Comments on: Laughing and Crying: Iraq http://theoryculture.com/85/laughing-and-crying-iraq/ Just another WordPress site Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:17:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: The Gentry And The Displaced « Theory my culture http://theoryculture.com/85/laughing-and-crying-iraq/#comment-214 The Gentry And The Displaced « Theory my culture Thu, 09 Aug 2007 17:11:57 +0000 http://theorymyculture.wordpress.com/2007/07/25/laughing-and-crying-iraq/#comment-214 [...] That’s why I found two stories - one so sad and serious, the other so sad and satirical - on Iraq compelling. And just today I came across two stories about changing neighborhoods. One is a musing on a lost [...] [...] That’s why I found two stories – one so sad and serious, the other so sad and satirical – on Iraq compelling. And just today I came across two stories about changing neighborhoods. One is a musing on a lost [...]

]]> By: John http://theoryculture.com/85/laughing-and-crying-iraq/#comment-218 John Thu, 26 Jul 2007 16:40:42 +0000 http://theorymyculture.wordpress.com/2007/07/25/laughing-and-crying-iraq/#comment-218 Yes, it is really, really sad to see The Onion and related satirical stuff instruct us politically - and morally. That said, humor is part of the human condition, so maybe we shouldn't be so surprised to find real insight there? I don't think there's much we can do about distance from suffering. That's also part of what makes it possible to survive this world, and everyone makes that distance happen. For victims, it's called "dissociation." For the rest of us, our sense of dissociation is easier as we stand apart from the trauma and violence. What I think we can do is let it instruct us. In this case, instruct us about what it means to end the war. That's hard. My own interests, from a national position, is to back that shit up and leave. But I'm not so sure that is good for the suffering of the Iraqi people. Maybe it is. That is a question for a better expert than I am, for sure. I'm just saying that responding to that suffering, placing it first as the motive and measure of our future actions, is one thing we can do with sadness - other than register the affect in us. Which is really all I've tried to do here. Most critics of sports, I think, are concerned with larger issues and use sporting life as a site for those issues. The problem with a wholesale dismissal of sports as part of human life is simple: the whole world, for all of recorded history, has had a sporting life. Staged competition appeals to something in us. Sometimes that "something" is ugly (feeding Christians to lions), sometimes it is really quite lovely (the ten minutes or so Iraqis got with this victory before the bombing), usually fairly mundane (Mariners still in the hunt!). Yes, it is really, really sad to see The Onion and related satirical stuff instruct us politically – and morally. That said, humor is part of the human condition, so maybe we shouldn’t be so surprised to find real insight there?

I don’t think there’s much we can do about distance from suffering. That’s also part of what makes it possible to survive this world, and everyone makes that distance happen. For victims, it’s called “dissociation.” For the rest of us, our sense of dissociation is easier as we stand apart from the trauma and violence.

What I think we can do is let it instruct us. In this case, instruct us about what it means to end the war. That’s hard. My own interests, from a national position, is to back that shit up and leave. But I’m not so sure that is good for the suffering of the Iraqi people. Maybe it is. That is a question for a better expert than I am, for sure. I’m just saying that responding to that suffering, placing it first as the motive and measure of our future actions, is one thing we can do with sadness – other than register the affect in us. Which is really all I’ve tried to do here.

Most critics of sports, I think, are concerned with larger issues and use sporting life as a site for those issues. The problem with a wholesale dismissal of sports as part of human life is simple: the whole world, for all of recorded history, has had a sporting life. Staged competition appeals to something in us. Sometimes that “something” is ugly (feeding Christians to lions), sometimes it is really quite lovely (the ten minutes or so Iraqis got with this victory before the bombing), usually fairly mundane (Mariners still in the hunt!).

]]> By: Emily http://theoryculture.com/85/laughing-and-crying-iraq/#comment-217 Emily Thu, 26 Jul 2007 13:10:25 +0000 http://theorymyculture.wordpress.com/2007/07/25/laughing-and-crying-iraq/#comment-217 As a left-radical queer, I am always putting up with a general community put-down of sports in general. Thanks for pointing here to the ways that sport and celebration are in a lot of ways about the best parts of being human. I think the distance we have from the suffering of others is really intense. Is there any way around that? Is there anything to Do besides feel bad? As a left-radical queer, I am always putting up with a general community put-down of sports in general. Thanks for pointing here to the ways that sport and celebration are in a lot of ways about the best parts of being human. I think the distance we have from the suffering of others is really intense. Is there any way around that? Is there anything to Do besides feel bad?

]]> By: Mike http://theoryculture.com/85/laughing-and-crying-iraq/#comment-216 Mike Wed, 25 Jul 2007 21:58:19 +0000 http://theorymyculture.wordpress.com/2007/07/25/laughing-and-crying-iraq/#comment-216 I think you make a lot of good points. I feel like our actions abroad our being reflected in an increase in violence and suffering at home. It's a sad and confusing world when the best and most effective news coverage is The Onion</I> and <i>The Daily Show.</i> I think you make a lot of good points. I feel like our actions abroad our being reflected in an increase in violence and suffering at home. It’s a sad and confusing world when the best and most effective news coverage is The Onion and The Daily Show.

]]> By: David http://theoryculture.com/85/laughing-and-crying-iraq/#comment-215 David Wed, 25 Jul 2007 19:32:08 +0000 http://theorymyculture.wordpress.com/2007/07/25/laughing-and-crying-iraq/#comment-215 Thanks for the thoughtful piece, old man. I enjoyed reading and thinking about it. Dave Thanks for the thoughtful piece, old man. I enjoyed reading and thinking about it.

Dave

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