Culture and Resistance: Conversations With Edward W. Said

Edward W. Said discusses the importance and centrality of popular resistance in the framework of culture, history, and struggle. He reveals his thoughts on the war on terrorism and the invasion of Afghanistan. On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he lays out a compelling vision for a secular, democratic future in the Middle East. He proposes a radical solution that cuts through the current impasse with a promise of reconciliation and peace for both peoples. Prof. Said addresses the origins of Palestinian resistance and the collapse of the so-called peace process that has led to more and more Israeli colonies. He is unsparing in his criticism of Arafat and the PLO. He dissects the role of media propaganda and its golden rolodex of pseudo-experts in shaping public opinion. 

Reviews

"Said’s political commentary and philosophical reflections may serve as bridge to the heavier lifting in reading Orientalism, his classic 1978 pathbreaking and controversial exploration of the distorted images of Arab and Eastern peoples in the imaginations of Europe and the United States, and how these have shaped dominant assumptions behind government policy, media portrayals and popular culture....The republication of the present collection reminds us of how much Edward Said gave us, and how much he’s missed in the present catastrophic global situation." —Against the Current