Diary of Hungarian immigrants episode 3

1. Anger and pride: A stone stirs up a thousand waves.

Olivia farage, an Italian female journalist who became famous for her interview with Man of the Hour, has been living in seclusion in new york since 1990s, and engaged in literary creation and research behind closed doors. In 200 1 year, after the "9. 1 1" incident that shocked the world, farage returned to the rivers and lakes. On September 29th, in an Italian newspaper named Corriere della Sera, farage published a long article about the "9. 1 1" incident-"Anger and Pride".

In this article, farage lashed out at the left-wing intellectuals in Islam and the West, stressing that war with terrorists in the Islamic world is inevitable. As soon as the article was published, it caused a great sensation. The Evening Post sold/kloc-0.0 million copies in just four hours, setting a new record in the history of news.

As some people have said, farage's comeback has become "one of the most shocking events in the history of European journalism", and western media have commented on her articles one after another, causing opposition between the left and the right. On April 28th, 2002, The Wall Street Journal published an editorial entitled "Rushdie, Italy", praising: "The conscience of Europe has a name: farage." On the other hand, farage's remarks were countered by European left-wing media. British Guardian columnist kabani wrote an article commenting that farage was "turning the rudder violently from left to right".

Farage's comeback caused waves, but it also brought us questions and thoughts: Why did farage come back and why did he turn? What does her comeback and turn mean?

"Whether in wartime or in peacetime, I am loyal to my principles, fighting for freedom and resisting various forms of absolutism. My life is like my job, and I have never given up my struggle. " Farage said this when he visited China in 1993. As a world-famous female journalist, farage is a radical leftist. She opposed the Vietnam War, sympathized with Vietnam and emphasized human rights and equality. She fell in love at first sight with Pana Gourisse, the leader of the Greek anti-government left wing, and lived together. In the third world countries, she is generally regarded as a symbol of anti-tyranny, anti-centralization and anti-autocracy, and is favored by people who love freedom and pursue democracy.

From 65438 to 0952, farage became a journalist for the first time, showing his personality of being fearless of power and sticking to the truth. The editor of Italy's "Oriental Morning Post" asked her to write a report satirizing the political rally of the * * * Party. Farage thought that this behavior of setting opinions without investigation violated the objectivity of news, so he flatly refused and was fired.

In the 1960s and 1970s, when national liberation movements were surging around the world, farage visited many third world countries in the Middle East and Latin America and wrote a series of manuscripts. During the Olympic Games held in Mexico from 65438 to 0968, she and her students witnessed the bloody suppression of student protests by the Mexican government and were injured. Afterwards, farage published an article about his own experience, and began to appear as an opponent of a freedom fighter and totalitarianism, winning wide attention.

From 1960s to 1980s, farage has always been like a dazzling star, active in the world news stage as a freedom fighter. Farage's most important experience as a journalist is interviewing heads of state and politicians. Her interview with the man of the hour has won her a wide international reputation and shaped her image as a journalist who is not afraid of power.

Farage, who came back with anger and pride, seems to be quite different from people's previous impressions. For example, she made a fierce statement against Islam, arguing that Muslim terrorists are not only aimed at the United States, but also at the whole western civilization:

Because when the fate of the West and our surviving civilization are threatened, in fact, we are new york and we are the United States. We are Italian, French, British, German, Australian, Hungarian, Slovak, Polish, Scandinavian, Belgian, Spanish, Greek and Portuguese. If America is destroyed, so will Europe, and so will we.

So, why is there such an obvious contrast? Is the impression of the past just an illusion? This paper attempts to analyze and discuss this in order to clear the fog surrounding farage and his comeback.

Second, the social reasons for farage's turn

1. the division of the left-wing camp after the cold war

In the late 1980s, with the collapse of the socialist regime in the former Soviet Union and Eastern European countries, the worldwide proletarian movement was at a low ebb, and the historical process of socialism suffered great setbacks. Many western scholars claim that socialism has died and capitalism has won the final victory. Even Robert Heilbronner, a famous American radical economist and historian, declared in the influential new york that the competition between capitalism and socialism had ended and capitalism finally won. Francis Fukuyama, a right-wing scholar, simply regards capitalism as the "final form" of human historical development.

