Orientalism as a Tool of Colonialism

[civfanatic]

Mr Said has described "Orientalism" to mean Western and now American dipiction and understanding of the Middle East and the Arab Muslim world. His focus is Islam Vs the West.

The word "Orientalism" covers much largers canvass to include western dipiction amd understanding of India, Hinduism, Far East, Budhism and China.

The central theme that it is coloured vision of Colonialism is absolutely correct and tainable. It is an extension of Imperialism's ideas of " Poor Man's Burdon" or "White Man's Burdon".

"The Poor Man's Burden": Labor Lampoons Kipling


The same idea is well dipicted in "A Passage to India" (1924) a novel by English author E. M. Forster.

Indology distorted Indian history, literature and Indian systems many a times to justfy English rule or rather to perpetuate the same including the permanent division they created between the Hindus and the Muslims in the subcontinent. Like Indian system of Thuggery was very well publicised to annex Central India to British Raj as an act of Whitemans burdon.

But Mr Said views are tunneled and confined to Islam.

Said is an Arab (Palestinian) Christian who grew up in Jerusalem and Cairo, so naturally he will focus his work on the Arab World and Islam and the Israel-Palestine issue in particular. That was the focus of the program I posted in the OP. But everything that Said stated is equally applicable to India, China, and other "Eastern" nations, though Said doesn't go into detail on those countries.

 

[blank_quest]

Can there be an Atheist Westernism and Atheist Easternism if at all West and East exist independent of Religious boundary ?? What is that constitutes of a culture without a Religion that makes West different from East??

 

[civfanatic]

@ civfanatic

Anyway, since you yourself has admitted that "globalization" will lead to "multicultural" with emphasis on "coexistence" why do we still need "Pan-Orientalism?"

We need Pan-Asianism simply because of the fact of geography. The great Asian nation-states like China and Iran are our neighbors and so we must promote cultural and political ties between us, to ensure the peace and stability of the greater Asian continent. If you wish, you can regard Pan-Asianism as a subset or a more localized version of globalism; while globalization refers to international integration, Pan-Asianism focuses on the integration of the Asian continent in the context of greater global trends towards multiculturalism and co-existence.

Pan-Asianism is opposed to Western global hegemony but does not seek to replace Western hegemony with an Asian one. The ultimate goal of Pan-Asianism is not for Asia to dominate the whole world as the West has in the past, but to bring about a more multipolar and equitable world order in which Asian nations are represented on the international level in a manner which accurately reflects the demographic and economic realities of the modern world. The Pan-Asianist ideology seeks to promote dialogue and cooperation between different civilizations, not to engender conflict between them. In that sense, Pan-Asianism is not antithetical to current trends of globalization by any means, but rather an ally and counterpart.

 

[asianobserve]

Define Western Values?

The term generically refers to liberal democracy (pluralism) emphasis on individual rights, sub-cultures, etc.

 

[asianobserve]

The great Asian nation-states like China and Iran are our neighbors and so we must promote cultural and political ties between us, to ensure the peace and stability of the greater Asian continent.

So smaller countries from ASEAN are not "great." Well, that does it for me. Kiss bye-bye to your Pan-Asianism dream (you can have it without us "not-so-great nation-states").

Anyway, this statement confirms what I have been suspecting this whole fuss has been about all along, it's the same tired insecure rants we've heard from people coming from "great" Asian nation-states who are feeling unappreciated due to the "West" hugging the limelight...

 

[civfanatic]

So smaller countries from ASEAN are not "great." Well, that does it for me. Kiss bye-bye to your Pan-Asianism dream (you can have it without us "not-so-great nation-states")...

Pan-Asianism is not a discriminatory ideology. We can (and should) also include the Southeast Asian nation-states into our project, given the great historical and cultural ties that many of these countries share with India, as well as their large Chinese diaspora which gives them firm ties with Chinese civilization.

 

[asianobserve]

Pan-Asianism is not a discriminatory ideology. We can (and should) also include the Southeast Asian nation-states into our project, given the great historical and cultural ties that many of these countries share with India, as well as their large Chinese diaspora which gives them firm ties with Chinese civilization.

