Kinda quiet

[Ken Hanly]

What is more this is also expected of  Canadians, Britons, Turks, and
citizens of every other nation. Workers of the World Unite and sing: God
Bless America.
Bow your heads in prayer with Bush and company. This is what you are to do.
Most have watched TV and understood what the proper behavior of well
socialised civilized people should be or at least feel what it should be.
This is not the time for serious analysis or embarassing questions. Left,
right, center or whatever the vast majority of Americans are patriots. As
for citizens of other countries the solidarity is "artificially produced" by
the constant media coverage of the horrifying tragedy, the images of
heroism, and heartrending stories. The natural expression of solidarity and
sympathy with those who suffer makes it difficult to be critical or even
objective without seeming heartless or sympathetic to the terrorists. This
is all  to the advantage of  leaders such as Chretien or Blair and most of
all Bush. Here is the leader of a country that itself has carried out
actions that it knew would cause deaths many many times greater than these
terrorists acts. Yet we are to bow our heads and show our solidarity with
him and support his response. Indeed as Marta pointed out the support for
even ground troups being involved is overwhelming. Criticism now will not
win many friends for the left , will alienate many, and will subject those
who criticise to emotional counter-criticism. The role of criticism can only
be to convince a few, but perhaps as American (or Alllied) casualties begin
to mount  the patriotic fervour will begin to subside and people will begin
to look for a way out. At that time earlier criticism willl be read in a new
way and reaction will be quite different. What I fear most is that the
terrorists will attempt to demonstrate that they are every bit as able to
retaliate as the US, that they will use biological weapons, destroy major
dams, poison water supplies, and inflict absolutely horrendous damage in the
United States. This seems not to be talked about or even imagined. The US
still regards itself as having the power to take strong and very damaging
retaliation without the terrorists increasing the damage they inflict upon
the US,

 but why should anyone believe that? Is it more difficult to destroy a major
dam than hit the twin towers and pentagon at once. Is it difficult to
develop and deliver deadly disease organisms? It is this sort of thing
rather than a miniature nuclear bomb or more airplanes used as guided
missiles that are the real dangers. Why is there not even any discussion of
this. Is it because this might cause second thoughts about trying to show
that the US is in control and can inflict any damage it wishes with only a
few casualties among US armed force but nothing else. Part of the terrorist
message is that the US is vulnerable. This doesnt seem to have impressed
itself yet. The US thinks that if it can just react strongly enough it will
somehow make it impossible for terrorists to do this again. That terrorism
can actually be defeated. At most it can be controlled and ultimately
control will be achieved not by blasting terrorists in a way that further
inflame the hatreds and spawn the conditioins that create terrorists in the
first place but by a war against the conditions that create terrorists in
the first place. How much slaughter of innocents will it take for people to
recognise this? Or is it even possible that we learn this lesson? The
natural response to further escalation by terrorists is hard to imagine.
Already there is a call for the use of nuclear weapons.

Cheers, Ken Hanly

----- Original Message -----
From: Steve Perry <sperry at usinternet.com>
To: <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 15, 2001 1:34 PM
Subject: RE: Kinda quiet


> i think most are abashed at the prospecting of seeming less than good
> americans, sad to say.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> [mailto:owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com]On Behalf Of Carl Remick
> Sent: Saturday, September 15, 2001 6:23 PM
> To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> Subject: Kinda quiet
>
>
> It's my impression that the volume of posts on this and other leftist
lists
> is much lower now than it was during the NATO-Serbia war.  If so, why?  Is
> there a greater sense of futility?  More uncertainty and doubt?  Or is
> everyone out organizing?
>
> Carl
>
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