all-encompassingly

i wrote this post a few months ago but never published it — travis

why is it that every time foreigners kill a bunch of americans nowadays, that there are people in this country practically crapping their pants with glee, who race each other to be the first to publish a theory explaining why the american victims must be to blame?

ward churchill comes to mind. in september 2001 (and then again in 2004). churchill called the victims in the world trade center buildings “little eichmanns” because their daily labors kept “evil” america running (you know, just like the germans who helped hitler perpetuate naziism). he called his thesis, “on the justice of roosting chickens.” then in 2004, perhaps feeling his earlier comments had left some doubt as to his opinion of america and americans, he said:

I want the state gone: transform the situation to U.S. out of North America. U.S. off the planet. Out of existence altogether.

delightful! see also:

• http://www.answers.com/topic/ward-churchill-9-11-essay-controversy
• http://www.counterpunch.org/ross04182007.html

now, in the midst of another violent tragedy — the shooting rampage at virginia tech university in which a large number of americans fell victim to a foreign attacker — someone named sherwood ross has crawled out from under a rock with some “thoughts.” last week, writing for counterpunch.org, ross condemned the victims of the virginia tech massacre. if you don’t want to read it, i don’t blame you. here’s the spoiler: they deserved it because they were american. the quote that follows attempts to draw some sort of connection between american foreign policy and the VT attacks. this isn’t even the most offensive part of his ‘theory’:

Who is responsible for the killings in Iraq except the same now bereaved parents of the murdered students at Virginia Tech?

as i said, this type of anti-american opportunism is now in vogue. every time an american tragedy occurs, even one so removed from politics as a insane man going on an inexplicable shooting spree (even one with much more basis in hollywood’s ‘the matrix’ than the american-led war in iraq), these loonies will now be appearing in the papers, advancing their theories of american evil, roosting chickens, and the complicity of innocent citizens.

can you imagine the havoc people like churchill and ross, with such a deranged sense of causation, would wreak on jury duty?

plaintiff’s attorney: ladies and gentlemen of the jury, during the course of the trial you will see that bendectin caused the plaintiff’s birth defects —

ward churchill and sherwood ross: (jumping to their feet) GUILTY! we find the defendant guilty!!!!! not only that, but george bush and halliburton and christians and guns ‘n’ ammo subscribers and alaskan crab fishermen…they’re all obviously to blame for this man’s birth defects.

trial judge: but the plaintiff is just seconds into his opening statement. and those people you mentioned are not even defendants in the case.

sherwood and ross: the jury RESTS, your honor!

?????????