obliteration

Tuesday, 22 of april, and Hilary Clinton answered the ridiculous question of what the US would do if in 10 yrs time Iran were to bomb Israel, in this erudite way: "In the next 10 years, during which they might foolishly consider launching an attack on Israel, we would be able to totally obliterate them." Clinton's understanding of 'them' is that it is obviously something that can be obliterated. Obliteration of course is an act of violence (not unlike a split infinitive) because it effaces the creation, the text, the writing: ob+littera="against the letter". It would be quite interesting to observe how a state of generally substandard literacy, ultimately deprived of metaphysics (and thus frightfully unable to comment on why metaphysics should be left behind), and suffocatingly given to identity considerations and improper use of pronouns, how this kind of state would attempt to obliterate a state whose literary output remains immeasurable even at these times of obsessive blogging.

US elections are probably the most irritatingly banal topic that at the same time seems to be attracting an irritatingly disproportionate amount of coverage. Far from me to get unduly excited about him, her or other mysterious apparitions. What is rather relevant however, although still not quite avoiding banality, is the reiteration of the american cliche: they like their guns, they thrive on segregation and classism, and they still believe that they can seriously use the term 'obliterate' in a political way.