Is September 11 driving you nuts?
Nm | 09.09.2002 06:26
The people of the United States should rightly remember, and so should the people of the entire world. But the events of the 11th of September 2001 were so powerful, so disturbing, that it would be catastrophic if they were remembered for the wrong reasons.
Is September 11 driving you nuts?
Want to speak-out but feel like you can't?
George Papanastasiou,
Victoria University - 7/9/02
There will be plenty written about the disaster in New York coming up to this, the first anniversary of the event. The attack that toppled the twin towers will forever be commemorated - as I felt on the night I watched it live - in song and story, in poetry and picture, using every medium available, as a day thousands died needlessly.
The people of the United States should rightly remember, and so should the people of the entire world. But the events of the 11th of September 2001 were so powerful, so disturbing, that it would be catastrophic if they were remembered for the wrong reasons.
Immediately after the enormous buildings collapsed into a colossal heap, a wave of collective shock resonated throughout the world in the distinctive way made available only by today's advanced global communications. The mourning came from every continent, from every culture, from every race and religion. In its entirety, it was almost as staggering as the event itself.
For the first time ever in history, the whole planet was united in its grief for one nation, for one people. The sympathy and support expressed for the United States was true, it was universal and it was deserved.
But only a year later, and without a shadow of a doubt, the United States of America stands alone as the most detested nation on Earth.
This hatred is true; it is universal - and it is deserved.
How could this gargantuan country, so soon after being horribly attacked, suddenly find itself in this thorny position?
Well, without purporting to sound 'anti-American', I will limit my reasoning to only 7 brief points.
1) A History of Brutality - It must be said. Although many around the world were truly saddened by the attack on the World Trade Centre and by the deaths of thousands of innocents, many more, secretly or not, punched the air with clenched fists in jubilation. Why? Because around the globe, in more countries than not, American militarism has killed millions of people and resulted in suffering for countless millions of others. The list and details of countries tormented by US interference and resultant injustices are truly too enormous to expound in this article, except for this one example. We've heard much about the great 'War on Terrorism' and its historic, uninhibited scope. But what many of us don't actually know is that the United States of America, for its brutal role in the murder of over 30,000 Nicaraguans and the destruction of US$1.15 billion in infrastructure in that country in the eighties (schools, hospitals, homes, farms, bridges, roads etc.), still stands as the only country in the world to have been convicted of 'Terrorism' by the World Court (and ordered to pay recompense in the order of US $17 billion.) NOT Iraq. NOT North Korea. NOT Iran. NOT Libya. NOT Afghanistan.
2) Breathtaking Hypocrisy - In the eyes of the US, the imminent war against Iraq is justified on the following grounds:
* Saddam Hussein is a brutal, murderous leader.
* Iraq possesses/is developing weapons of mass destruction, which are threatening to its neighbours and to countries around the world.
* Iraq is in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
Today, without exaggeration, the vast majority - vast majority - of people of the countries of the Middle East could be described as fervently anti-American.
Why? Because of Israel - the no. 1 US ally and also the no. 1 recipient of US foreign aid (mainly in arms).
* Ariel Sharon, the Prime Minister of Israel, is a brutal, murderous leader. In September of 1982, whilst under the full control of Israeli forces occupying Beirut (Lebanon), he oversaw the massacre of between 2,000 and 3,000 Palestinian refugees by crazed Phalagnist guerrillas who cut fingers of old ladies with wire cutters before shooting them; slit the wombs of pregnant women and left them to die in the streets; and exploded children into bits.
* Israel possesses AND develops weapons of mass destruction, which are threatening to its neighbours and to countries around the world. For decades, Israel has also brutalised and openly discriminated against the Palestinian people who live in squalid conditions. Because of their ever-increasing number, these people haven't been allowed to assimilate fully into Israeli society because over a period, Israel would cease to exist as a Jewish State under the sheer weight of its Muslim citizens. Today, an apartheid condition exists, with Palestinians denied a homeland of their own or a rightful place in Israel.
* Israel is currently in violation of UN Security Council resolutions and international laws pertaining to its occupation of Palestinian Territories and its treatment of the Palestinian people.
At present, Iraq enjoys the best relations it's had with its neighbours for decades. All the countries, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran and even Kuwait have repeatedly said that Iraq does not constitute a threat to them. The ONLY country in the region supporting an attack on Iraq is Israel. It is the highest order of hypocrisy for the US to support and equip one murderous, expansionist and racist regime whilst attacking another.
