Comments on 'Fukuyama at Virginia', by Scott Harrop
Please join the discussion on Fukuyama at Virginia, by Scott Harrop, with comments that are courteous, fresh, helpful, and to the point.
posted by helena at 9:05 AM
This blog exists to allow readers of 'Just World News' by Helena Cobban to comment on and discuss the topics in JWN-- courteously, as always.
posted by helena at 9:05 AM
3 Comments:
Jonathan V emailed me this:
1. I haven't read this book-- but based on your description, Fukuyama's thesis just sounds like warmed-over Kerryism, a la Mister there's-a-better-way's pusilanimous insistence(s) in 2004 that even though he voted both for and against
the war, if it was up to him he would've worked harder to get the Europeans to support it first, but hey I'm not a dove, don't accuse me of that, blah blah blah... Only with bigger words, and (presumably) footnotes.
2.Apparently Fukuyama says nothing about the shifting rationales for the war, as if the phoney-baloney
concern about WMDs is just not something we talk about in polite society. Did you or anyone in attendance call him on this?
3.You are kind in not pointing out that Fukuyama is an intellectual seeking redemption, because he's
(a)best known for The End of History and the Last Man, and (b)how blitheringly wrong he was in The End of History, because he seemed to buy the staggeringly insipid assumption that the fall of Soviet communism
was, somehow, the only enntanglement of a major world conflict that mattered, because the Soviets, the
Europeans, and the Americans were the only peoples that mattered in geopolitical terms. Billions of other people exist, sure. But to make shoes and low-cost electronics gear for us, give us their oil, and maybe smile when we visit their countries and take photos of
their charmingly indigeneous ways.
-----------------------
an additional thought-- I happen to agree with Rice about how creating democratic societies in the middle
east can help combat terrorism-- but I don't FOR A MOMENT believe that either she or the rest of the
administration mean it. (see also my 4.29 post re
Walter LaFeber's comments about Rice
http://hugozoom.blogspot.com/2006/04/who-is-this-wally-lafeber-and-why-does.html)
They are highly selective in encouraging democratization-- they say nothing about the Saudis many undemocratic behaviors, and they punish the Palistineans for their recent democratic election that
produced a result they didn't care for.
Jonathan V
www.hugozoom.blogspot.com
Helena is well familiar with the Comment magazine. Strangely, now Russians care to translate one of its artcles on "the culture wars".
2006-05-26 "Culture wars" arrive in Russia
This is a pretty tangential comment, which would probably be better delivered by email, except I couldn't find a link... oh well.
Regarding Fukuyama's Harley-Davidson, perhaps you are not aware that large lifestyle-accessory motorcycles such as Harley-Davidsons were never designed to, and never have, been economical on fuel. Perhaps you are thinking of the mopeds popular in Europe, or the scooters popular in Asia. How do I know? I've been riding them (mainly BMWs in my case) for 30 years; I'm doing well to get 20 km/l (about 55 miles to the imperial gallon) from mine.
And an even more tangential comment: on the home page, Helena has "Number of days the Iraqis have been living under the US/UK military occupation regime". While I appreciate the sentiment, I think it's unfair to disguise the involvement of war criminals and stooges such as Koizumi, Aznar, Berlusconi, and Howard.
All the best!
Gary
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