Rebellion Or Apathy?

Haroon Siddiqui contends that the world is rebelling against America. He writes,

There already is a global rebellion against America, separate and apart from the recent terrorist attacks on U.S. civilians and soldiers in Yemen, Pakistan and Kuwait.

Governments everywhere are dreading the dawn of American imperial unilateralism. They are even more scared of their riled-up citizenries.

Most Muslims are characterizing American designs on Iraq as racist. Others are calling it a colonial endeavour — the return of the Ugly American.

From Europe through Africa and Asia to the Far East, public opinion is solidly ranged against America. The dissidents include the Pope, the archbishop of Canterbury and Nelson Mandela.

This anti-war movement may be more potent than the one against the Vietnam War. It is worldwide and it has gelled before the war has even begun.

North American pundits have it that Bush has a small window of opportunity for war because a delay would push it into the unbearable heat of the Middle East summer. The greater truth, as seen from here, may be that his options are closing because of growing people power, even in America.

Edward Said, on the other hand, is not as optimistic. He's appalled at the apathy towards Bush's planned assault on Iraq, especially in the Arab world. In a pained, searching essay, he asks,

Why is there such silence and such astounding helplessness? The largest power in history is about to launch a war against a sovereign Arab country now ruled by a dreadful regime, the clear purpose of which is not only to destroy the Ba'ath regime but to redesign the entire region. The Pentagon has made no secret that its plans are to redraw the map of the whole Arab world, perhaps changing other regimes and borders in the process. No one can be shielded from the cataclysm if and when it comes. And yet, there is only long silence followed by a few vague bleats of polite demurral in response. Millions of people will be affected, yet America contemptuously plans for their future without consulting them.