Spanish Diary
Day 17?
I keep thinking of 9–11. The media hooked us with constant “breaking news”, the sequel of the attacks stretched as far in time as it it could be. In 2003, the U.S. invaded Iraq, blaming that country directly for the attacks it clearly had no role in. The constant stream of images and words since 9–11 made it difficult to sift the facts from the fiction, the truth from the opportunism. By the time war was declared, the sinking presidency of George W. Bush was revitalized and the most right wing, pro corporate, pro war, pro surveillance elements of the country had pushed all their pet projects and policies through.
9–11. There was another 9–11 before the 9–11 of 2001. This 9–11 took place in 1973 in Chile. In this other 9–11 the U.S. violently overthrew the democrativally elected president, Salvador Allende. When I think of this other 9–11, I think of Naomi Klein and her thesis “the shock doctrine” whereby a shock, say a natural disaster, a military coup, a terrorist attack, is used to disorient and confuse the population, making it much easier to pass legislation benefiting the most right wing, pro corporate, pro war, pro surveillance elements of a country. Or of many countries, such as after the 2008 shock of the global financial meltdown.
Disorienting and painful shocks have been very good to the most right wing, pro corporate, pro war, pro surveillance elements of the world. What if there were an even more disorienting type of shock? Maybe one that took much longer than a terrorist attack or a military coup. Maybe those quick, excruciatingly painful shocks are less effective than prolonged, slow motion end-of-the-world shocks. Maybe if you add confinement, and therefore some of the psychological elements used in prisons with solitary confinement, the sleight of hand is easier, maybe you can go further.
I keep thinking of 9–11 and Art Spiegelman. I keep thinking of his comics for the New Yorker after 9–11 and how he represented the problem with “the new normal” and the multiple, individual, psychological effects of the shock of 9–11. I keep thinking of the 9–11, the other 9–11, Art Spiegelman and Naomi Klein’s “shock doctrine”. I keep thinking of the psychological effects of solitary confinement. I keep thinking of how quickly the most right wing, pro corporate, pro war, pro surveillance elements of the world are quickly seizing the opportunities of this new shock. I keep thinking about all of these things… but maybe it’s just the isolation?