"In the late 1980s, * * * capitalism entered the low tide of the world, which was completely unexpected. This low tide is not only a matter of ideological dogmatism affecting the objective evaluation of events, but also affects various political fields: left wing, right wing and middle school, whether journalists or scholars, or politicians in the East and West. " This kind of political change will inevitably bring ideological impact. On the one hand, the western left-wing camp is divided and the boundaries become blurred. Some Europeans, especially theorists of left-wing Labor Party and Social Democratic Party, try to combine traditional left-wing theory with mainstream right-wing theory, develop a "middle-left" road and take a "third road" between "left" and "right". On the other hand, some left-wing scholars began to "turn right" and completely fell to the right. This change also has an impact on farage with radical left-wing color.

2. The spread of "new pessimism"

After the end of the Cold War, although the tension between the East and the West disappeared, with the decrease of fertility rate and the increase of immigrants in western society, western society is being threatened by another kind of threat, and a new pessimistic trend of thought is also spreading. The ethnic composition of the population in contemporary western society is undergoing tremendous changes, in which the number of Christians is decreasing, while the number of Muslims and other religions is increasing; New immigrants have also retained more local culture, but they have not fully integrated into western culture. Faced with the so-called "global immigration crisis" brought about by this demographic and ethnic change, western society breeds a "new pessimism" mood of worry and fear. Brzezinski, former US presidential security adviser, mentioned in his book Out of Control that "American society will be in danger of disintegration". Samuel huntington, a professor at Harvard University, wrote in The Clash of Civilizations? The article also said that "the West has no economy or the population vitality is not enough to impose its will on others" and the United States "will be thrown into the garbage dump of history".

The remarks of these scholars objectively strengthened the westerners' potential awareness of national and cultural protection, and caused a sense of crisis and panic in western society. These fears caused by the relative population decline in western countries are based on real cultural conflicts and concerns about the loss of national identity. They are not invaded by troops and tanks now, but by immigrants who speak other languages, believe in other gods and belong to other cultures. They are also worried that immigrants will take their jobs, occupy their land, enjoy their welfare system and threaten their way of life. "In recent years, the white militia in the United States, the new right in Europe, the neo-Nazis in Germany, the anti-Asian wave in Australia and the anti-Islamic actions after" 9. 1 1 "are all the results of this enhanced awareness.

3、"9 1 1"

After the Second World War, the world situation has been very unstable. Although no new world war broke out, various contradictions followed, and regional conflicts occurred frequently. Since the Gulf War, war broke out between the western world and the Islamic world, and this tension reached its peak after the "9. 1 1" incident. Samuel huntington, a professor at Harvard University, published Clash of Civilizations in the American Foreign Affairs magazine 1993. "If the19th century is characterized by internal conflicts in the United States, that is, civil wars, and the 20th century is characterized by ideological conflicts, then the 2 1 century will be characterized by a clash of civilizations", "The disintegration of the Soviet Union has made the West lose its enemies, and Islam will be the new enemy of the West in the 2 1 century". Later, he further elaborated this theory in his monograph Clash of Civilizations and Reconstruction of World Order: "The fundamental problem facing the West is not Islamic fundamentalism, but a different civilization-Islam, and its people firmly believe in the superiority of their own culture." Huntington's argument is very representative and has a wide influence on culture, thought and even politics all over the world.

On the other hand, Islamic fundamentalists face the past "golden age" and look at the problems of the times with narrow thinking and extreme thinking. They divide the world into Muslims and pagans, pretend to be Islam or pure Islam, and use various means to oppose non-Muslims or Muslims who disagree with them. These activities objectively provided excellent evidence for Huntington's "clash of civilizations". In his speech, President Bush called the war on terrorism a "new crusade", which undoubtedly added a black and heavy footnote to the "clash of civilizations".

The lesson of "9. 1 1" incident is an irreconcilable contradiction between the "civilized world" and the Muslim world in the eyes of the American right wing. They preach that all contradictions come from the conflict between the vast "Christian civilized world" and the "Islamic barbaric world". Numerous media hype, coupled with the historical memory of Islamic fundamentalist terrorists, have formed a reflection model in the minds of Americans, focusing on the differences and contradictions between different cultures.

Third, the personal reasons for farage's turn.

1, the position of intellectuals and the romantic feelings of the left wing

As a journalist, farage tried to stick to an objective and fair position. As a westerner who believes in democracy and freedom, she can't get rid of the shackles of western intellectuals. This led her to wander between the two, but the latter often gained the upper hand, dismissing the fair attitude she tried to insist on.