Ever heard of Freudian slip...?

 

[civfanatic]

Ever heard of Freudian slip...?

Ever heard of psychological projection...?

 

[asianobserve]

This whole Orientalism thing only confirms one thing, that international relations is really all about dominance. This whole claim about the West unfairly characterising the East as sub-par is nothing but a battle cry to defeat the West and stay on top. The same people crying about this compliant do not really care for the whole of "Asia," they only care about themselves. The reference to "Asia" is only made to strengthen their claim that the whole region is being ruthlessly put down without really intending it to include the whole region. So I'd rather stay under the hegemony of the devil I already know that toy with the idea of staying under the hegemony of a new devil who is even hungrier for recognition and respect...

 

[asianobserve]

Ever heard of psychological projection...?

I'm merely stating what you left out in your statements, the proverbial "rest of the iceberg."

 

[opesys]

The great Asian nation-states like China and Iran are our neighbors and so we must promote cultural and political ties between us, to ensure the peace and stability of the greater Asian continent.
civfanatic ↑

So smaller countries from ASEAN are not "great." Well, that does it for me. Kiss bye-bye to your Pan-Asianism dream (you can have it without us "not-so-great nation-states").

Anyway, this statement confirms what I have been suspecting this whole fuss has been about all along, it's the same tired insecure rants we've heard from people coming from "great" Asian nation-states who are feeling unappreciated due to the "West" hugging the limelight...

hahaha... hypocrisy is term if you want to describe it in one word! You read my mind...I had typed what you said in your second paragraph..and then I saw you had edited it already.

 

[asianobserve]

@ opesys

Stop putting words into my mouth...

 

[civfanatic]

I'm merely stating what you left out in your statements, the proverbial "rest of the iceberg."

I specifically mentioned China and Iran because those two nation-states are the most important in terms of India's national interests, as well as the most immediate in terms of geography. The Southeast Asian nation-states like Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, etc. are not as important to India but are no less "Asian" and no less great in terms of their rich history and opposition to Western imperialism.

What you did was project your own prejudices and preconceived notions into my statement to derive some twisted meaning that I never intended.

 

[asianobserve]

What you stated is a reflection of your own prejudices and preconceived notions. Please take those elsewhere.

I don't think so. Have I started threads announcing my inferiority complex or do I keep harping about it in my posts? As far as I can recall the only complain I keep on mentioning is the creeping Chinese stability threat through overt muscle flexing and territorial grabs of smaller neighbors...

 

[opesys]

@ opesys

Stop putting words into my mouth...

I was expecting a "thank you"...

 

[asianobserve]

I was expecting a "thank you"...

That would be undiplomatic...

 

[civfanatic]

So I'd rather stay under the hegemony of the devil I already know that toy with the idea of staying under the hegemony of a new devil who is even hungrier for recognition and respect...

We all know that you love being under Western hegemony and that is fine. But please do not project your own insecurities and feelings onto others. Some of us do genuinely want to see a rejuvenated and assertive Asia that can mark out its true place in the world. And if we can create some semblance of understanding and cultural unity between the various Asian nation-states, to prevent inter-Asian conflict and foster peaceful relations among our neighbors, then that is all the better.

 

[opesys]

I specifically mentioned China and Iran because those two nation-states are the most important in terms of India's national interests, as well as the most immediate in terms of geography...................

Based on this logic what ever "west" did was based on their national interest....why all the fuss then if you going to do the same thing that you want to oppose ?

 

[civfanatic]

Based on this logic what ever "west" did was based on their national interest....why all the fuss then if you going to do the same thing that you want to oppose ?

Did you read or comprehend my post? Am I advocating that India colonize or subjugate China and Iran?

 

[asianobserve]

Some of us do genuinely want to see a rejuvenated and assertive Asia that can mark out its true place in the world arena.

So far the only real "rejuvenated" "great" Asian nation-state right now is China, and I don't like what it's doing...