Tag Archives: nation-building

Debating the Danger of Labeling Rights as “Privileges,” and Viewing “White Apathy” as “White Privilege”

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The following debate originally took place upon the Facebook wall of my friend, Brooke M…

Brooke N.: A number of people I know, and even more FB friends I’ve never met have, since Ferguson, argued that White Privilege doesn’t exist. The past month or so has presented a perfect example of how it does exist and how it is expressed. Kenya experienced an act of terrorism in which a school was bombed and many children died. I believe there were 149 dead. 2 days before Paris there was a bombing in Lebanon. Then Paris. Then yesterday or the day before (international time zones) terrorists struck in Nigeria. Je suis Kenya? Not much. Je suis Lebanon? Not much. Je suis Paris? Oh yes! Change your profile picture with the French flag, calls to go to war, wall to wall coverage. Je suis Nigeria? Al Jazeera reported it, but certainly not much coverage. And that, my friends, is white privilege. Of course I care about Paris. But it is only when white people die that we get the full bore floodlight of the media, the pull on every heart string, because that’s what sells us burgers.

Bobby C.: True Brooke

Ahmed A.: Respect Ma’am!

Steven S.: Very valid. My only issue is, (if you can call it that), that there is no way to defend white people without seeming racist. Just gotta stand there and get slapped. (Click Here to Continue Reading This Post) →

“Nation-Building” is Orwellian Newspeak for Wars of Aggression, Occupation and Imperialism

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The following debate originally took place upon the Facebook wall of my friend, Brooke M…

Brooke N.: Does anybody remember when we did nation building instead of nation breaking? When we gave foreign aid instead of shock and awe? I suspect that if we made micro loans to individuals in Latin America instead of running our drug wars through their countries, we’d have fewer immigrants from there and they could stay home and make a living and one day our neighbor would be as well off as we and not be plagued with gangs and drugs and paramilitary and insurgents. If we had actually fixed Iraq after we broke it instead of having hired Halliburton and paying them billions for doing nothing, we could have provided power and clean water, people are appreciating ISIS over there for giving them power and clean water. We could have given people jobs rebuilding schools instead of having tortured their citizens and weaving a web of intrigue from inside the green zone—and it would not have cost nearly as much as the wars we’ve gotten involved in since 2001. Just a thought.

Preston W.: There you go again being rational…

Brooke N.: I used to be wild and crazy now people accuse me of being rational all the time. Getting old.

Patricia B.: Rational is the new wild and crazy.

Brooke N.: Patricia I wish! Never seen such a bunch of nut cases wanting to be President before. SMH.

Obbe H.: Nation building doesn’t work to well either since cries of white colonialism/imperialism would ring out. That’s not as far fetched as it sounds since I said the same thing Brooke said in a history class and was told that I was being insensitive to other cultures. Latin America has rarely been a stable environment and we haven’t helped matters-the drug trade is just one example dysfunctional governments in that area. Iraq of course not fixable after our invasion but not exactly an area of stability before. Note the Iraq/Iran war, the Kurds and the Shia/Sunni mix just festering behind everything. No Brooke with age your beginning to sound more and more utopian.

Laura M.: We certainly screwed up Iraq every way we possibly could…continuing tragedy playing out. Even though our government let all of us down in that, I still know of lots of programs sponsored by generous Americans to help others in need. Programs such as HEIFFER, Habitat for Humanity, OX-FAM, World Vision, UNICEF, and many other programs, some of which are faith-sponsored programs. It will continue to be on us… The ordinary Americans to reach out to give helping hands…just because we are part of the HUMANITY FAMILY!

Rayn: “Nation-building” is newspeak for wars of aggression, occupation and imperialism…