The Divided West a Liability

And at this key juncture the West stands disunited. Condi Rice told the Senate that the "time for diplomacy is now." Give me a break. The time for diplomacy was two years ago. We would be so much better off now if the entire European Union was actively urging Iraqis to vote, and using its own moral legitimacy in the Arab world to delegitimize the insurgents. The divided West is a real liability. Thomas Friedman

I've been feeling like a prisoner lately: Tied to my computer and the new book that is formulating in my head. The one, which should be pouring out of me this semester before I return to work outside my home in the fall. Whatever I do, wherever I go I am thinking about what I should be writing - and - February deadlines! (Can you only imagine what "fun-with-the-blog" is doing to my anxiety level?)

I read Thomas Friedman in this morning's New York Times. How on earth can he say "the divided West is a real liability?"  And that "Condi" should have thought about this two years ago?

I want to yell out a huge DUH!

In fact I am a prisoner of political frustration.

Emotions are, oh, so important. As an early childhood educator I know just how important they are. In fact, my next book is all about how teachers' emotional development affect their interactions and behaviors with children's expression of feelings. But fear of terrorism and "insurgents" who, by the way, used to be called guerrillas or freedom fighters when I was young seems to be causing ignorance like a cloud, a plague, a disease to multiply in the brains and minds of otherwise intelligent people.

(From The New York Times "Quotation of the Day," today: Let me tell you something important. As long as my country is under occupation, I feel that my vote means nothing. WALID MUHAMMAD, the imam of a major Sunni mosque in Iraq.)

Having breakfast with Dan and Cynthia yesterday we laughed about Bush talking about "spreading freedom." I mean the image is so humorous it makes me cry.

Comments

[Cheryl]

The statement “But fear of terrorism and "insurgents" who, by the way, used to be called guerrillas or freedom fighters when I was young seems to be causing ignorance like a cloud, a plague, a disease to multiply in the brains and minds of otherwise intelligent people.” reminded me of a stage a few years ago, well maybe more than a few, when parents and teachers were attempting to make kids ‘safe’ by talking to them about stranger danger. Of course children need to be taught about potential dangers but the way adults were bombarding children with these massages instilled both fear and the potential for much bias. I’ve never thought of it before reading this BLOG but of course any cultural message that ‘we need to fear others’ will inevitably, and very subtly, lead even “otherwise intelligent people” to act in ignorant ways.

[Tamar]

Yes! That is exactly what I am talking about. All I ask is that we are aware of mind-manipulations and that we constantly ask questions of our leaders. Terminologies are always tied up in bias. On another note - I bet you have less snow than us?