Return of the Prodigal Daughter
I know, I know, it's been forever since I posted. Initially it was due to poor health and teaching load, but then—as many of you know—it became like a room that really needs painting: you want to paint it, you have the paint, you moved out all the furniture, but due to circumstances became sidetracked, and then find it extremely hard to resume. Then you feel guilty for not painting, and find other things to do, like cleaning out closets. It becomes a vicious cycle of guilt and regret that nothing short of sheer will (and maybe psychoanalysis) will break.
So it is a new semester and year, thus a fresh start.
I'm teaching Oedipus Rex by Sophocles this semester, and it never fails to provoke the thought that humankind has not learned much in 3000 years about the narcosis of power, and what it leads to: exile and a willful blindness, in order to not face the truth of what a fine mess the misuse of power and resulting hubris has wrought. Sometimes I feel like the United States is a figurative Oedipus, exiled from much of the world community and becoming so insular, it leads to "a blindness" of sorts, a reluctance to accept criticism or truth. Oedipus threatens to either torture or kill those who come to him bearing truth (fearing that they are trying to destroy him or usurp his crown); our government bullies the UN (which has its own power issues) or NATO or governments that disagree with our policies. Presently, we are in a dust up with NATO, who has repeatedly indicated over the past six years that the U.S. has not dedicated enough troops to fighting the Taliban (most returning U.S. vets from Afghanistan state the same). So, in a classic example of hubris, Defense Secretary Gates launched a salvo at NATO, implying that we are now sending 3000 marines to the country because the NATO forces 'do not know how to fight a guerrilla war.' I'm sure that our stunning success in Iraq before the surge, and perhaps even with the surge, fighting a guerrilla war impresses NATO commanders. And I'm sure that British forces, who have fought guerrilla wars around the globe for over a century, were especially impressed! We risk further "exile" if we anger NATO partners to the point they decide to reduce their respective troop strength.
Because of the impending presidential election, and because of the interminable campaigning and primary season, a lot of the recent government's machinations regarding Afghanistan have gone unnoticed. We, the public, are blinded by power too.
The election, the primaries, and especially what happened in Michigan are for another post.
I know, I know, it's been forever since I posted. Initially it was due to poor health and teaching load, but then—as many of you know—it became like a room that really needs painting: you want to paint it, you have the paint, you moved out all the furniture, but due to circumstances became sidetracked, and then find it extremely hard to resume. Then you feel guilty for not painting, and find other things to do, like cleaning out closets. It becomes a vicious cycle of guilt and regret that nothing short of sheer will (and maybe psychoanalysis) will break.
So it is a new semester and year, thus a fresh start.
I'm teaching Oedipus Rex by Sophocles this semester, and it never fails to provoke the thought that humankind has not learned much in 3000 years about the narcosis of power, and what it leads to: exile and a willful blindness, in order to not face the truth of what a fine mess the misuse of power and resulting hubris has wrought. Sometimes I feel like the United States is a figurative Oedipus, exiled from much of the world community and becoming so insular, it leads to "a blindness" of sorts, a reluctance to accept criticism or truth. Oedipus threatens to either torture or kill those who come to him bearing truth (fearing that they are trying to destroy him or usurp his crown); our government bullies the UN (which has its own power issues) or NATO or governments that disagree with our policies. Presently, we are in a dust up with NATO, who has repeatedly indicated over the past six years that the U.S. has not dedicated enough troops to fighting the Taliban (most returning U.S. vets from Afghanistan state the same). So, in a classic example of hubris, Defense Secretary Gates launched a salvo at NATO, implying that we are now sending 3000 marines to the country because the NATO forces 'do not know how to fight a guerrilla war.' I'm sure that our stunning success in Iraq before the surge, and perhaps even with the surge, fighting a guerrilla war impresses NATO commanders. And I'm sure that British forces, who have fought guerrilla wars around the globe for over a century, were especially impressed! We risk further "exile" if we anger NATO partners to the point they decide to reduce their respective troop strength.
Because of the impending presidential election, and because of the interminable campaigning and primary season, a lot of the recent government's machinations regarding Afghanistan have gone unnoticed. We, the public, are blinded by power too.
The election, the primaries, and especially what happened in Michigan are for another post.
posted by mariestaad at 11:23 AM
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