3) The Environment- Two countries, the United States and Australia, now stand alone in refusing to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on Greenhouse Gas emissions which threaten the existence of all life on the planet. It seems the United States, as the world's greatest polluter, is ignoring the danger signs of climate change now acknowledged internationally. Only a year after September 11, delegates at the recent Earth Summit in Johannesburg jeered the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, when he stood up to make a speech on the efforts undertaken by the US on sustainable development and the environment. Remi Parmentier, the political director of Greenpeace, put it this way - "The reaction to Colin Powell's speech is a very accurate reflection of the anger of non-governmental organizations for the role played by the United States" George W. Bush is seen as an ally of the oil, coal and logging industries whose emissions, scientists say, are largely responsible for raising global temperatures.
4) What Civil Rights? - Although seen to be an exponent and protector of civil and political rights, since the September 11 attacks, the United States has arrested thousands of its Middle Eastern descended citizens for excessively long periods without charges or access to legal counsel. The United States incarcerates a greater proportion of its population than any other country except Rwanda and Russia and is the only country in the world that continues to claim the legal authority to execute juvenile offenders, having carried out eight such executions in the last five years. Today, the United States has more black men in prison than enrolled in colleges or universities.
5) Incredible Arrogance - The unilateral bravado adopted by the United States in its 'War on Terror' has alienated almost every country in the world, including its most trusted allies. The US has withdrawn from the Antiballistic Missile Treaty that it signed with the Soviet Union in 1972. It has refused to sign into the International Criminal Court, wanting complete immunity from prosecution for its soldiers and generals. The US has also dodged many other international initiatives like the Kyoto Protocol.
Felipe Gonzalez, former prime minister of Spain: "The paradox is that the world's solidarity with the United States after September 11 was as powerful as the savagery of the attacks. But the U.S. administration has squandered this feeling. Its arrogant unilateralism is worrying the world."
Oscar Arias, former president of Costa Rica and Nobel Peace laureate: "I believe anti-Americanism is more intense today than it was during the Vietnam era."
Chinua Achebe, Nigerian novelist: "America gives a sense of not caring about what other people think or say or how they live."
Nelson Mandela, Former President of South Africa: "What they [the US] are saying [on Iraq] is introducing chaos in international affairs, and we condemn that in the strongest terms."
6) Ignorance or Stupidity? - The cowboy ignorance of the current US administration either misinterprets or misunderstands the present anti-American feeling as being rooted in jealousy. But, what of the anti-Americanism coming from the people of rich countries? From Europe and Canada? Are they jealous too? The ignorance of the US as a superpower is interpreted as stupidity by the world, which, on it's own, is admittedly another reason to dislike America.
7) The Great Globalisation Swindle - The virulent dispersal of American Culture throughout the world and the 'McDonaldisation' of every country, by irresponsible and unaccountable corporations who exploit consumers and workers with bogus promises and delusional incentives has gone on far enough. In the face of the current 'prosperity' brought to us by globalisation, we can all look forward to our own "Enron's", "WorldCom's" and "Amtraks", as the rich get richer and the poor eat grass. The anti-globalisation movement, rampaging with dissent prior to September 11th and quietened somewhat since (mainly in sympathy for the US) is now regaining its voice and its determination. The number 1 target is the world's principal exponent of corporate globalisation and capitalism, the USA.
Last week, an Ipsos-Reid survey of 1000 Canadians concluded "A vast majority believe the United States bears at least some responsibility for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks because of U.S. policies in the Middle East and around the globe"
The results?
* 69% of respondents said the U.S. shares some of the responsibility for the attacks.
* 15% said all responsibility lies with the Americans.
* 14% said the United States was not at all responsible.
These results, from a strong US ally, would be a more accurate reflection of the feelings of most people over responsibility for the attacks as they watched them live on television a year ago.
Anti-American sentiment isn't a trend, it isn't a false or misguided notion and it certainly isn't jealousy. It's something with a history, something that is real, justified, and until its true causes are addressed, something powerful enough to endure beyond the false face of pro-American compassion that will be displayed every anniversary of the September 11 tragedy for as long as the United States remains a super-power.
All Americans must stop to reflect on the past, seek the truth in the present and consider the consequences for the future.
