Today’s dispatch was first published 1 November 2010.
Bonjour mes amies,
Megan Stack in her book ‘Every Man in This Village is a Liar’ writes: “…But in Jerusalem I learned that good intentions and lofty ideals are among the most dangerous tools of all in a war, because they blind people to what they’re doing…”
A more famous book has the following: “…Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. (Luke 23:34)….”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTQL42onK08
The International Geophysical Year (IGY) was held in 1958 during a lull in cold war tensions. China and Taiwan were the only “major” nations that didn’t take part.
In 1961 a group of U.S. backed Cuban exiles staged the Bay of Pigs invasion, a failed attempt at toppling the Castro regime.
In 1962 there was a stand-off between U.S.A. & the U.S.S.R. over Soviet (U.S.S.R.) missiles on Cuban soil, that nearly unleashed World War III.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHD5nd3QLTg
In 1967 at the beginning of an exploration effort that would soon lead to the now (financially) notorious Australian “nickel boom”, newlyweds Frank and Wendy were based in Norseman (Western Australia).
Also based in Norseman at the time were an American (U.S.A.) couple. The husband, a Geophysicist, had been involved in precision mapping during the IGY. The wife told us in a “can you believe it!?” tone of voice, that they had discovered that Cuba was 10 miles from where they thought it was. When Wendy and myself didn’t react in an “oh my god!!!” way, she exclaimed: “What if we have to bomb Cuba?!!!!” Vraiment quelle horreur!!!
I’ve got a mental picture of planes dropping their bombs ten miles out to sea (hopefully where there were no innocent schools of fish).
I also ponder: What if Baghdad or Beirut or Grozny or Sarajevo or the Twin Towers had been 10 miles from where it was thought they were?
An Amnesty International website reports that in 2009 there remained 240 detainees languishing in Guantanamo Bay on Cuban soil.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDdQnGHtHok [Cuba- “Libertad desde mi Tierra”… Freedom out of my land (Soil)…]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rRJP8rVg-4
If anyone decided to bomb Cuba these days, they wouldn’t miss.
I’ve mentioned before that what is happening to the Warlpiri of Yuendumu bears no comparison to such disasters and atrocities as the Armenian or Rwandan genocides, the Kampuchean killing fields or that abomination that was the Holocaust.
No one that I’m aware of has ever rued that they didn’t know where exactly Yuendumu was, in case it became necessary to bomb it. If such a necessity arises, they won’t miss.
Many good intentions and lofty ideals are expressed aimed at protecting Aboriginal children and women. Reconciliation has been replaced as a lofty ideal with Closing the Gap.
The authorities have been blinded to what they’re doing.
In 2008, barely a year into the Intervention, a long time white resident of a nearby community told me: “This was a good little community but it is unravelling under this pressure”. At the time I thought “At least Yuendumu is holding together”. Now, I’m not so sure. About half the Aboriginal population is gone.
Contrary to what officials keep saying, school attendance is down (In Yuendumu from around 80 students a day to around 30 to 40 students a day).
The boiling frog.
Killing them softly ——– with good intentions and lofty ideals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpNdMIAnKko
They’ve been blinded to what they’re doing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZJ-kLKut9E I was blind but now I can see….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_qyHRH4kOc
A bientot,
François
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgRzOBzVgBE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86wME5d_yZM