October

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Niki:
I admire your ethical passion and agree in part with what you have to say. That American foreign policy is inextricably linked to our dependence on Middle Eastern oil is a given that I think most people share. I also think that if the Bush administration exploits this crisis to fatten the hands of their Big Oil cronies in Texas(as Molly Ivins and Paul Krugman have recently noted), then they and Congressional Republicans will lose support(and some trust) by the next election from moderate independents like myself and many others who believe that this is a just(and must) war.
Anti-Americanism is nothing new, however. For a wise and smart read on this and the war at hand, I recommend reading this commentary just published by the New York Review of Books by Tony Judt. You might find the 1998 Osama Bin Laden quote from Al-Jazeera in Mr. Judt's commentary to be especially revealing(this guy as well as the Taliban really have a major grudge against women in particular).

Merle Kindred - At last! - someone who's willing to think beyond the tunnel-vision view our government is strongly imposing upon us. I am soooo tired of reading and hearing about our so-called "patriotic duty" to defend our "way of life". What most Americans (or so it seems) refuse to acknowledge is our role in these tragic events. What I am most tired of, however, is the expectation that we, as Americans, should blindly and WITHOUT QUESTION follow the direction of our government and civic leaders. What a true patriot does is QUESTION the actions of our government and try to correct them when those actions are leading us down the path to certain large-scale, disastrous conflict. If we were truly a strong nation, we would avoid the knee-jerk, macho, chest-beating, hawkish reactions that, unfortunately, seem to be driving our current foreign/military policies. President Bush has done NOTHING to justify the sudden overwhelming support he (apparently, according to media polls) is currently enjoying. I REFUSE to support the recent decisions made by our government - they do not reflect my ideals or morals. I don't consider myself to be a Christian (I follow no particular religious affiliation) but I am amazed at the unwavering support supposed Christians in this country are giving to our aggresions in Afghanistan. Revenge is NEVER an excuse for the murder of innocents (oh yeah, I guess our government calls it "collateral damage"). THIS American is going to do her patriotic and civic duty in demanding that our almost-elected administration examine our culpability more closely. These terrorist attacks happened for a reason. What is so difficult about us taking a good, hard look at failed foreign policies that have helped foster feelings of anger and hatred in people all around the world? What are we so afraid of?

I share Merle Kindred's concerns that we are not solving the real problems with the bombing and now the efforts to create a new government in Afghanastan.
My deep uneasiness is that the world is beginning on a long battle on many fronts - philosophical, religous, economic, psychological, political - unlike anything since the middle ages or perhaps earlier. Is there a method for reconciling the opposing philosophies? Are there any leaders willing to understand and empathize with their opponents enough to create a solution which can last? Are Americans willing to share power with those whose goals are very different?
I don't see any answers to these questions and anticipate that we will blunder fiercely, making the situation worse.

This commentary is respectfully submitted in response to Ray Sharp's Of Lice and Men editorial currently posted at Keweenaw Now:

