CrashList, An eloquent statement on the fate of the Palestinian people. Seth From: "Elias A. Rashmawi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: The End of History - Palestinian Style: Fukuyama Revisited Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2001 15:14:30 -0800 Dear all: In commenting about the ongoing vicious and troubling agreements to slaughter our historical rights, I wanted to share with you a quick note that came to my mind on how Pax Americana is revisiting the concept of the end of history as articulated by Francis Fukuyama. I also wanted to address our role and the need to be clear on the historical process that is taking place. We are in a very serious historical and ideological construction of our world. The concept by others to terminate our history is now being finalized in the form of codification and agreements. If you do not read any further, I would simply want to impress on us collectively that we are indeed the catalyst for change, the object of oppression, and the subject of justice. And it is time to join our historical narrative in formulating a counter model to what is being proposed. For those who do not know, Fukuyama is the author of the much talked about text "The End of History," which was published, I think, in 1989. Those of you who recall Fukuyama's construct will remember that he argued that "liberal democracy", as Fukuyama himself sees it, was indeed the end of the historical process and the most fitting one to the needs of humanity! He argued a historical imperative to the end of historical development, that is history will no longer proceed in the identified context of contradictions producing "new" political and economic forms and relationships. Well, it seems that there is an attempt to terminate the Palestinian history by a collection of slick and ruthless Fukuyamas. Indeed, much as was articulated by Fukuyama himself that the construct of Liberal democracy is the end of History, and that we are looking at the "last man", some would have us believe that we are looking at the last Palestinians in the historical sense of the term. The current agreements that are being kicked around, and those that have preceded, including Oslo, are in fact based on the premise that the Zionist construct is here to stay and that it is fitting to the "relevant" characters in history - thus it is a construct that should remain part of this era where history has, presumably, been terminated - or so they hope. The nullification of the Palestinian Right of Return, for instance, while at the same time codifying into law the Jewish "right to return," is but a clear example depicting the struggle between two conflicting narratives: That of the Palestinians who are claiming their historical belonging verses that of the Zionists who negate such belonging. Thus, by gaining a recognition from the Palestinians that they have abrogated their historical ties to the land (inclusive of all the ramifications such ties may bring) and that these Palestinians are now a party to a historical "handshake", the Fukuyamas of today will gain a step forward in their construct of terminating history, and by doing so, they will bring the surrendering Palestinians from the margin of the historical process to being "relevant" characters - but obedient, to be sure. Therefore, the danger in signing the current agreements, and all those that preceded, is in fact paramount and can not be over exaggerated. For these are agreements intended to terminate history as humanity knows it. But it is a futile attempt. In practical terms, Israel's normalization with the Arab world, coupled with the host of introduced and signed agreements, all within the context of a unipolar world, is indeed a clever and powerful construction of the "new" history, or world order. It is all one package, it is all one vision. These packages and visions require for their implementation a variety of mechanisms and intersecting interests, and yes, Arafat and his ruling strata today play a vital role in this model. Somehow, the PA and the Arab regime must bring the conflict to an end, they somehow must terminate the historical process, and they must do so in a manner that would preserve their own little dictatorial hegemony. For any of us to see things otherwise, we would be void of history and the understanding of our role in it. It is in this context that we identify our role as owners of our destiny. That we do not submit or surrender. And that we do see history in its process, ever-changing and ever developing. We are the anti-thesis of Zionism, we are the contradiction to the colonial discourse, and we are the ever-present catalysts for a historical change. Let us never abort that role. To do so, is to terminate history, and ours is in the making. Elias _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com _______________________________________________ Crashlist resources: http://website.lineone.net/~resource_base To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.wwpublish.com/mailman/listinfo/crashlist