September 11 must be remembered forever as the day we truly began to break the cycle of violence plaguing humanity, before it dooms us all.
Want to speak-out but feel like you can't?
George Papanastasiou,
Victoria University - 7/9/02
There will be plenty written about the disaster in New York coming up to this, the first anniversary of the event. The attack that toppled the twin towers will forever be commemorated - as I felt on the night I watched it live - in song and story, in poetry and picture, using every medium available, as a day thousands died needlessly.
The people of the United States should rightly remember, and so should the people of the entire world. But the events of the 11th of September 2001 were so powerful, so disturbing, that it would be catastrophic if they were remembered for the wrong reasons.
Immediately after the enormous buildings collapsed into a colossal heap, a wave of collective shock resonated throughout the world in the distinctive way made available only by today's advanced global communications. The mourning came from every continent, from every culture, from every race and religion. In its entirety, it was almost as staggering as the event itself.
For the first time ever in history, the whole planet was united in its grief for one nation, for one people. The sympathy and support expressed for the United States was true, it was universal and it was deserved.
But only a year later, and without a shadow of a doubt, the United States of America stands alone as the most detested nation on Earth.
This hatred is true; it is universal - and it is deserved.
How could this gargantuan country, so soon after being horribly attacked, suddenly find itself in this thorny position?
Well, without purporting to sound 'anti-American', I will limit my reasoning to only 7 brief points.
1) A History of Brutality - It must be said. Although many around the world were truly saddened by the attack on the World Trade Centre and by the deaths of thousands of innocents, many more, secretly or not, punched the air with clenched fists in jubilation. Why? Because around the globe, in more countries than not, American militarism has killed millions of people and resulted in suffering for countless millions of others. The list and details of countries tormented by US interference and resultant injustices are truly too enormous to expound in this article, except for this one example. We've heard much about the great 'War on Terrorism' and its historic, uninhibited scope. But what many of us don't actually know is that the United States of America, for its brutal role in the murder of over 30,000 Nicaraguans and the destruction of US$1.15 billion in infrastructure in that country in the eighties (schools, hospitals, homes, farms, bridges, roads etc.), still stands as the only country in the world to have been convicted of 'Terrorism' by the World Court (and ordered to pay recompense in the order of US $17 billion.) NOT Iraq. NOT North Korea. NOT Iran. NOT Libya. NOT Afghanistan.
2) Breathtaking Hypocrisy - In the eyes of the US, the imminent war against Iraq is justified on the following grounds:
* Saddam Hussein is a brutal, murderous leader.
* Iraq possesses/is developing weapons of mass destruction, which are threatening to its neighbours and to countries around the world.
* Iraq is in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
Today, without exaggeration, the vast majority - vast majority - of people of the countries of the Middle East could be described as fervently anti-American.
Why? Because of Israel - the no. 1 US ally and also the no. 1 recipient of US foreign aid (mainly in arms).
* Ariel Sharon, the Prime Minister of Israel, is a brutal, murderous leader. In September of 1982, whilst under the full control of Israeli forces occupying Beirut (Lebanon), he oversaw the massacre of between 2,000 and 3,000 Palestinian refugees by crazed Phalagnist guerrillas who cut fingers of old ladies with wire cutters before shooting them; slit the wombs of pregnant women and left them to die in the streets; and exploded children into bits.
* Israel possesses AND develops weapons of mass destruction, which are threatening to its neighbours and to countries around the world. For decades, Israel has also brutalised and openly discriminated against the Palestinian people who live in squalid conditions. Because of their ever-increasing number, these people haven't been allowed to assimilate fully into Israeli society because over a period, Israel would cease to exist as a Jewish State under the sheer weight of its Muslim citizens. Today, an apartheid condition exists, with Palestinians denied a homeland of their own or a rightful place in Israel.
* Israel is currently in violation of UN Security Council resolutions and international laws pertaining to its occupation of Palestinian Territories and its treatment of the Palestinian people.
At present, Iraq enjoys the best relations it's had with its neighbours for decades. All the countries, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran and even Kuwait have repeatedly said that Iraq does not constitute a threat to them. The ONLY country in the region supporting an attack on Iraq is Israel. It is the highest order of hypocrisy for the US to support and equip one murderous, expansionist and racist regime whilst attacking another.