Your brutal cynicism has convinced me, Ray Sharp. Not only can America do no right, it too is a terrorist nation. All those young guys putting their lives on the line to protect the free world(and who else will do it if we do not?), they don’t have a clue as to how to do their job and when they err in earnest they too are no better than those terrorists who “deliberately” target civilians(never mind that this bombing has important tactical purposes which will strengthen our ability to actually defeat these perpetrators of global terrorism. Perhaps we should just creep in at night on cat’s feet with infrared goggles and tranquilizer guns so as to make sure we don’t harm a soul?). Yes let’s let the Taliban regime sort it all out(who are complicit in this terrorism—do “we” really need to “see” the evidence if it has already satisfied the leaders of such countries as Saudi Arabia and Pakistan?). Yes yes, you know the Taliban. And how many “civilians” have they deliberately killed during their years in power for reasons infinitely more trivial?
We’ve tried to help nations over there. We’ve tried to do good. Alas we are not perfect. And military operations are the least perfectable activities of all. Yes there are those of us Westerners who do abuse the freedoms we enjoy for excessively self-interested purposes. Greed and ambition will always be with us as part of the human-animal behavioral repertoire. But better us to do the sometimes necessary global police work of humanity than some other “superpower” who’s aims are not nearly as benevolent, generous and freedom-loving as ours. The U.N. has proven itself to be both incompetent and impotent to defend, protect and rescue innocent civilians (remember Srebrenica?)
We all still inhabit an imperfect world, but make no mistake about it, the history of the last couple hundred years is proof enough for me that we are, mostly but fallibly, the genuine good guys. Ideals are great, but so is common sense, and that’s an important perspective your severely unbalanced editorial left out. For us not to pursue this cause with all the resources we can muster would be utterly foolhardy for both the free world and the rest of the world who yearns to be so.
Like any one else, I’ve had my less than generous moments when I too have loved to “hate” America, Ray, and for some of the reasons that you’ve listed, but I’ve got enough common sense(and sense of proportion) about the larger picture of this world at this time to know that this approach to the current matter is going to do more harm than good. I respect some of your criticisms which I too share, but I find your condescending self-righteous “morally superior than thou” attitude(or is it just a mannered intellectual-shtick inseparable from your personality?) to be a mind-set not all that dissimilar from the likes of You-Know-Who*.
Fair enough?
Have a nice day.
*so why does it even remotely matter what Osama Bin Laden “looks” like?

ps Actually, most the September 11 the hijackers were Saudi Nationals and Mubarak has been fighting home-grown terrorism for years, forcing him clamp down hard on human rights in order to do so. A point he made to the U.S. not long after the attack when it began fretting over the details of developing a homeland security policy.

Merle Kindred, you are the voice of reason. The events of September 11 are unforgiveable, but not entirely inexplicable. The response to those events should include both administering justice to those responsible and reevaluating our actions as world citizens with regard to the big picture.

It's pretty clear that our foreign policy is economically driven; we rarely intercede unless there is money to be made, or lost. Domestically, most decisions are also made according to the bottom line. Technically, there is no dollar value to life, liberty, and happiness; to family, or love, or serenity, or beauty, so these essential parts of being human are too often not factored into the decision making process.

For the price of an aircraft carrier and a couple B-1 bombers, America could give every family the means to become energy independent using active and passive solar, hydro, wind, and hydrogen fuel cell technology. If we were off oil, we would save additional billions of suddenly unneeded national de(off)ense spending. Of course such decentralized (literally) power would cost too many of the power-ful their fortunes, so it's not likely to happen soon.

It is a strange paradox that those who most loudly trumpet the free market economy are those least likely actually participating in it, having politically decreased competition or accepted substantial subsidies.

I am proud to be American. As they say, our political and economic systems are the worst in the world, except for every other political and ecomomic system yet devised... The elemental truths and intentions of our founding documents have been somewhat derailed by the self-interested and short-sighted, but they will prevail. Our strength is in democracy, and in an educated electorate. I believe the good will of the American people will prevail. I only hope it is in time.

Merle Kindred, I agree completely with your thoughts on how our consumption-driven society is leading the world to ruin. One has to live abroad, preferably in a developing country, to understand the full depth of American conceit and hypocracy. But I think the attacks on the U.S. are motivated by resentment of our military and foreign-policy actions more than by envy of our thing-driven way of life. As you point out, because our military and political positions are so influenced by our dependence on oil, it is hard to seperate our need to buy, buy, buy from our arrogance as the Lone Superpower. At any rate, while nothing justifies killing civilians in New York, spreading Anthrax, or other acts of terror, we must come to accept as a nation that we will not have the moral authority to lead the world into a better future until we stop the vengeful and cruel bombing of civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan, get out of the arms-export business, sign and uphold treaties against chemical and biological weapons, land mines, et al, drop pointless and destabilizing work on missle defense, stop training terrorists at the School of the Americas, and begin to deal seriously with global environmental time bombs like greenhouse gas emmissions. Meanwhile, see you on the ski trails!

I see in the KeweenawNow opinion column that John Griffith credits Walt Arnold with orchestrating the compromise between him and Glen Tolksdorf. Thanks Walt! And thanks also to John and Glen for coming to this agreement. I believe that this is a big win for everyone.

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