So, class is the "motor of history?" Maybe. Rakesh's postings makes it abundantly clear that "class" is lived through religion, ethnicity, race, gender, and nationalism. Robin D. G. Kelley makes this point well in his book, Yo' mama's disfunktional!. On page 11, he writes, ... A growing posse of white self-proclaimed "progressives" blames the Black Liberation movement, along with other movements seeking to emancipate oppressed ethnic groups, women, and sexual minorities, for destroying the Left. With the implosion of the Left went our only opportunity to challenge three decades of conservative rule and deleterious social policy. Why did this happen? Because, according to critics such as Todd Gitlin, Michael Tomasky, Eric Hobsbawn, and others, the Left has lost touch with its Englishtenment roots, the soure of its universalism and radical humanism, and instead has been hijacked by "identity movements" that have led us into a blind alley where universal demands are cast aside in favor of narrow battles around race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. Thus, whereas black neocons find inspiration in the late-nineteenth-century ideas of Booker T. Washington, these white neo-Marxists/liberals reach way back, to the Enlightenment thinkers Jefferson, Locke, and Rousseau. In the name of radical universalism, these guys repackage the old socialist idea that class, unlike race, gender, or ethnicity, constitutes the only basis for "true" progressive politics - one that unites rather than divides. Any class analysis of the current situation that fails to take account of the complexities of identity formation isn't likely to have much value. peace, patrick At 09:54 PM 9/19/01 -0700, you wrote: >i can only pray that rumsfeld will not soon be saying that we need the missle >shield so that this never happens again...will the indian air force and the >pentagon risk taking out pakistan's nuclear assets? > > > >from KJ Varma, islamabad, sept 19 PTI > >Pakistan military ruler Pervez Musharraf tonight made an astounding >attack on India accusing it of bringing bad name to his country and Islam >and asked New Delhi to ''lay off'' from such ''propaganda''. > > In a televised address to the nation, >Musharraf, who is facing stiff opposition from hardliners to give unstinted >support to US in its fight against terrorism, sought the country's backing as >critical concerns including Kashmir could be endangered. > > Musharraf admitted that the U S has sought intelligence and information >exchange, use of air space and logistic support but has not not >readied >operational plans. > > > > >Apparently addressing the hardliners, Musharraf said the U S was not not >targeting Islam or people of Afghanistan in its pursuit of terrorist >mastermind >Osama bin Laden being hunted by Washington for last week's terrorist >strike on >America. > > Directing his attack on New Delhi, Musharraf claimed that India had >offered its military bases and logistical support to the U S. India "wants >the >US to be with them and get Pakistan declared a terrorist state, harm its >strategic concerns and its Kashmir cause," he said. > >"It is regrettable that when the entire world is talking about fight against >terrorism, India, with whom we were discussing peace and cooperation, is >trying >to bring a bad name to Pakistan and Islam," he said in his 30-minute >address in >Urdu. > >Musharraf said "They (India) want that our nuclear and strategic assets >should >be harmed". > > > Alleging that Indian television was continuously pounding anti-Pakistan >propaganda, Musharraf said New Delhi wanted to prop up an anti-Pakistan >Government in Afghanistan. He said representatives from certain countries >including India had recently met in Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan, recently >to discuss the Afghan situation. > > "What was the intention. India does not not share borders with >Afghanistan. There is no no connection between India and Afghanistan....In >my view they want to bring changes in Afghanistan as it wanted to instal an >anti-Pakistan Government there," he said. > > "My message to India is to lay off," the Pakistan President, dressed in >military fatigues, said. Musharraf said he had consulted service chiefs, core >commanders, his cabinet, national security, Ulema and others in evolving >Pakistan's stand as he had before the Agra >Summit. > > 'I did not disappoint the nation in Agra. Even now, I will not >disappoint the people,''he said. > > > Stating that Pakistan was passing > through the >most critical phase since the 1971 Indo-Pak war, Musharraf said India should >not be under any "misconception" that it can get its "designs" implemented. > > "Our air force is on high alert and is ready for a do-or-die >mission. The army and the entire people of Pakistan will give their lives for >safety of Pakistan's strategic assets," he said. > > Musharraf said the US first target was Laden followed by Taliban > for > sheltering him and his outfit Al Qaida. Its third target is > terrorism. > >"Among these three targets, there is neither Islam nor people of >Afghanistan," >he said. > > Recalling that Pakistan was a party to the U N resolution to fight >terrorism and bring Laden to justice, the Pakistani ruler said the move had >been supported by all Islamic countries. > > Admitting divisions within the country on how to deal with > Taliban, >he said he took the decision to back the international efforts to combat >terrorism keeping Pakistan's supreme interests in mind. > > > "What are our critical concerns? Our critical concerns are our >sovereignty, revival of our economy, protection of strategic assets including >nuclear and missile assets and the Kashmir issue. Wrong decisions can harm >these priorities,'' he said. > > Any "wrong decision" on Islamabad's part would have "far > reaching >implications and could imperil our future
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