Newspapers / The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.) / Jan. 25, 2002, edition 1 / Page 4
Part of The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
January 25, 2002 Rethinking 9/11: A Perspective from Southern Asia Erica Wiggins STAFF WRITER I was supposed to begin my journey to India on Sept. 11 -in the Boston Airport. Two anxious weeks passed before I finally flew . . . and then I was in Southern India, studying ecological and social politics. As I bought flowers, mango juice, or cloth, Indian merchants often asked. "You are coming from where?" and when I said "the U.5.A.," they often panto mimed an explosion; they had watched television coverage of the World Trade Center attacks. Many then commented, in their limited English, that, although the deaths in New York City were sad, war is very bad. Because of tension between Hindus and Muslims, most In dians aren't fans of Osama bin Laden. However, many also re sent the United States. When I heard Noam Chomsky speak, one man wore a tee shirt that said Ugly S laughter A rrogant I saw a couple of main rea sons for this tension: first, American corporations create intense social and emotional poverty by selling exotic images of Westerners wearing jeans, drinking Coca-Cola, and eating packaged foods. Citizens of the South Indian state Kerala have largely abandoned subsistence agriculture for a cash economy so that they can buy Western things. However, they are find ing that a few coconut trees (the staple crop) cannot support a Westernized lifestyle. In addi tion, coconut prices have dropped severely because of "free trade" laws as well as a global market, which increases compe tition. Chomsky pointed out that "... a globalizing economy ... is expected to increase the divide between the haves and have nots." Second, "the mainstream news media in the United States does not talk about the United States' historical role.in the re gion of Afghanistan. Indian news magazines like Frontline and Outlook published articles by Noam Chomsky and Arundhati Roy, which'■detail how Reagan World & Nation armed and funded al-Queda to fight the Soviets, who invaded Afghanistan in the 1980s. In Frontline, Noam Chomsky called the United States' attacks on Af ghanistan "terrorism," which, of course, simply would not be published by the likes of Newsweek or Time. He pointed out that, as a world superpower (or bully) the United States can define attacks upon its property and citizens as terrorism, but ignore the atrocities that it has committed in places like Iraq. Sudan, and. of course, Vietnam. Indians have this perspective that mostly stays hidden from' Americans. People asked why I still trav eled after Sept. 11. The attacks made it more important to see the world from a broader per spective, to be an informed citi zen, not just of the United States, but of the global community. The events of Sept. 11 were, without question, tragic and hor rifying, but by refusing to exam ine how the United States has gotten into this situation, the mainstream news media is do ing its citizens, and ultimately the entire world, a major disser vice. %*. P^ ■,• ; : , " y ', y ' 1 "4? il : ~> '■ . ■ - .;;■■•• •• "' • ■'■ *? .-■••■ * •'•. '•' - - ... .;;' " £■&•£■>' '• U , > .U, '4 ~ f .. ■ ' /, 7 SV%'' /x i '' '•" ' *''■" "■■ ■ ■ , l£^yf y . " . \' > •-3I?7VV- i: * ; ; s : ■ . • - ~. ,- ■ ■ . . ■ ■ ■•- - ~"- /Ji > ■ - v ■.-.•■ > . ■ . - MMMilili^Hiil^HMHMMliillllliiiliiW^ The writer visited India in the fall amidst anti-American sentiment. The Guilfordian 9(atg and (fkmanda an independent 1 Katy and Amanda want your help. If IAOU art a fdkvtliA/lst, tiAVlro'uimtvJca Ust, both, or neither, C'QWX write for the tvulu&ur&i Issue of an enyito-frniniii guide. Meet us in King--126, Wednesday Jan. 30, at 7:00 p.m. Page 3
The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Jan. 25, 2002, edition 1
4
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75