When people can rationalize the violence against a community here at home, they can easily rationalize violence against a community abroad. Manifest Orientalism escalates from 'jokes' on online social media, to ads against 'terrorists', to excusing deaths of people abroad as 'collateral damage.' In the opinion article written by Dr. Hatem Bazian regarding the SF Muni bus ads, he sums up the escalation of violent speech into violent action: "As an educator, I fully support free speech and the open exchange of ideas. But hate speech like the bus ads has a destructive, cumulative impact on society. The term "savages" has been used to demonize people of color and marginalize them throughout this country's history." [x] The following is an example of when hate and distanciation combine to justify violence under the language of 'collateral damage.'
col·lat·er·al dam·age
Noun
–Used euphemistically to refer to inadvertent casualties and destruction in civilian areas in the course of military operations.
–Damage to things that are incidental to the intended target. It is frequently used as a military term where it can refer to the incidental destruction of civilian property and non-combatant casualties.
–Used euphemistically to refer to inadvertent casualties and destruction in civilian areas in the course of military operations.
–Damage to things that are incidental to the intended target. It is frequently used as a military term where it can refer to the incidental destruction of civilian property and non-combatant casualties.
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Child Casualties As a Result of US Drone Strikes |
instagram.com/dronestagram
"Wadi al Abu Jabara. Beit al Ahan. Jaar. Dhamar. Al-Saeed. Tappi. Bulandkhel. Hurmuz. Khaider khel.
These are the names of places. They are towns, villages, junctions and roads. They are the names of places where people live and work, where there are families and schools. They are the names of places in Afghanistan and Yemen, which are linked by one thing: they have each been the location of drone strikes in the past couple of months. (The latest was in the early hours of November 7th, the night of the US election.)" [x] |