Take farage's reports during the Vietnam War as an example. At first, farage regarded Yue * * as a "knight fighting for freedom", so she stood on Yue * *' s side and openly opposed American intervention in Vietnam affairs-"I won't come to Vietnam with vitamins, materials and modern equipment to make Larry cry for Johnny and others"; She published diaries and love poems for Vietnamese unknown soldiers; Describe the ugly deeds of American soldiers evading military service; She also boldly exposed the puppet nature of the South Vietnamese regime: "It is like a toy, at the mercy of the interests of those who dominate the fate of others."

However, it didn't take long for a small incident to shake farage's feelings for Yue * * *. An American veteran criticized her: "As a humanist journalist, standing on the side of the enemy unfairly and irresponsibly belittles Americans." Farage was puzzled and doubted the objectivity of his analysis. At the same time, the North Vietnamese regime's attempt to control her interview aroused farage's dissatisfaction, and Yue's execution of the captured reporter made her even more furious, so she no longer had romantic fantasies about Yue in A Freedom Fighter.

The change of farage's attitude shows that she tried to oppose the failure of American intervention in Vietnamese affairs in a romantic way. This subtle emotional change actually comes from farage's intellectual position, which has been influenced by western ideas for a long time. The romantic feelings arising from the admiration for freedom are bound to be untenable for a long time. The same contradiction is also reflected in farage's attitude and understanding of democracy. In an interview with Vashavin, a trade union leader who boycotted the Polish * * production party regime, farage clearly felt his arrogance and arrogance, but when she turned the tape into a written manuscript, she was puzzled:

Should I write down the real Vashavin, saying that he is a puppet of the church, arrogant and ignorant, etc. If that's the case, I'll do the Russians and the Polish Production Party a favor, because they want to crush him and unite the trade unions. Or should we say, like others, that Vashavin is a good man and has contributed to the birth of Polish democracy?

Finally, farage still abandoned his true views and did not reveal anything against Vasavan in his interview notes. Similarly, when interviewing Polish Deputy Prime Minister Lakovski, although farage thought that "he looks like a smart man, an enlightened producer and a democratic producer like Enrico", she was once again influenced by "political considerations": "He is from Lakovski, party member, and I don't trust him. I don't want my article to become a propaganda material for the producers of * * *, thus making me a political tool. "

Farage's vacillation on many issues shows that she wants to speak from the standpoint of human nature and can't get rid of the fetters of western complex. We should not only realize the fairness of news, but also be free from the shackles of established knowledge. In "Anger and Pride", we can see that farage seems to have forgotten the once "left-wing" romantic fantasy, leaving only the "free" mind of a western intellectual. With this mind, she shouted:

Do you know why? Because it turns untouchables into people, because it encourages them, and even requires them to manage themselves, express their individuality and pursue their happiness. Contrary to those practices of capitalism, people are forbidden to resist, to manage and express themselves, to get rich, and to try to replace the traditional king by creating a sacred earthly country. My father used to say, "* * * is a monarchy, and it is a conservative monarchy. Because it erases the clear outline of people. When you erase the outline of a person, it is no longer a person. " He also often said that capitalism did not make people free, on the contrary, it made everyone a pariah. It makes everyone starve to death.

2. The values of western centralism.

The conflict between the western world and the Arab world stems from the conflict of their values. As a westerner who firmly believes in his own civilization, farage was deeply impressed by the one-sided propaganda of the western world on Arabia, and he could neither accept nor understand Arab civilization.

Farage once said publicly, "I have no interest in the Middle East, and the culture in the Middle and Near East is not attractive to me. I don't want to go to Baghdad, Damascus or Pakistan anymore. " . She despises Arab culture. She believes that "they have a feeling of fanaticism, dogmatism, showbiz and mafia." In short, it is a feature that I despise. "

Farage's feelings were particularly evident when 1972 interviewed Palestinian resistance leader Arafat. Her description of Arafat's appearance has a very strong personal feeling: "This face will remind people of a raptor or an angry antelope. In fact, he has almost no cheekbones and no chin, only a thick red lip, an aggressive nose and big eyes with two drops of ink. " She also wrote: "His voice is like a ridiculous whistle, with some feminine characteristics." Farage's derogatory comments on Arafat's appearance and hints on his sexual orientation not only show his aggressive interview style, but also truly reflect his western-centered values. She wrote a passage in the preface of the interview, which truly recorded her mentality:

How difficult it is to talk between an Arab who believes in war and a European who no longer believes in war. Because the latter is influenced by Christianity and hates hatred; The former abides by the principle of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. In fact, this is a concentrated expression of arrogance.

