Friday 8 May 2009

Farewell to Terry and Stan

Two final comments on Eaglefish. First an exasperated Ophelia :

It is so hard not to wish both of them suddenly transported to a place bereft of progress, liberalism and enlightenment - the Swat valley would be just the ticket - and see how they like it.

That's not a nice thing to say, it's even a bit schoolyardy, but I am so sick of smug prosperous safe comfortable pale men urinating all over progress, liberalism and enlightenment while desperate threatened terrified women would weep scalding tears of joy and deliverance to get just a taste of some. I am so sick of safe prosperous men who are never, ever going to be grabbed on the street and whipped, or shot in the back, or locked up in their houses, or married off to some abusive bully, going on and on and on and on about how much they hate progress, liberalism and enlightenment.

And along similar lines, Max puts words into Eagleton's mouth (but they're a pretty accurate summary of his position):

Well, I've finally come to realise that the revolutionary socialism to which I've dedicated my entire adult life is a total dead end. But I still need an anti-Western movement to support, and all that's left is religious fundamentalism. Okay, theocratic movements and governments tend to consist of sadists and killers, but what the f***, it's not like I have to live in any of the countries where they are in power.

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