the 'other' war

“Let's face it, the war on terror is also a war on difference: cultural, political, religious, racial and even sexual. And the many targets of this war-Muslims, Arabs, Arab-looking people, Latino immigrants, people with thick accents and ethnic features-are being lumped into one single menacing form of otherness. The list goes on to include the poor and the homeless. Dissenting intellectuals, critical artists, socially conscious scientists, and activist gays are all being targeted as well. The others who are “the new barbarians” multiply, threatening Western democracy from without and within…”

From a special commentary by performance artist Guillermo Gómez-Peña