“The Myth of the Wild West” by Hamid Dabashi Essay

The Myth of the Wild West

Hamid Dabashi authored The Myth of the Wild West. The author is a well-known university lecturer in Iranian studies. In the article, the author compares the suffering of the Native Americans under the European colonizers with the suffering of the Palestinians under the European Zionist colonizers (Dabashi The Myth 1). In the article, the author details how he felt after visiting the Heard Museum. The museum reminded him of the horrific sufferings of the Native Americans during the 18th and 19th centuries when the European settlements were being established in America. After reading the article, I noted that the fable of the “Wild West” is still evidenced by the way the USA is eager to conger new frontiers. I believe that through their engagements in Libya, Iraq, Palestine, and Afghanistan, the USA government is enhancing the myth of the “Wild West.”

Based on Dabashi’s viewpoints, I noted that the USA had expanded the myth of the “Wild West” into the Middle East. By apportioning the world into militarized zones, the USA is trying to expand its control and power. In this regard, the suffering of the inhabitants of Afghanistan, Palestine, and Iraq is an illustration of how the Native Americans suffered under the rule of European colonizers.

I believe that Dabashi’s main aim of writing this article was to illustrate humans’ greediness and voracious thirst for influence and control. Therefore, I believe that the recent conflicts in the Middle East, especially in Palestine, are not about the differences between the Palestinians and Israelis. I am certain that the conflicts have been fueled by the super power’s greediness, influence, and oil.

Found in Translation

Hamid Dabashi authored Found in Translation. The article commences with an interesting commentary about the past of a few current European thinkers and the importance of translations (Dabashi Found In 1). Thereafter, the article discusses a number of Persian and Arabic authors. In the final part, the article focuses on the history of Aryanpour and Iqbal.

After reading the article, I realized the influence of the interaction of language translations in society. Through the article, I noted that several languages and cultures had had an impact on the history of Islam. The reading also reminded me of the cross-pollination of languages in cosmopolitan areas. In these areas, translations have played a huge role in enabling the residents to embrace other languages, cultures, and differences. In this respect, I believe that translation plays a very important role in understanding and appreciating other languages’ philosophies. Without translations, we would not be able to understand other languages’ thoughts. Based on this, I believe that all translators should be careful to ensure that messages are not distorted during the translation process. They should not only focus on translating the languages, but also on ensuring that the targeted audience as the audience of the original language interprets the translations as required.

I noted that the article is interesting despite the fact that it had no central theme. The author focuses on a number of diverse ideas. Through this, he fails to focus on a central theme. By reading this article, a nonprofessional will be confused in identifying the author’s main aim of writing the article. The author should have focused solely on how translations were of benefit to the mentioned philosophers.

Works Cited

Dabashi, Hamid. The Myth Of The Wild West. 2015. Web.

Found In Translation. 2015. Web.