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Eric Ross

Eric Ross
Location
Falls Church, Virginia, USA
Birthday
November 24
Title
Visiting Professor of Anthropology
Company
George Washington University
Bio
Eric B. Ross is a U.S.-born anthropologist, specializing in questions of equitable development, who has lived and taught in Europe for 27 years. During that time, he authored such heterodox works as The Malthus Factor: Poverty, Politics & Population in Capitalist Development and (with the late Marvin Harris) Death, Sex & Fertility: Population Regulation in Preindustrial and Developing Societies. He also was the chair of the MA program in development studies at the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague. Prior to that, during his years in the UK, he was an active campaigner against the Tory government and a member of the Steering Committee of the Public Health Alliance, which fought to defend the NHS. He returned to the DC area (where he lives with his daughter, Mimi) a year and a half ago and, among other things, edits a political magazine called The Porcupine (www.theporcupine.org). He has just finished his first novel and is looking for a publisher.

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MAY 20, 2009 6:29PM

Misconceived War, not Torture Photos, Imperils Troops

Rate: 2 Flag

by Eric B. Ross

President Obama wants to be bi-partisan. This must be what he means. Democratic Senator Lieberman and Republican Senator Graham wrote to him on May 9, urging him not to release photographs of detainees being tortured. “The release of these old photographs of past behavior that has now been clearly prohibited,” they said, “will serve no public good, but will empower al-Qaida propaganda operations, hurt our country’s image, and endanger our men and women in uniform.” The president seems to have agreed. But, let’s get to the point. What really endangers “our men and women in uniform” is sending them to Iraq and Afghanistan. Until the White House pulls out our troops, it is our foreign policy, not these photographs, that puts them in peril.

 [cross-posted from The Porcupine]

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You are correct...but I don't think these people...or Obama...are saying that the release of the photos is the only peril...or that it is an exclusive peril.

But I agree with them that it will be a greater source of peril.

The photos do nothing but cause more trouble for America.
Frank Apisa
May 20, 2009 07:46 PM
The effect of publishing the photos is entirely speculative, even if the troops stay. The dangers of having ground troops in Afghanistan is demonstrable. But, if the troops aren't there, the risk of their being further endangered by the photos becomes academic.
Eric Ross
May 20, 2009 08:00 PM
Misconceived wars is mild, Prof Ross. Illegal is perhaps more accurate if harsher. monkey fingered.
Behind Blue Eyes
May 20, 2009 10:08 PM
What a comparison! ...by Lieberman & Graham, who are just one stooge short.

A photo is likely to be more dangerous than guns or missiles or suicide bombers? How absurd!
ktm
January 29, 2010 10:36 AM