19, October 2002 D'Souza
D'Souza is back on the lecture circuit
spewing out more racist venom to please his adoring Republican supporters. It
is apparent that D'Souza panders to the racist attitudes which
sadly are much in evidence, especially in the aftermath of 9/11. Arab Americans
and Asians are the latest immigrants to feel the sting of racism. It is ironic that
D'Souza's latest target is Islamic fundamentalism which US foreign policy has done
much to nurture.
It is puzzling to understand why D'Souza is
so infatuated with America and western 'civilization' in general that he would
like to export the American democratic model to other nations.
I urge D'Souza to turn the pages of history
and reflect on the sordid pattern of US foreign policy
decisions which have resulted in so much loss of life to advance 'American
interests'.
The 1953 CIA coup replacing the popular
government of Mossadegh with the hated Shah of Iran, the
repressive 16-year rule of Jafaar Nimeiry of Sudan, the coup in Chile where
thousands of civilians disappeared, the coup in Indonesia resulting in
1,000,000 deaths, the contra war in Nicaragua, the secret expansion of the
Vietnam war into neighboring Cambodia, the looting
of the Philippines by our 'ally' Ferdinand Marcos, . . .These crimes against humanity make a
mockery of the US claim to support democratic regimes.
Then again, perhaps D'Souza would care to
explain, the rationale of US trade sanctions which
has resulted in the death of 1,000,000 Iraqi civilians, 500,00 of whom were
children. It seems cruelly ironic that the pro-life crusaders, whom D'Souza so
admires, should have such a callous disregard for human life. No doubt D'Souza
also supports US Middle Eastern policy which has
caused death and destruction and untold suffering
of the Palestinians.
I would however, agree with D'Souza that
"we are indeed at an extraordinary moment in history."
Never has US policy and hegemony generated so much anger and hostility.
I would urge D'Souza to raise his head from the sewer tank and confront the
real world.
D'Souza's remarks that "African
Americans are better off in the US than if they stayed in
Africa" is both insulting and patronizing.
Perhaps, D'Souza might have changed his vile,
racist opinions had he experienced the horrors of slavery. I wonder how D'Souza would have felt being
manacled and sold to the highest bidder and then feeling the searing pain of
the plantation owner’s whip on his bare back, or the choking
pressure of the hangman's noose. Then again, I suppose D'Souza
feels that the American Indians should have a deep sense of gratitude
to their European liberators who slaughtered their brethren, robbed them of
their land and banished them to reservations. No doubt a small price to pay for
the fresh breeze of western 'civilization'.
Finally, I am appalled that such a
prestigious institution as Stanford University's Hoover
Institution would honor D'Souza by inviting him as a visiting 'scholar' and thereby
legitimizing his racist views. I urge concerned readers to write to Stanford University,
Hoover Institution, and demand that D'Souza be removed.
