Chris Hedges is a columnist at The Nation. He has written many controversial articles. Here is his take on the aftermath of 9-11 and the people who redirected the feelings of the public to create an atmosphere where horrific acts of misdirected retribution are not only accepted but cheered. He also talks of the cover-up of the mass suicides in the World Trade Center that day. I happen to agree with his position, you may not. It is worth a read in any case:
http://www.nationofchange.org/decade-after-911-we-are-what-we-loathe-1315752459
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2 hours ago
Croft
ReplyDeleteCentral to his premise, as you indicate, is that this type of crisis initiates a response of wholesale retribution. The problem is how to limit or target the retribution. We need to ask why the attack took place. Not just the rhetorical "why did this happen", or "how could this happen." Effectively, it ushered in a new type of war and few actually ask WHY did it happen and seek vengeance. Allegedly el-Qaeda attacked because of our troop presence in Saudi Arabia, our support of Israel and hostility toward Iran. It seems to me that this country needs to take a hard look at our foreign policies. We need to ask if we need such a military presence in the Middle East and do we think military action will change a culture that has existed since the beginning of time. The killing of Bin Laden and the drone strikes prove that well executed strategic strikes are the new type of war. Instead we have continued on a course of massive invasion, which only aggravates these people and continues the cycle. We invaded Iraq for the wrong reasons and are now stuck in a quagmire in Afganistan. Our foreign policy is based on an attempt to establish democracy in these countries, but with it comes a strong dose of "americanization" these people don't want and resent.
Bill in Nebr.
Why should a country be subjected to "americanization"? Can't a country help another to fight a battle without taking control, pushing their system of morals and values not to culture down everyone's throat?
ReplyDeleteTo me this is what patriotism is based on. Mexico is not a patriotic country, or wasn't. However, now with the fight against cartels, you see it creeping into society. Is it a good thing? Not sure yet, but we will soon see the affects.
I think Americans forget that they weren't alone in 911 just like they aren't alone in the battles of Iraq and Afghanistan. There are many allies who have lost their lives in the fight but are never included in the count.
After living outside the U.S. for 26 years, I can start to understand the hatred that some feel toward a country that in reality is broken, not only financially but morally, and yet attempts to tell the rest of the world how to live.
It is time for the U.S to take a step back and realize that the solution to their problem is not in other countries, but right there in their own backyard. Clean up their mess first, financially, economically, in terms of unemployment, drugs, family values and self-righteousness. All empires have their time; Britian, Spain, Russia, and now the U.S. Give someone else the opportunity to excel and reap the benefits for a change. Humility is a virtue.