In a message dated 3/10/1999 5:25:48 PM Eastern Standard Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< This is interesting. Do you think that even today the majority of
opression, degradation, exploitation etc today (other than attributed to
multinational corporations) is still being perpetrated by traditional colonial
occupiers? >>
Hardly an American patriot, but also not someone who overlooks the deeds of
other western nations. There is an ability to criticize both your own country
and other countries when justified. There is nothing in my words which
indicates that I lack that ability - my work is based on that ability.
I do most certainly know that traditional colonial occupiers are still
perpetrating such things and on a regular basis I work with, interact with the
people - civil society, governments, religious groups, etc. of those nations
which still speak about it. It is 12:30am and I just came home from a meeting
of over 100 African women, from across Africa and African migrants to Europe,
in a variety of fields from law to health to government positions, who speak
tangibly about such issues. They live those issues. There isn't even a
question about it.
During the entire day, I did little else but listen to Asian, Latin,
Caribbean, Pacific island, India, Arab, etc. women talk about such issues of
oppression in a multiplicity of aspects, well-educated, long-time activist,
political involved, UN staff, government members, grassroots organizers, EU
migrant women, etc. then I return home to read an email from someone who find
it "interesting" that I feel such oppression is perpetrated by traditional
colonial countries?
The amount of former-colonizer intervention in current politics, ownership of
land, access to resources, economic policies, currency devaluations,
export/import controls - currently Mugabe in a notable attempt to redistribute
land from the hands of europeans - as held since colonialism - has resulted in
a strong wave of european pressure. The manipulations through NGOs and with
donor aid, weapon aid, military support (i.e. France in Djibouti with troops
during the recent Eritrean/Ethiopian conflict).
With due seriousness, the idea that you find it "interesting" makes me wonder
why it is you feel that this is not something I would know, and something you
feel you have knowledge and facts to the contrary?
As an example of your knowledge:
I wrote " Was it America who committed the slaughter of the belgian congo? "
and in response you wrote " No but didn't Bill Clinton send missiles there
recently after being
caught with his pants down? "
America did not bomb the "belgian congo" - in Africa it was a pharmaceutical
plant in SUDAN that was bombed. And as I knew from the beginning, it was
indeed a pharmaceutical plant not a chemical weapons factory as was said to
justify the bombing. That has been verified, and I somewhere around me have
the Sudanese report and the U.S. report to the fact.
To engage in a debate over the intervention of former colonizers in those once
held colonies is akin to the value of, and my willingness to have, a debate
over whether the earth is flat.
Nicole
