As part of our high school English cirriculum (or whatever it is you want to call that thing in high school that changes every six months), we had to read, predictably, a lot of CanlIt ("Canadian Literature"). Everytime we read Margerate Laurence (especially!) or whatever, we were always told, "Did anyone notice that the important people live on the hill? Did anyone notice that the poor people lived at the bottom of the hill? Did anyone notice that the king of dump lived on a pile of garbage? That's irony."

As one might imagine, the house located at the highest point in Perth (where I'm moving) has a name: Summit House because it is at the summit of the only hill in Perth. Although it is a historic site of some sort, the house is in ill-repair and falling apart. Interestingly, it has a large stone and concrete fence (taller than I am) around the whole property giving it somewhat of a fortress feel to it. Wonder if it is possible to break into the property?

Returning to New Orleans: height has its advantages -- yesterday the affluent were allowed to return to "salvage" goods (another index of race and class) and take pictures for insurance purposes. Rather impressive overall.

What is most shocking about the situation isn't so much the lack of response, the interference against international aid, but that no one can be bothered to lie or put on a face. Just the other day Barbara Bush suggested -- right to the media -- that these people were lucky because they got they are "underprivileged" and got the chance of a lifetime to go to the Astrodome! Right up there with the Trent Lott "joke".
Craig | Homepage | 06 Sep, 2005 - 9:18 am | #

Hehe, I give up... Over at Lenin's tomb I'm told I'm ripping off Theweleit, and now that I'm simply repeating the banalities of the Canadian high school English curriculum.

(Wait a moment, perhaps instead this only proves once again how very advanced and cutting edge Canadian education is...)

Anyhow, yes, again as per comments at Lenin's tomb, really little if anything is being hidden here.

Posthegemony, once more...
Jon | Homepage | 06 Sep, 2005 - 9:35 am | #

Oh, and Craig: a neighbour.
Jon | Homepage | 06 Sep, 2005 - 1:53 pm | #

"He [President Nixon] always emphasized that the problem was really the blacks."

H.R. Halderman, sometime in the 60s I believe (see Christian Parenti's _Lockdown America_)
Matt | Homepage | 08 Sep, 2005 - 10:15 pm | #

I think you would like Theweleit.

I reproduced a passage relevant to your remarks here:

http://alphonsevanworden.blogspo...e- disorder.html
alphonsevanworden | Homepage | 20 Sep, 2005 - 12:23 am | #

Alphonse, indeed I do... but thanks for the link.

On capitalism and love, see the start of a discussion here.
Jon | Homepage | 20 Sep, 2005 - 12:46 am | #