Msses," who simply become a passive tool in the hands of the "Maximum Leader," who not only knows the good but knows that "The Masses" would never, on their own, be able to grasp "The Good."
And the result is the bloodshed that is currently occuring in what should be "India" (a secular state of Muslims, Hindus, Christians, atheists, etc.) but which is Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, thanks to a liberation strategy which expelled the masses from politics.
Carrol