3) The Environment- Two countries, the United States and Australia, now stand alone in refusing to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on Greenhouse Gas emissions which threaten the existence of all life on the planet. It seems the United States, as the world's greatest polluter, is ignoring the danger signs of climate change now acknowledged internationally. Only a year after September 11, delegates at the recent Earth Summit in Johannesburg jeered the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, when he stood up to make a speech on the efforts undertaken by the US on sustainable development and the environment. Remi Parmentier, the political director of Greenpeace, put it this way - "The reaction to Colin Powell's speech is a very accurate reflection of the anger of non-governmental organizations for the role played by the United States" George W. Bush is seen as an ally of the oil, coal and logging industries whose emissions, scientists say, are largely responsible for raising global temperatures.
4) What Civil Rights? - Although seen to be an exponent and protector of civil and political rights, since the September 11 attacks, the United States has arrested thousands of its Middle Eastern descended citizens for excessively long periods without charges or access to legal counsel. The United States incarcerates a greater proportion of its population than any other country except Rwanda and Russia and is the only country in the world that continues to claim the legal authority to execute juvenile offenders, having carried out eight such executions in the last five years. Today, the United States has more black men in prison than enrolled in colleges or universities.
5) Incredible Arrogance - The unilateral bravado adopted by the United States in its 'War on Terror' has alienated almost every country in the world, including its most trusted allies. The US has withdrawn from the Antiballistic Missile Treaty that it signed with the Soviet Union in 1972. It has refused to sign into the International Criminal Court, wanting complete immunity from prosecution for its soldiers and generals. The US has also dodged many other international initiatives like the Kyoto Protocol.
Felipe Gonzalez, former prime minister of Spain: "The paradox is that the world's solidarity with the United States after September 11 was as powerful as the savagery of the attacks. But the U.S. administration has squandered this feeling. Its arrogant unilateralism is worrying the world."
Oscar Arias, former president of Costa Rica and Nobel Peace laureate: "I believe anti-Americanism is more intense today than it was during the Vietnam era."
Chinua Achebe, Nigerian novelist: "America gives a sense of not caring about what other people think or say or how they live."
Nelson Mandela, Former President of South Africa: "What they [the US] are saying [on Iraq] is introducing chaos in international affairs, and we condemn that in the strongest terms."
6) Ignorance or Stupidity? - The cowboy ignorance of the current US administration either misinterprets or misunderstands the present anti-American feeling as being rooted in jealousy. But, what of the anti-Americanism coming from the people of rich countries? From Europe and Canada? Are they jealous too? The ignorance of the US as a superpower is interpreted as stupidity by the world, which, on it's own, is admittedly another reason to dislike America.
7) The Great Globalisation Swindle - The virulent dispersal of American Culture throughout the world and the 'McDonaldisation' of every country, by irresponsible and unaccountable corporations who exploit consumers and workers with bogus promises and delusional incentives has gone on far enough. In the face of the current 'prosperity' brought to us by globalisation, we can all look forward to our own "Enron's", "WorldCom's" and "Amtraks", as the rich get richer and the poor eat grass. The anti-globalisation movement, rampaging with dissent prior to September 11th and quietened somewhat since (mainly in sympathy for the US) is now regaining its voice and its determination. The number 1 target is the world's principal exponent of corporate globalisation and capitalism, the USA.
Last week, an Ipsos-Reid survey of 1000 Canadians concluded "A vast majority believe the United States bears at least some responsibility for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks because of U.S. policies in the Middle East and around the globe"
The results?
* 69% of respondents said the U.S. shares some of the responsibility for the attacks.
* 15% said all responsibility lies with the Americans.
* 14% said the United States was not at all responsible.
These results, from a strong US ally, would be a more accurate reflection of the feelings of most people over responsibility for the attacks as they watched them live on television a year ago.
Anti-American sentiment isn't a trend, it isn't a false or misguided notion and it certainly isn't jealousy. It's something with a history, something that is real, justified, and until its true causes are addressed, something powerful enough to endure beyond the false face of pro-American compassion that will be displayed every anniversary of the September 11 tragedy for as long as the United States remains a super-power.
All Americans must stop to reflect on the past, seek the truth in the present and consider the consequences for the future.
September 11 must be remembered forever as the day we truly began to break the cycle of violence plaguing humanity, before it dooms us all.
Nm
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