Comments on: The World’s Fastest-Growing Refugee Crisis http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/05/the-world%e2%80%99s-fastest-growing-refugee-crisis/ a radical newsletter in the struggle for peace and social justice Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:17:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Kim Petersen http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/05/the-world%e2%80%99s-fastest-growing-refugee-crisis/#comment-548 Kim Petersen Thu, 24 May 2007 05:02:34 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/05/the-world%e2%80%99s-fastest-growing-refugee-crisis/#comment-548 Dahr is great, but he might be more careful and accurate with his terminology -- rather than seizing upon the terminology of the imperialists. In this interview, he says, "So you can imagine that the sentiment toward the United States was already quite anti-American, long before they had to leave." In another instance, he says, "That compounded with what’s happened in their country, and there’s really nothing but broad anti-American sentiment now." First, the term "anti-American" is used in a most biased manner. Dahr does not refer to the "anti-Arabism" of US-sponsored or direct aggression against Arabs. Second, it seems absurd to expect "pro-American" sentiments from victims of US aggression. Third, to the extent that there is ill will against US imperialism, the term "anti-American" is very broad, general, and imprecise. I submit "anti-occupation" or "anti-imperialism" are much more precise descriptions of what Arabs are feeling, as opposed to the wide-tarring "anti-American." Dahr is great, but he might be more careful and accurate with his terminology — rather than seizing upon the terminology of the imperialists. In this interview, he says, “So you can imagine that the sentiment toward the United States was already quite anti-American, long before they had to leave.” In another instance, he says, “That compounded with what’s happened in their country, and there’s really nothing but broad anti-American sentiment now.”

First, the term “anti-American” is used in a most biased manner. Dahr does not refer to the “anti-Arabism” of US-sponsored or direct aggression against Arabs. Second, it seems absurd to expect “pro-American” sentiments from victims of US aggression. Third, to the extent that there is ill will against US imperialism, the term “anti-American” is very broad, general, and imprecise. I submit “anti-occupation” or “anti-imperialism” are much more precise descriptions of what Arabs are feeling, as opposed to the wide-tarring “anti-American.”

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