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August 27, 2003
Opinions: Battle of Algiers
I was just pondering this. Would the story of the Algerian situation make an impact on American minds? For someone like myself, already knowing the history (and to be a pointless name dropper, the neice of Ali le Point. Sexy girl I may add. I call Bint Ali.) the film "The Battle of Algiers" was provacative in its presentation, fair and effective.
Yet, I suspect that the Algerian story would be dismissed in the context of French failures and the idiot quasi bigotry of "surrender monkeys." No lesson learned, merely a film... Only Vietnam has resonance...
Am I wrong? Or perhaps I am wrong about the lessons.
On the later I think not. While certain structural differences are found in the Algerian situation, such as the issue of the settlers and probably better communication & understanding capacity on the part of the French military in Algeria, compared with the Americans, I think the similarities outweigh. Further to that, the type of aide that Algeria's Arab neighbors extended while extent and likely to differ from the Iraqi neighbors, was limited.
In essence, what I see is a different but highly evocative situation. The one item the film misses or underplays is the Harki issue, the degree to which a segement (sometimes substantial) of the Algerian population bought into the French occupation/colonization. A highly divided situation, but nationalism is almost always an easier sell than collaboration with foreigners.
Discussion should there be any here: http://wc6.worldcrossing.com/webx?50@153.HA0oar7Ci7N.3@.1dddf6bc
Posted by The Lounsbury at August 27, 2003 11:35 AM
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Jan-Dec 2003
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