Barber, Said, Ahab

[Mutualcode at aol.com]

In a message dated 2/4/02 10:20:49 AM, quail at libyrinth.com writes:

<< Mutualcode at aol.com writes:

>>Featured interviewee: Benjamin Barber, author of the prophetic
>>and pre- Sept. 11th book: _Jihad VS MCWorld_, among other titles.

>I just read that a month ago, and I found it very tedious. Barber 
>made some good points, but I think he oversimplifies things greatly 
>in order to cram the whole world into his dichotomized categories. 
>His habit of using "McWorld" over and over again becomes very 
>annoying as well, like he's almost desperate to coin a phrase. And 
>calling it "prophetic" is giving it too much credit -- after all, 
>certain Islamic groups have been waging a "jihad" against elements of 
>the West for the last few decades. This didn't start on September 11.

I've not read the book (Jihad...) myself, I was paraphrasing Moyers. 
What I found interesting was 1) That Barber on t.v. sounded at least
somewhat radical, and 2) That he had been asked to speak at the 
World Economic Forum (I know, I know- Bono...) which was in progress
at the time Moyers interviewed him for the show. When Moyers
asked him why he felt that the WEF had asked him to speak, he said, 
in so many words, that it's because "their running scared," almost
as if O. b Laden were an ally of sorts, in promoting Barber's agenda.


>In a related topic, I just finished Edward Said's "Covering Islam," 
>which I would classify as nearly a "must-read" right now. I thought 
>it was a very well-balanced and logical essay -- Said really takes 
>apart the way the Western media, government, and academia treat 
>"Islam" as a menacing monolithic force. I can't say I always agree 
>with Said, but he's a hell of a writer and makes some fantastic 
>points here.

Said is am eminently respectable man.