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| Fifth Column |
| Nick Splains Hisself |
| 2003-03-31 |
| Nick "Million Mogadishus" De Genova wrote the Columbia Daily Spectator and complained about being quoted out of context In my brief presentation, I outlined a long history of U.S. invasions, wars of conquest, military occupations, and colonization in order to establish that imperialism and white supremacy have been constitutive of U.S. nation-state formation and U.S. nationalism. In that context, I stressed the necessity of repudiating all forms of U.S. patriotism. I also emphasized that the disproportionate majority of U.S. troops come from racially subordinated and working-class backgrounds and are in the military largely as a consequence of a treacherous lack of prospects for a decent life. Nonetheless, I emphasized that U.S. troops are indeed confronted with a choice--to perpetrate this war against the Iraqi people or to refuse to fight and contribute toward the defeat of the U.S. war machine. Oh. So you're not a hysterical anti-American then? No way no how, says Nick, trotting out a version of the Arabs don't-you-dare-call-me-an-anti-Semite-because-Arabs-are-Semites-too line Is this a tirade against "anything and everything American"? Far from it. First, I hasten to remind you that "American" refers to all of the Americas, not merely to the United States, as U.S. imperial chauvinism would have it. More importantly, my rejection of U.S. nationalism is an appeal to liberate our own political imaginations such that we might usher in a radically different world in which we will not remain the prisoners of U.S. global domination. Gotcha. You don't hate "America" at all. It's the United States that sucks. Except for that part of the United States that Columbia University sits on since they pay you tons of money to vomit up this twaddle. |
| Posted by:Christopher Johnson |
| #17 US War Machine.I like how that rolls off the tounge. |
| Posted by: Brew 2003-03-31 23:24:42 |
| #16 Oldspook - that shows, above all, a sense of historic perspective, a sense of humor, and a sense of pride for your achievements - I like that, and wish I saw it a lot more often. Our society would be the better for it |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-03-31 22:38:17 |
| #15 Well...this professor is just spouting the current American Studies doctrine. Usually, they keep this nonsense hidden in the halls of academe...but this war seems to bring out all the roaches. |
| Posted by: Pink & Fluffy 2003-03-31 17:17:15 |
| #14 This is so typical of a big mouth, who realizes what he has just done or said - is about to draw more negativity upon himself, than he is capable of dealing with. Back-peddle, B.S., Back-peddle, B.S. a little more ...etc,etc.I've seen it hundreds of times.After spewing out his damaging and revealing views and intentions(whether verbal or physical) - he then cries "foul" or "I've been mis-understood". Then after whoever he has offended, -- is appeased, he goes forward in his sneaky little way with his destructive intentions just as before(its the same M.O. as Hussein, as well as all other weasel cowards). This guy needs to meet a few marines, face to face, in an "out-of-the-way-place" to have a discussion. Or better yet - if he is so against America - he should go over to Iraq. They will be glad to hide behind him as they shoot at our boys - Im sure he'd be glad to do that................he is an asshole and doesnt deserve to live in this country. |
| Posted by: True American 2003-03-31 17:01:43 |
| #13 Nicholas De Genova's email is npd18@columbia.edu Drop him a line! |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-03-31 15:55:57 |
| #12 I suppose it all started when the white suprematist imperialists jumped off the Mayflower and invaded America. It's been all downhill from there! |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2003-03-31 15:30:19 |
| #11 outlined a long history of U.S. invasions, wars of conquest, military occupations, and colonization in order to establish that imperialism and white supremacy have been constitutive of U.S. nation-state formation and U.S. nationalism. Have you ever felt the urge to just kick someone's teeth in? I'm feeling it about now... |
| Posted by: Celissa 2003-03-31 15:24:07 |
| #10 Patriotic = "White Supremacist" ? He ought to look into my very dark brown face and say that. And yes, before you ask, I did choose my nickname with a definite deliberate pun - I used to be in a "Ghost" platoon of Cav scouts, then did intelligence work for an unnamed government agency as a "spook" of sorts, and then there's the old meaning of the word that I heard as a kid in the South. I'm using it much the way Mel Brooks used the "N-word" in Blazing Saddles: once you laugh at something it has no hold of fear over you. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2003-03-31 15:09:35 |
| #9 The only thing he forgot to say was "get the US out of North America!!!" |
| Posted by: Former Russian Major 2003-03-31 14:52:02 |
| #8 Old Patriot, For the sake of historical accuracy, we acquired the Hawaiian Islands after a coup was staged by American plantation owners against the royal family; the owners then invited the American government to assume control. Also, Puerto Rico has the right to have a referendum on the question of independence whenever it wants it -- hardly imperialistic behavior. We also agreed, well before WW II, to give the Phillipines independence (I believe there was a document or agreement to that effect from the 1930's). One of the reasons why the Filipinos fought so bravely on our side in WW II was that they saw Americans dying to honor their word to defend the Phillipines, even though we had already said that the Phillipines would be independent. That was seen as particularly honorable on our part. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2003-03-31 14:33:18 |
