Tonight I am looking forward to the European Cup semi-final between The Netherlands and England. It takes place in the stadium used by FC Twente. Is that 20? No, it's name comes from the Twente region of the Netherlands, apparently it's antiquated Roman nomenclature. I read that the are two dialects in the region, that although they are very similar, there are certain phrases that act as a 'Shibboleth' to discern which part of Twente you are from. What's a Shibboleth? I discover its from Hebrew, The word was chosen to uncover traitors in Ephraim. Apparently its a word that is very hard to counterfeit. The word means nothing special- the core of the seed, something like that. Now it means how you can detect a true believer- like 'the cricket test', or asking a Serbian about Kosovo. The truth behind a shibboleth is not as significant as the automatic, culturally determined response.
A Shibboleth to the British is that the empire was not that bad. Also that the British were better than the rest, as if we have a different status of burglary.
I am fascinated by the story in today's Guardian about Tommy Curry, a Philosophy professor at Texas A&M University. He spoke on private radio channel about the state of Black power after Obama. He voiced his rage at the deaths of black young people in indiscriminant actions based of deeps fear of race. I was reminded of Malcolm X's line that passivity does not appear to be winning. Curry wondered whether black people need to carry guns and be more violence. The article points out that Curry is not a violent man. He is aware that he does enjoy stirring things up, and getting people uncomfortable. Indeed, he was awarded his professorship on the bases that this is needed. The article also discussed the political context of the 2012 film Dejango Unchained, about a black slave who takes revenge on the evils done to his wife by shooting a lot of white people. Jamie Foxx, the actor spoke of the cathartic pleasure he felt in acting the part.
I am reminded of an interview I read about the first Afghan female police Chief. She noted how men's behaviours and attitudes to her changed when she started carrying a gun. This small object changed the power dynamic between them.
Like the inequality of power in Israel/Palestine, where Israel, the victim, picks up little Palestine by the scruff of the neck, and it lashes out, trying to kick Israel's shins, America, with centuries of inequality, it's own 'Northern Ireland', needs to understand the meaning and dimension of power.
Sadly (or perhaps fortuitously?), Curry's article was found on the internet by a follower of Rod Dreher, a conservative intellectual blogger and commentator with a million followers. He gave oxygen to this spark, critiquing the violent sentiment in Curry's narrative, and questioned why he should be holding an establishment role in Texas. The University is now caught in a perfect storm. Curry is subject to death threats and requires a police escort. The mad people are always out there.
Violence breads violence- I do not believe it creates positive change, but why did Britain move the date for India's independence from June 1948 to 15 August 1947? Violence has a big part to play in the history if the world. Cue maxim 57 "With power comes the abuse of power. And where there are bosses, there are crazy bosses. It's nothing new." Judd Rose- American Journalist with the New York Times lived 1955-2000
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