TOWARDS A GENERIC GLOBAL ISSUE STATEMENT

COMMENTARY ARCHIVES, 28 Apr 2009

Anthony Judge

Evoking an Instructive Pattern of Unquestionable Responses

Introduction

This is an effort to learn from the dynamics of global issue articulation using as a first example the highly controversial and provocative presentation by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran on the occasion of the UN Durban Review Conference on Racism and Racial Discrimination (Geneva, 21 April 2009). The conference as a whole was characterized by the absence of key parties (notably Israel and the USA) and by the orchestrated walkout of some delegations (notably European, Australian, Canadian), significantly "white", on the occasion of the presentation.

It is questionable whether the 143-point consensual declaration of the conference to combat racism and discrimination against minorities will be of any further significance — as has been the case with many such events. Of particular interest is the subsequent media coverage of the pronouncements of the Iranian President in the light of comments by many who are unlikely to have heard (or read) what he said, especially since they appear not to have been carried (or reproduced) in any western media. Typically those comments made and reproduced specifically accused the President of himself reflecting the worst forms of racist perspective, readily compared with the genocidal mentality of Adolf Hitler as an embodiment of evil. In the light of such judgement, appropriately severe punishment of him was freely advocated and considered reasonable.

Of particular interest is the degree to which the President’s statements were effectively held to be so dangerous and inflammatory as to be usefully compared with radioactive materials requiring special handling. As such it was too dangerous to be carried by the media for wider consideration especially by those liable to be perturbed by its contents. The "knee-jerk" responses, even by the most eminent, are of special interest to the processes of mature debate on intractable issues — if that were ever to be possible. In this sense the exploration below is a contribution to concerns with both critical thinking and the supporting technology of argument mapping (Web resources: Critical thinking vs. Specious arguments, 2001).

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This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 28 Apr 2009.

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