In an interview with farage, she casually used the word "terrorist" to address George Habbah, the founder and leader of the Palestinian People's Front; When interviewing Khomeini, she satirized Iranians wearing "medieval robes"; When interviewing Gaddafi, farage asked him if he was "God". This lack of understanding and respect for Arab culture, coupled with farage's superior attitude towards western civilization, has brought about a one-sided psychological balance. After comparing western culture with Arabic culture, she even came to the conclusion: "My great Mr. Arafat, your ancestors left us nothing but a few beautiful masks and a book that they have been destroying my distinctive personality."

3. Christian fundamentalism complex

According to Christian fundamentalists, the world is an angel and Satan, and everything is either "good" or "evil". This kind of understanding often brings extremism and paranoia to people and affects one's judgment ability.

Farage, who grew up in a Christian environment, once said, "Although I am a secularist and an atheist, I am still influenced by Catholic culture, which is still a way for me to express myself." Throughout farage's life and thoughts, we can clearly feel that she has a strong Christian fundamentalism complex. She believes that "everyone is a mixture of angels and beasts", and human beings have to pretend to accept the difference between good and evil and survive:

"When God and the devil were still alive, God promised to guarantee' goodness' to heaven, and the devil used hell as a threat to punish' evil', which made sense. At that time, Purdue's great religion determined people's behavior. "

Farage has always been hard to get rid of the bondage of Christian fundamentalism complex. The thinking mode of "distinguishing good from evil" led to her absolutism. As the critic Adaf SuWeiwei said, "The Arabs in her works are inhuman; They are either hysterical or capricious. Or a killer. They are greedy, cynical and full of hatred. The animals that can compare them are bats, snakes and mad dogs. "

This is related to her growing experience and natural environment. Farage grew up in an anti-fascist family. The bitter memory of World War II made farage unable to shake off the shadow of fascism. She hates Germany, fascism and all forms of totalitarianism. "I didn't know that the Nazis and the German people were two different things, so I had a deep hatred for Germany." 1986 She went to Germany twice, but both left soon. She refused to hold promotion activities for her book in Germany.

Influenced by his father, farage always regarded the United States as the Italian savior and liberator. This impression of "saving the angel" made farage keep a good impression on the United States. Farage has lived in the United States for most of her life, and she chose new york instead of Italy as her main residence. In farage's early literary works, she described her preference for America with the mouth of the protagonist: "I love America. I love his friendliness, his efficiency and his high civilization. I feel that I belong to this country more than my country of birth. "

Farage's preference for the American "angel style" lasted until he was angry and proud. She praised the American spirit of freedom as the source of strength for all unity, friendship and victory:

What makes America special is that it was born out of the need of a soul, a need to own the motherland, and the noblest ideal that human beings have always believed in: it is an ideal about freedom, or, further, an ideal that wants to combine the concepts of freedom and equality.

Islam, which stands on the opposite side of "angel", seems to be the seed of sin and hatred in farage's eyes. In the face of terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism, farage unequivocally pointed out that "there is no important difference between Islam and Islamism" and "Islam was killed with one stick":

In fact, it is impossible to deal with them. Reasoning with them is even more incredible. Treating them with connivance, forgiveness or fantasy is tantamount to suicide. No matter who you are, as long as you think differently, they will think you are cheating.

In a word, the complex of Christian fundamentalism has influenced farage's judgment and analysis of things, making her often entangled in the fierce conflict of either or, thus falling into the quagmire of extremism.

Four. conclusion

After the publication of farage's Anger and Pride, three French social groups took her to court for "spreading racial discrimination and hatred", which triggered a discussion on the double standards of freedom of speech. At the same time, farage was hated by Muslim society, and two Italian Muslim organizations wrote to her, claiming to "kill" her like Khomeini ordered the execution of Rushdie, the author of Satan's Psalms. Does farage's comeback and turn mean a new hatred between Islamic civilization and Christian civilization? And will farage's future life be threatened like Rushdie's? These are hard to predict.

However, farage's sister Paula once said, "arianna is an open book. Books written in Chinese or Sanskrit. " Like her other works, farage's anger and pride are now translated into various languages for people of different cultures and backgrounds to interpret. Although farage's comeback is only a moment in history, it brings us more and deeper thinking and understanding of history than instant curiosity and speculation.