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i have little patience with americans who whine about the fact that the states is implicated in an international community and that, as an extravagantly wealthy nation, is called on to give back to that community from time to time, particularly in times of crisis. not to mention disaster.
i have even less patience with hearing repeated reports on the radio (npr and bbc both tonight) that the americans are looking to use their contributions to relief efforts to improve marketing chances for american business. such is the veil of words accompanying powell and that jeb bush (why jeb bush? on what possible basis?) to indonesia. and it is not understood as a problem, saying that kind of thing. o well, we'll give money and get better pr in return. no gesture without strings. not now, not ever.
maybe the amazing crassness with which the american contributions to helping the victims of an overwhelming disaster is being spun is understood as a sop to those who whine about having to do anything with reference to the rest of the world beyond exploit cheap labor on one end and sell stuff on the other.
i notice that lots of the folk who complain about the bush people giving money to countries impacted by this disaster are also those who complain that americans are often seen as being kinda miserable people in other places, and i find that ironic.
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a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle
spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear
it make you sick.
-kamau brathwaite
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