I believed it when I heard it.
When I'd heard that Yitzchak Rabin had been assassinated, my mind totally refused to accept it, and I scolded the anchorwoman for lying on national TV. But when I turned on the radio in my car on Sept 11, 2001 at 08:00 PDT, I was stunned and shocked, but I believed it. When I rushed to my desk at work to get the news and found that the netnews sites had been hammered into 404sville, it began to sink in, and I became aghast. These are not emotions, these are the lack of emotion, an override. Several times throughout the day, even after I had finally seen the images of what my vivid imagination could not conjure up, the magnitude struck me silly. "Gone. The WTC is G O N E. Fallen. Collapsed. Big. Now not there."
Like many others, I didn't get much done on Tuesday. Gripped uncontrollably, I watched the news feeds stream onto my monitor, watched the endless replays, listened to the accounts of the many people who were first-hand affected by this act that defies language in its depravity. As the week wore on and the shock wore off, the emotions returned with a range that is to be expected. Joy to hear who is alive. Sadness for those who are not. Spirit witnessing volunteers. And resentment for those who committed these acts.
However, all of these have not balanced out a fifth 'emotion'.
I have one great fear, and what I have seen accelerating in recent days, starting especially on Friday, does not fill me with confidence that it is only a fear and not a worse reality. In the wake of this shocking event has begun the entrenchment of one thought in the minds of Americans, and that is that 'we are right'. I do not know what message the perpetrators of this event desired, but the apparent outcome is that many here are taking this event as a confirmation that the US is R I G H T. The amount of patriotism is neither surprising, nor wrong per se. But look beyond the surface. One can expect a few, or even many, to say 'bomb them to hell!', even though we know not who 'them' is or are. But now, many will not look deeper to see that the US has not been a saint on this earth when it comes to its policies, support, and machinations on the world stage. The US has had a hand in many, many affairs that has earned it this scorn. The US isn't hated simply because they are the perfect place to live, as some may believe, but because they have supported or carried out actions against others from which was born these feelings of animosity.
No country is perfect. The US has done many great things in its history, including helping nations during times of crisis, flexing diplomatic muscle to move forward peace processes, and lending troops for peacekeeping missions. But even at the very formation of the US are there items for which it should be ashamed. Slavery. The subjugation of the native peoples. A revolution that created refugees and caused land to be expropriated (the very thing that hackles Americans about the Cuban revolution). Today, there exists a disparity between poor and rich that is often mind-boggling. Big business runs ram shod over the individual and often government regulation and regulators. Racism is still evident in parts of the country. And this is just internal matters. Internationally, there is the Bay of Pigs, support of Israel, Che Guavara, Iran/Contra, and some times, even though sheer inaction (and hypocrisy).
As the saying goes, "You have made your bed, now you must lie in it." The US supported Iraq to battle Iran. Then Iraq became the enemy and the US intervened for the sole purpose of oil (Yes, oil. The story about Iraqis taking babies out of incubators, loudly splashed before congress to garner support, was later discovered to be false. Propaganda to drum up support for a war.) This in turn allowed or caused the US to ask the Saudis to change, and they are now still stationed there. Which has angered Bin Laden. Who is in Afghanistan, a country ruled by the Taliban. The Taliban are a rather insane bunch, but who got them into power? The USA. Supporting them semi-indirectly with weapons during their occupation by the Soviet Union.
There have been many commentaries about the US which have already been written both recently and in the past that can do a far more thorough job than I in covering both the amazing acts of charity the US has committed over the years as well as offer explanations for the many grievances against the US. Whether they balance out, good vs evil, to use the simplified terms favoured by the politicians of the hour, is not of importance right now. The question is, will this week's events cause the citizens of the United States to cease examining their country's acts and instead dive headlong into deeper bravado-ic belief that the US can do no wrong. That this pyre from New York and Washington is the torch that signifies that the US has earned its place in the hearts of evil men because it is a symbol of hope for the world. That the US is a place of freedom, and that freedom is cause for evil men to attack it.
Does this 'freedom' allow the US to act in whatever fashion it wants against any other country in the world? This is the second scary thought. Already the president is beating the drums of war. Osama Bin Laden has been mentioned countless times as the prime suspect. Countries that harbour terrorists have also been given notice that they will be in the line of fire. But… do we really know who is the target? And could we find them if we tried? Would we get them all? Would another rise to take their place?
That action shouldn't be taken against the mastermind of this operation is not what I am advocating. No response could invite further atrocities on US soil. But the US should not rush in blindly and commit atrocities on foreign soil just to satisfy its own public opinion bloodlust. The US attack against Libya in the 80s shows what could go right-evidence gathered from many attacks pointed without doubts to Libya, a limited careful strike was made, and the above mentioned attacks ceased. But if the US flies in and starts wantonly bombing Afghanistan, this would not only likely fail to hit Bin Laden, but would hurt a people who have suffered so much already this century. 'Bomb them back to the stone age!' I've heard some cry. Thing is, Afghanistan is pretty much close to that already.
Who knows, at this stage, just how far reaching this operation was. One can almost admire, until the feeling of revulsion passes over you, the intricacy, simplicity and effectiveness of the plan. Was Bin Laden involved? Was it a new group? Was it just Islamics? One must remember that it was US citizens that carried out the previous worst terrorist attack on US soil, and it was against their own government. Is there an internal connection with this tragedy? The fact that no one has yet claimed responsibility strikes one as odd. Is this because they are afraid of the repercussions? Or is it because their plans are not yet over, there is more to come? Usually, when one uses violence to make a statement, a statement is issued so that it is not missed nor misinterpreted. (Which, circularly, brings us back to the beginning of this essay, for the message may fall on deaf ears as Americans take it to mean that they are RIGHT). While I would have to look it up, I do not recall the OK bombing to have had anyone claim responsibility, it was discovered only later. Certain other things, certain… sloppiness amongst the otherwise well executed plan almost also strikes as odd. The rental car with the Arabic flight manuals (do they even make those?) seems almost too perfectly found. Was it to throw the investigation off the trail? Or was it the opposite, to be sure that it is known the terror came from the Middle East, without any one group singling itself out for retaliation?
Who knows? And that is the problem right now. There are indicators, and lots and lots and lots of indicators. There are leads, but no conclusions. There is not enough information to know just what transpired. Only enough to guess-and we can guess in all sorts of directions. Which is why haste right now is not the right course of action. Revenge cries run deep. But to commit an act of barbarism in the face of another does not make a right.
Just as a small tangent here, and not like I think anyone from the US government or the FBI is going to read my page, but should it come to light that there IS some connection within the US to this terrorist act, do not try to hide it so that a spectacle can be arranged outside the US for the populous' viewing pleasure. Because chances are, it will get out, just like the incubators from Kuwait. And if something like this happened, the reaction from the world and I would hope from many within the country would be devastating.
Wars can be very beneficial for presidents and their popularity. They can also bring them down.
Let me pull this essay back in a bit, for it is wandering all over the map.
Over the past few days, I have seen, personally, in a state that is literally on the other side of the country from the events in NYC, too many flags, too many people waving to motorists for support, too many calls for bomb, bomb, BOMB, too many ethnic or religious slurs, too many commentators and columnists spout off inflammatory rhetoric.
Where will this lead?
