[lbo-talk] Orientalism: the American Remix

[Dennis Redmond]

I respect Jeremy Scahill enormously for his take-down of Blackwater
and critique of the US Terror War, but he's completely and utterly
wrong about Libya:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036789/ns/msnbc_tv-morning_joe/#44255475

His main argument is that NATO defeated Qaddafi (not true), that the
rebels are former regime bosses (not true, the young people drove this
revolution), Islamists (a Rightwing smear with no evidence at all),
and "tribal players" (Libya has no @$% tribes, it's a middle-income,
literate, urbanized society, where people drive cars, watch TV and
work in offices). This is our old friend, Orientalism, where a bunch
of First Worlders drivel on about societies they can't be bothered to
do a basic Google check on.

I'm beginning to think that certain US progressives hate and fear the
Arab Spring as much as the US neocons do. Which makes sense, since it
means the end of their Empire's rule over the Middle East.

-- DRR