In search of good sense

September 24, 2001

One would have thought that having experienced the horror of September 11, Americans would have awoken to a new reality about themselves in relation to the rest of the world.

In almost every instance those innocent people who were "murdered" in the bombing of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, as well as all those on the fourth hijacked plane, had one thing on their minds in those final minutes of human existence: Concern for loved ones.

Not one single one of those despairing souls who were able to make contact through their cell phones could see it fit to "reduce" or demean themselves to talk about revenge and slaughter. Love could be the only sentiment expressed when faced with finality.

That is the telltale sign of the human condition. That great, undying need to be honourable and to sense grandeur and to extend and feel a certain bigness of spirit in communion with others. Everything else is of little import, of little weight on the human conscience and pales in significance.

We really thought that America, forced to see the bigger picture, would awake to embrace the brotherhood of humankind and shirk for good that so far enduring political/economic habit of marginalising whole sections of the human family.

We had made the point in our last column, "War of the flea", and had hoped to see a difference, even if a little difference, in America's response to the Arab world. We had hoped, until Igor Waltritsch's "e-mail" came. Read carefully what Igor says and in fact exhibits of the standard American psyche:
"There you sit in your little 'banana republic' expounding bull shit. We are a hard working people, who has (sic) built our country from the ground up by doing two and three jobs to purchase our cars, and boats, and televisions. We had no colonial mama to give us handouts.

"After World War Two without the American dollar the countries of the world would not have it so good (including yours).

"What do you know of fighting for your country? Should your country be invaded today or tomorrow most of you cannot fire a bb gun much less a high-powered rifle. You all are full of rhetoric, and when anything jump off you all run home, close your doors and watch on tv, you do no even go out to help each other.

"What do you know of patriotism and standing up for your beliefs and willing to die for your ideals? Even the goddamn rabid dogs of Islam is (sic) ready and willing to die for theirs, are you? We will get them, and we will kick their arses, and whether do-nothings like you agree or not, we will prevail. And to all our enemies we say 'damn you to hell'. God bless America!.."

To little minds such as Igor's (and the name seems to suggest a lumbering giant with little acumen save and except a childlike penchant for "stuff" like cars, boats and tv sets), one is either for America or for terrorism. There is no question of a third option, the option to say no to barbarism whether perpetrated by State or by groups of individuals. This attempt to limit the people of the world to narrow confines and parameters set by American interests, is disgraceful and pathetic.

We who understand the bigger picture and hold to a philosophical view of the world and are confident of that vision, need to struggle to broaden the discussion if we are to save the world from this gung-ho marauders on either side of the divide, bent on wide-scale slaughter rather than diplomacy and dialogue.

We knew from the beginning that we could not expect statesmanship and enlightened leadership from a nondescript President like Bush who had absolutely nothing going for him, who even on the campaign trail was hardpressed to name Prime Ministers and Presidents of key countries around the world, and who now feels that fate has dropped an issue into his lap that may yet bring "greatness" to his being. But just like General Custer, history will very well teach him a lesson yet, if not in common sense at least in geography.

And while all the talk about getting Bin Laden "dead or alive" takes up all broadcasts and all the preparations and positioning of aircraft, missiles and artillery for war are being done before the TV cameras, Israel has stepped up its bombing of the Palestinians without the world being made aware. Saifedean Ammous of Ramallah, placed an appeal on the Net, last week, pleading to the world to consider their plight:
"Dear All, I am writing to you now to the sound of Israel's 'Defence Forces' pounding the living daylights out of my hometown, Ramallah. As the whole world is too busy paying tributes to the victims of terror attacks in NYC and DC, Israel has had a field day in terror attacks of their own on us here. Since the attacks in the US, the Israelis have taken their assaults on Palestinians to new heights...

"Every day they have invaded a few cities using tanks, helicopters, and fighter jets. Since the beginning of the Intifada, there has not been so much Israeli aggression like that witnessed since last Tuesday. No one could put this clearer than Shaul Mofaz, Israel's Chief of Staffs, who boasted that his forces have killed tens of Palestinians and no one in the world said anything. Indeed, since last Tuesday there have been unrelenting attacks on each Palestinian city for no reason..."

Will we all wake up too late?