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After September 11th, 2001, one of the liberal justifications for the military intervention against Afghanistan was the oppression of women, but also of gays, by the Taliban. People in Europe and the USA received with shock the news that same-sex couples were publicly executed in the Kabul Stadium by bringing down a wall upon them that was constructed solely for this purpose. Others, however, pointed out that not only in the countries comprising the "Axis of Evil," but also among a few allies of the USA, the persecution of homosexuals has been elevated to a raison d'état. Horror reports from Saudi Arabia and Egypt tell of draconian measures against men who are suspected of same-sex activities. [...] are we not obligated to concede the unmistakable superiority of the "imperialist" West in matters concerning individual rights and sexual tolerance? Is it not simply true that the USA and Europe are the guarantors of civil freedom worldwide? In the following, I want to provide a few arguments as to why this view, at least from a long-term perspective, is fundamentally problematic. For, historically, it was the West itself that inspired by its own example these heteronormative relations of violence. Full article: http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2010/klauda081210.html ________________________________________________ Send list submissions to: Marxism@lists.econ.utah.edu Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
