November 20, 2002
Professor Johan Galtung
Truly, i just know this man yesterday Sunday after read his profile and interview on Kompas newspaper, an Indonesian leading paper. There, he told us about many interesting updates on what happened in our world. Including are: a new kind of fundamentalism, that is market fundamentalism. This kind of fundamentalism must be more dangerous than religious fundamentalism (in any religion). Frankly, all fundamentalism take us to what is named terorism, and he add, the terorism of United States is really more dangerous because they combine both fundamentalism (market and religious). The other interesting he said, the war on terorism of US will fail, because every people (especially those terorist) felt that creating terorism is cheaper than fighting terorism. He count that, to do 9/11 they only spend $0.5 billion, compared to $10 billion US government spend to fight on terror in each month. He followed another, Washington sniper need only 13 bullets for 10 death. Every bullets only 20 cent, so all of them spend only $2.6 dollar. In that very cheap amount, the business in those region fell of 60 percent. What a nice fact huh?
Johan Galtung is a Professor of Peace Studies, and Director of TRANSCEND, a peace and development network. Dietrich Fischer is a Professor at Pace University and co-director of TRANSCEND. I think you should know more about this man by reading these news archives:
The ugly AmericanTaken from Newind Press on Sunday
by Johan Galtung and Dietrich Fischer
September 11 spawned a cycle of violence and counter-violence, evidence of which is all round us. How can we break out of this vicious cycle? Some days after September 11, a psychologist gave advice on CNN to parents with children asking difficult questions. One young boy had asked “What have we done to make them hate us so much that they do such things?” A mature question, unlike the answer: “You could tell your child that there are good people in the world, and evil —”.
....
The targets of the September 11 terrorist attack were symbolic: the Pentagon and the World Trade Centre, representing a system of world trade that amasses unspeakable wealth in a few hands while impoverishing billions in the Third World. Bin Laden’s statement broadcast by Al Jazeera shortly after September 11, said, “Our nation has been tasting this humiliation and this degradation for more than 80 years”, referring to the 1916 Sykes-Picot treason, bringing Arabia under the rule of infidels, breaking the British promise of independence for Arab help in defeating the Ottoman Empire; and the 1917 Balfour Declaration supporting the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine.
War of WordsTaken from Radio Netherlands, Oct 27, 2002
by Michele Ernsting
The "war on terror" has instilled a new militarism in foreign policy. Attacks and counter attacks have raised the level of tension, but in many ways words rather than violence have fuelled a desire for revenge and war. It's easy to underestimate the power of words, but in the past year they have been skillfully manipulated by politicians, diplomats, entertainers and the media to shift public opinion.
Posted at November 20, 2002 11:51 AM | Life
