A few days ago Hamid Karzai slammed the "west" for interfering in Afghanistan's domestic affairs. Now, I am aware that the "east" (and by this I mean the "non-western other," including areas like Latin America and the Far East too) has a long history of "western interference," and the war in Afghanistan is a glaring example, but when does the post-colonial blame-game end and responsibility prevail? Wasn't the former Soviet Union technically the "east?" What about China and its "imperial" agenda? How much energy is wasted on the paranoid and delusional denouncement of the "west?" Paradoxically, post-colonial discourse has become outmoded in the age of global interconnectedness. Instead of focusing on obsolete categories, perhaps a more constructive and cooperative (not to be confused with appeasing) approach ought to be adopted.
(y)
ReplyDelete