Dissent from the Homeland

Dissent from the Homeland is a book about patriotism and pacifism, justice and revenge. In this deliberately and urgently provocative collection, noted writers, theologians, philosophers, and literary critics speak out against the war on terrorism and the government of George W. Bush as a response to the events of September 11, 2001. Critiquing government policy, citizen apathy, and societal justifications following the attacks, these writers present a wide range of opinions on such issues as contemporary American foreign policy; the relationship between Christianity, Islam, and Judaism; and displays of patriotism in the wake of the disaster. Whether insisting that to be a Christian is to be a pacifist, illuminating the narratives that have been used to legitimate the war on terror, or reflecting on the power of American consumer culture to transform the attack sites into patriotic tourist attractions, these essays refuse easy answers. They consider why the Middle East harbors a deep-seated hatred for the United States. They argue that the U.S. drive to win the Cold War made the nation more like its enemies, leading the government to support ruthless anti-Communist tyrants such as Mobutu, Suharto, and Pinochet. They urge Americans away from the pitfall of national self-righteousness toward an active peaceableness - an alert, informed, practiced state of being - deeply contrary to both passivity and war. Above all, the essays assembled in Dissent from the Homeland are a powerful entreaty for thought, analysis, and understanding. Originally published as a special issue of the journal SAQ, Dissent from the Homeland has been expanded to include new essays as well as a new introduction and postscript. from Dissent from the Homeland: "'God Bless America' is not a hymn any Christian can or should sing. At least it is not a hymn any Christian can or should sing unless it is understood that God's blessing incurs God's judgement." Stanley Hauerwas "America is threatened by the most powerful enemy in its history, the administration of George W. Bush." Frank Lentricchia "The hardest thing in the world is to know how to act so as to make the difference that can be made; to know how and why that differs from the act that only releases or expresses the basic impotence of resentment." Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury "We do need a 'new economy,' but one that is founded on thrift and care, on saving and conserving, not on excess and waste. An economy based on waste is inherently and hopelessly violent, and war is its inevitable by-product. We need a peaceable economy." Wendell Berry, conservationist, farmer, essayist, novelist, and poet Contributors. Srinivas Aravamudan, Michael J. Baxter, Jean Baudrillard, Robert N. Bellah, Daniel Berrigan, Wendell Berry, Vincent Cornell, David James Duncan, Stanley Hauerwas, Fredric Jameson, Frank Lentricchia, Catherine Lutz, Jody McAuliffe, John Milbank, Peter Ochs, Donald E. Pease, Anne R. Slifkin, Rowan Williams, Susan Willis, and Slavoj Zizek.