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2006-09-11

Subsequent Reflection

Every year, I dread the September 11 anniversary. I didn't lose any family or friends that horrific day, but I lost all security. When I read the news, even before 9/11, I remembered that saying, by a philosopher a hundred years ago, "Do you not realize my son, with what little wisdom this world is run?"
I pray the enemy has even less wisdom than we have.
I pray our arrogance does not lend to too much stupidity and complacency.
I pray our generations are up to this challenge, in spite of all evidence to the contrary.
We had demonstrated, before this event, a generation of incredible self-centeredness. We worry over pop culture, our own financial bottom lines, and anything within our own households, or country. Anything, as long as it is salacious and "sexy" or just impacts our own little world.
We are divisive, and mind numbingly repetitive, over the minutest details of the minutiae.
We tend to over emphasize the idea of "might makes right" and we feel mighty indeed. Even the events of 9/11, while shaking our foundation, literally, has not lessened this quality.
You would think the opposite would happen.
19 sub-humans, with a fanatic belief in hate and death, changed our world. They did it with box-cutter's and makeshift bombs. Simple, effective, deadly.
We responded with bombs, missiles, and high-fives.
We remain in danger, from the simpler weapons. But, remember, smaller weapon responses by us, does not net the enormous financial rewards demanded by the Defense Department. Smaller target defense, does not gain the incredible press coverage.
And lets not forget the bipartisanism. While conventional wisdom tells us the enemy is out there, we find it easier, and less bloody, to fight each other.
The True Enemy exploits this, and always has.
We fight a costly, and futile war, which devastates lives, and diverts resources, and will continue as long as it remains important to one administrations "credibility". On the other hand, with all those soldier's lives in the balance, this messy country replay's again, the divisions of the 60's. "Those that forget the past, are condemned to repeat it?"
In the immediate aftermath, we held hands, sang and cried together. The enemy was straightforward then. As straightforward as anytime since WW 2.
Then we started "thinking". The apologists began apologizing. The pacifists began rationalizing, The Democrats began sniping. The Republicans began spending. And the Jihadists, those fanatical killers, have kept to the plan.
We don't even know what that plan entails.
Sure, we haven't had an attack like this since 9/11. Should we be proud? Relieved? Consider ourselves lucky? I'm afraid this country, will not unite, will not focus, and will not quit dividing, until we lose a city. That's right, a city. Then and only then will this country cohece. This is not new behavior, but damaging nonetheless. I see 9/11 a wake-up call we have only partly comprehended.
And this is why I feel very little change in security. We simply don't have the infrastructure at this time to understand. And our leaders remain committed to their party's pet slogans. The Republicans state the Democrats unpatriotic. The Democrats state any Republican is unintelligent. The American citizen is in danger.
These are my thoughts on the fifth anniversary of September 11.