| #7 Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit links to a weblog by Nickie's old college roommate: http://homepage.mac.com/jholbo/homepage/pages/blog.html#29 Apparently our good Nickie has always been a Trot, but room mate doesn't quite understand how Nickie managed to gush the most recent words out of his mouth. Must be stress. The room mate sounds normal, judging by other posts on his blog, so his comments about Nickie are quite helpful. By the way, Nickie is not a professor, he's an Assistant Professor. Quite a difference in academic rank (in order at most places from top to bottom: distinguished professor > professor > associate professor > assistant professor > instructor > lecturer > adjunct faculty). For those on tenure tracks, it generally occurs at the associate or full professor level. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2003-03-31 14:27:42 |
| #6 Thanks Nickie some valuable insight into the anti-war left. The AP reports: "The professor, Nicholas De Genova, also called for the defeat of United States forces in Iraq, and said the only true heroes are those who help defeat the American military. He said Americans who call themselves patriots are imperialist white supremacists." Nickie, American lives are at risks, fighting for your freedoms. Here is the email of the president of columbia university. Tell him what you think. Lee C. Bollinger, President email: bollinger@columbia.edu V |
| Posted by: Timmy the Wonder Dog 2003-03-31 13:57:25 |
| #5 In that context, I stressed the necessity of repudiating all forms of U.S. patriotism. What a crock of stupidity cubed! This guy not only hates the United States, he doesn't want ANYBODY to be patriotic. "We must pay for the sins of our past." Funny, though, how many nations have decided our particular Constitution is the one best copied, with changes made to reflect that particular nation's concept of itself. Funny that our founding fathers are the ones most often quoted when anything dealing with freedom is discussed. Funny how, of all the nations of the world, people seem to flock to ours most often. Funny how our standard of living, across the board, is higher than just about anyone else's, and even our poor would be considered wealthy in half the nations of the earth. As for "imperialism", the only "imperialist conquests" I can think of are those of the Spanish-American war of 1898, following the destruction of the Maine. We gave Cuba her freedom, we maintained control of the Philippines until 1946 (more for strategic purposes than a desire for colonies), we kept Puerto Rico because the island wasn't capable of being self-sufficient at the time, we kept Guam and a couple of minor islands. Other American possessions have either been returned to their rightful owners (their inhabitants - primarily captured Japanese territory held in trust under United Nations mandate, and the island of Ryukyu, returned to Japanese control), or were not the spoils of conquest, but direct purchases, appeals from the inhabitants, or multinational agreements - Danish West Indies, American Samoa, Alaska, and Hawaii. Sounds like this "history" professor only wants to accept the history he agrees with, and warps, twists, and misrepresents the rest. I give him a D-, and that's being generous. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-03-31 13:48:57 |
| #4 Nick, you're just a Boil on the ass of Society. Hope you enjoyed your 15 minutes, now scamper back to your hole and don't come out until the adults are finished. |
| Posted by: Yosemite Sam 2003-03-31 13:46:32 |
| #3 ...and he's a PERFESSER, so he knows SO much more then the rest of us ignorant slobs. Nick, baby, since you hate American imperialism so much, why don't you request to be paid in Iraqi dinars instead of American dollars? Show solidarity for the oppressed people of Iraq who are waging the fight against facist, imperialistic Amerika. What? Yeah, I didn't think so, hypocrite asshole. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-03-31 13:07:48 |
| #2 "racially subordinated" "working-class" "U.S. imperial chauvinism" "establish [US] imperialism and white supremacy" " U.S. war machine" "prisoners of U.S. global domination" All straight from the Communist Party code-word lexicon. Sheesh, this could have been striaght from the old Kruchev, Mao or Stalinist propagandists. The only thing he left out was remarks about 'running dog capitalists'. "U.S. invasions, wars of conquest, military occupations, and colonization" Umm prof, point out one US colony form the latter half of the 20th century? Point out a war of conquest in the last 75 years - the only land we take permanently is the land we bury our dead in. This guy is an idiot. Why are our tax dollars paying his salary? As for the "explanation" - hell he did more damage than with the Mogadishu remarks. He painted himself as an old hard-line anti-American marxist. Hey pal, the 1950's are done, as is communism. Go learn something new - try starting with the truth. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2003-03-31 13:06:15 |
| #1 This guy's got his facts all wrong as well. "the disproportionate majority of U.S. troops come from racially subordinated and working-class backgrounds and are in the military largely as a consequence of a treacherous lack of prospects for a decent life" statement has recently been shown to be categorically untrue. A recent study showed that blacks, hispanics, and other minority classes made up about 20% of the US military. In addition, of this 20%, about 80% was in non-combat roles. In fact, the study showed that frontline combat troops were about 80% caucasian (white for Murat) and that the non-white troops chose roles in the military that would present them with better job opportunities outside of the military. "First, I hasten to remind you that "American" refers to all of the Americas, not merely to the United States, as U.S. imperial chauvinism would have it." Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's how the leftists and socialists would like to see things, but that is not how it is. Ask anyone from Mexico, Nicaragua, Brazil, or any other Latin or South American country where they come from. The answer will not be "America", it'll be Mexico, Nicaragua, or Brazil. "we might usher in a radically different world in which we will not remain the prisoners of U.S. global domination." Twaddle is right. When has America asked for more than land to simply bury our dead in? Is that US global domination? |
| Posted by: FOTSGreg 2003-03-31 13:04:12 |