on thursday, edward w. said lectured about the near-east conflict at the diplomatic academy of vienna – finally (a few months ago he was invited by the freud gesellschaft but they suddenly cancelled the invitation due to twisted circumstances as to be read in "werkblatt", a magazine for psychoanalysis and social theory).

said, a palestinian himself living in the states, is pro-palestinian and emphasizes on some viewpoints that are very often (if not most of the time) abstracted in western media: israel is an occupant of palestina, a military super power (not at last due to help and weapons from the united states) fighting against an almost unarmed resistance and invading defenseless villages full of poor, civil inhabitants.

israel says they have to do this to protect themselves and to gain and guarantee security and peace for their nation. said says, by doing so israel will achieve the exact opposite, instead they do everything to gain insecurity, war and enmity.

a people that suffered so hard (and there is no doubt about this) claim that this time they would not be the losers and rather make another people feel the pain. better fuck them than being fucked yourself again. in effect, these victims of the victims one day will have to prove their will to survive, too. and so on, and so on. this is the downward spiral, the mortal coil of violence. it has to stop. good to know, huh?

der standard: "ein gott der bomben und der erdnussbutter – kulturwissenschafter edward said über den 'konflikt der kulturen' und verschiedene formen der ignoranz".