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Another good and apt missive from Jyri -- with a trenchant little analysis of the complexities of the Middle East. I'm adding a couple of comments of my own.
The other day, I posted, and now quote, my thoughts on quite good anthropologists. I should add that, in my own academic background, I have had a lot of social and cultural anthropology -- and have even taught a little in those fields. Anyway, I wrote:
"Frank Siebert, the academic field man mentioned in the (Boston) Globe piece, is well regarded among the Penobscots of today. Also highly regarded is his long-time predecessor, the anthropologist, Frank Speck, who did much work with several far northeastern tribes -- especially with the Penobscots. They exemplified the best of anthropology: spent many years indeed with "the people," carefully observed, carefully listened. carefully recorded. And they followed the ethical code of the best of socio-cultural anthropology: "Don't intermeddle in the affairs of the people, don't try to change things. Only the people themselves can make any changes -- and then only in their own way." (That eminently honorable approach is obviously quite foreign to most of the world leaders of these times.)"
When significant intermeddling from "the outside" is attempted, it almost always involves Big Predators seeking the lands and resources of the targeted people.
Looking at very recent Mid-Eastern history, the Gulf War struck the contemporary keynote -- and opened Pandora's Box. Many of us opposed that war but found it difficult to convince other Americans that it wouldn't stop with that.
H.
-----Original Message-----
From: Jyri Kokkonen
Sent: Saturday, September 27, 2014 08:04 AM
To: 'Hunter Gray'
Subject: Middle East explained
Dear Hunter,
We hope Eldri is better.
Not to make light of a serious and indeed tragic situation, but I can’t help quoting this letter to the editor of the Daily Mail (UK) (best decribed as a scandal-mongering rag, but occasionally gems can be found in unlikely places). It’s been making the rounds on the net and to me it seems to describe the situation better than most serious, self-important commentators in the media.
Till later,
Jyri