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Said's rabid hatred of America

Reader comment on item: [Middle East Studies:] Wasted Money

Submitted by Antonio Chaves (United States), Jun 24, 2003 at 19:45

Some liberal friends of mine tried to introduce me to Said's "Orientalism." I gave up on this unreadable God-awful book after the first five pages, but to give Said the benefit of a doubt, I looked up some of his essays on the internet. Although his leftism did not surprise me, I was taken aback by his extreme statements with regards to the U.S. military intervention in the Balkans (Where he suggests that Bill Clinton is worse than Milosevic!).

I was puzzled that Said reacted with so much bile against a humanitarian use of force, with no gain for the U.S. interests (a "liberals" war). Now with the recent article by Kurtz jogging my memory on Said, the answer hit me like a diamond bullet: Said hates America so much, that he could not bear the sight of Arabs praising America for using force to defend those poor Muslims in Europe. His hatred of America is so perverse, that this rankled his sensibilites more than anything that could more easily be construed as American"imperialism."
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Reader comments (22) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Misgivings [209 words]Peter HerzApr 21, 2011 16:01184478
1Orientalism [604 words]Fred BaehrApr 19, 2011 03:14184414
2India's predicament is much worse [63 words]S.C,PandaJul 25, 2003 07:0610234
my experience with ME and its study [302 words]Jeff R.Jul 3, 2003 02:169856
International Studies? Funding for Whom? [302 words]Gary GoodeJul 2, 2003 10:479834
middle east studies:wasted money [10 words]barbara weinsteinJun 28, 2003 23:399765
Whom does Hoekstra represent? [25 words]Mark ChulskyJun 27, 2003 10:359756
Title VI [174 words]Jack SalemJun 26, 2003 22:339754
Academic departments of Middle East Studies [8 words]Henry E WellingtonJun 25, 2003 21:329746
I wrote to Hoekstra, you should too [176 words]John HadjiskyJun 25, 2003 14:569745
Useful article [25 words]Martin WeinsteinJun 25, 2003 13:039742
Title VI needs oversight [137 words]Dr. Laina Farhat-HolzmanJun 25, 2003 11:429741
Politicalization of middle eastern studies [82 words]Dr. Mark PinsonJun 25, 2003 10:329739
The Enemy Within [106 words]Jim O'BrienJun 25, 2003 09:359737
The Kevorkian Center at NYU [37 words]M. DunskyJun 25, 2003 08:089733
Near East Studies Program [38 words]Philip AlperJun 25, 2003 01:499730
Said's rabid hatred of America [174 words]Antonio ChavesJun 24, 2003 19:459723
An act of balance [71 words]Amin RiazApr 30, 2011 03:139723
Middle East Studies [8 words]James GreyJun 24, 2003 15:459720
Response to Kurtz [112 words]Peter G JonesJun 24, 2003 10:059710
The End of the US [58 words]Tom DundeeApr 23, 2011 15:389710
ME studies [43 words]Glenn KlotzJun 24, 2003 09:199707

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