Comments on: Tales of Diplomacy: The Great Wall http://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2009/11/19/eliot-weinberger/tales-of-diplomacy-the-great-wall/ The Blog of the London Review of Books Sun, 21 Mar 2010 11:33:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Camus123 http://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2009/11/19/eliot-weinberger/tales-of-diplomacy-the-great-wall/comment-page-1/#comment-349 Camus123 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:27:27 +0000 http://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/?p=2186#comment-349 "not that the Maginot Line was ever very successful at dividing anything" What do you mean? It divided Belgium and France very well and helped the French to pull out of the war with far fewer deaths and less destruction than the 14-18 affair. I'd rate the Maginot Line as a pretty good way to save lives. “not that the Maginot Line was ever very successful at dividing anything” What do you mean? It divided Belgium and France very well and helped the French to pull out of the war with far fewer deaths and less destruction than the 14-18 affair. I’d rate the Maginot Line as a pretty good way to save lives.

]]> By: Robert Hanks http://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2009/11/19/eliot-weinberger/tales-of-diplomacy-the-great-wall/comment-page-1/#comment-332 Robert Hanks Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:06:30 +0000 http://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/?p=2186#comment-332 Well, yes, and castles, palaces and stately homes symbolise oppression, and churches symbolise superstition (and a good bit of oppression as well) - the bits of the past that survive tend not to have lovely associations. But we can celebrate the walls you mention because they no longer divide anything at all (not that the Maginot Line was ever very successful at dividing anything): if the Great Wall still marked an actual political boundary we'd all feel much more ambivalent about it. As it is, we can afford to be impressed by the technical achievement. Civilisation and barbarity don't come into it. Well, yes, and castles, palaces and stately homes symbolise oppression, and churches symbolise superstition (and a good bit of oppression as well) – the bits of the past that survive tend not to have lovely associations. But we can celebrate the walls you mention because they no longer divide anything at all (not that the Maginot Line was ever very successful at dividing anything): if the Great Wall still marked an actual political boundary we’d all feel much more ambivalent about it. As it is, we can afford to be impressed by the technical achievement. Civilisation and barbarity don’t come into it.

]]> By: Martin http://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2009/11/19/eliot-weinberger/tales-of-diplomacy-the-great-wall/comment-page-1/#comment-331 Martin Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:41:22 +0000 http://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/?p=2186#comment-331 The Great Wall is an extraordinary construction, but why this celebration of a wall? The Great Wall, like the Berlin Wall, the Maginot Line and the West Bank wall, symobolises war, division, fear and hatred. When the Berlin Wall came down there was universal celebration and when the Israeli wall comes down we'll celebrate too, but we celebrate the existence and technological wonders of walls such as Hadrian's, the Great Wall and the Maginot Line. Is this because we see them as protecting us and our 'civilisation' from them and their 'barbarity'? Perhaps GWB's was the most diplomatic response. Something there is that doesn't love a wall. The Great Wall is an extraordinary construction, but why this celebration of a wall? The Great Wall, like the Berlin Wall, the Maginot Line and the West Bank wall, symobolises war, division, fear and hatred. When the Berlin Wall came down there was universal celebration and when the Israeli wall comes down we’ll celebrate too, but we celebrate the existence and technological wonders of walls such as Hadrian’s, the Great Wall and the Maginot Line. Is this because we see them as protecting us and our ‘civilisation’ from them and their ‘barbarity’?

Perhaps GWB’s was the most diplomatic response.

Something there is that doesn’t love a wall.

]]> By: vmaverick http://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2009/11/19/eliot-weinberger/tales-of-diplomacy-the-great-wall/comment-page-1/#comment-329 vmaverick Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:40:13 +0000 http://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/?p=2186#comment-329 When you visited the Great Wall, were your remarks acute and memorable? Mine sure weren't -- thank goodness no journalists were there to record them. When you visited the Great Wall, were your remarks acute and memorable? Mine sure weren’t — thank goodness no journalists were there to record them.

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