From: Dace (edace@earthlink.net)
Date: Mon 04 Nov 2002 - 17:52:11 GMT
http://www.counterpunch.org/said0813.html
This article by Edward Said on the Palestinian crisis demonstrates that it
can't be comprehended except according to the model of memetics. As usual
the existence of self-replicating ideas is best demonstrated when those
ideas are pathological and whose widespread success cannot be accounted for
by logic alone. In this case the pathological meme is "Palestinian
terrorism." That Israel is clearly attempting the destruction of an entire
people never enters our minds as long as we remain in thrall to the
terrorism meme.
As Said observes, "the daily, minute occurrences of what Palestinians have
to live through are hidden and, more important, covered over by a logic of
self-defence and the pursuit of terrorism (terrorist infrastructure,
terrorist nests, terrorist bomb factories, terrorist suspects -- the list is
infinite) which perfectly suits Sharon and the lamentable George Bush.
Ideas about terrorism have thus taken on a life of their own, legitimised
and re-legitimised without proof, logic or rational argument."
The power of this meme depends on its exploitation of the collective
narcissism and paranoia of the Israeli people.
Ted
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This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
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