Deep Thoughts
Mar. 11th, 2002 09:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hkellickSo, as I said yesterday, I watched the 9/11 Special on CBS. I also saw the tower of lights they erected in New York City. I'm not sure it fills me more with patriotism than with fear or worry.
I've been thinking alot lately about a certain question: Have we, the American People, REALLY changed since 9/11? A mere 6 months later, people are getting back into their routines, living their lives in a normal fashion. Has anything really changed?
Right now, they say, people are able to look past race and sex and religion and see each other as Americans... more than ever before. Is this true? Based on what? I'm not sure I disbelief, but I have to wonder how long it lasts.
My answer is simple.. it'll last until Al Qaeda and those who harbor Al Qaeda are defeated. When we finally vanquish the enemy, we'll go back to hating each other.
I think one thing that's changed is that, all of a sudden, billions of americans everywhere realized that their cities and states were.. insignificant. That they now HAD to look past their own borders to know what's going on in the world.. before it hits us again.
I was reading an interesting article. It was about Ari Flieschman's (not sure I have the name right) recent comment blaming Clinton for allowing Al Qaeda to grow.
It said, and I agree, that it ISN'T Bill Clinton's fault. It's ours. Because we didn't want to look past our own borders to the troubles around us and felt secure and happy and peaceful and there was little real chance of getting us into a war with an idea until... something happened.
It makes me more suspicious that Septmeber 11th was a setup. That our government knew something was going to happen, allowed it to happen... but no one; not Osama bin Laden, not our own government.. knew how bad it would be.
Because if they hadn't allowed something to happen, we'd still be blissfully unaware and evil (and I do believe these radical islams are evil) would be allowed to grow inside and outside of our own borders.
I truly believe that, as a people, Americans are notoriously isolationists. America is so far away from most current events and so we don't care. It's easier to just deal with our own dull little lives and let current events be.. unimportant. And it takes something like this or Pearl Harbor to snap us out of it and realize... A) we're not invulnerable and B) we NEED To be aware of what's going on in the world around us.
The world is a scary place... there's calling for war in Israel, terrible violence in India and Pakistan, and... who knows what else. Those are just two examples that have been in the news recently.
There's been alot of question lately... 6 months after 9/11. What's next? I heard a poll that said 80% of Americans believe that this isn't over... that this war won't take place just in Afghanistan, but on American soil, killing Americans innocents.
I'm with that 80%. I believe that something else will happen: potentially more terrible than 9/11.
We haven't done jack shit to the Al Qaeda network. We've POSSIBLY (but not necessarily) taken Afghanistan away from them.. but, even then, for how long. I heard tale (in TIME of course) that America recently had to REBOMB Al Qaeda Terrorist training camps where Al Qaeda terrorists were regrouping.
And Afghanistan is only the tip of the iceburg. Even if we shut down the ONE nation, there are so many more. Some which no one's sure how to deal with.
Take Saudi Arabia... we have to go in there and either whup some ass or get their government to whup some ass. Because Al Qaeda is VERY strong there (along with various Palestinians terror groups). News suggests to me that, while they don't want to anger us, they're slow to get their own terrorists out.
What do we do about this?
What do we do about Israel itself? Israel is decidedly our ally, but it's a haven of terrorists and busting them (if you haven't seen current events) is messy and not working as well
Hell, what do we do about US? We've busted NO American Terrorist Cells. They've hidden and we don't know how to get to them. The INS (Jesus, 60 Minutes ripped the INS a *NEW* one last night. And the Red Cross too.. more on that to come.) is a joke at the moment... our borders are still very weak. And there's serious concern that WHEN something else happens in America, we won't be ready for it.
This is where Americans have changed... we're more aware (to various degrees) of what's going on, we've reevaluated (some of us) what's important to us and we realized that our time alive may be much shorter than we'd like and... tried to deal with it.
And I can't help that laugh that, most likely, everything WE fight for here and now... will be torn down by our children who don't understand the need for tighter security and think that the powers that be have too much power and have been abusing it.
On a vaguely related topic, as I know I've said more than once, I'm no longer a fan of the Red Cross. I know that I (and most of America) donated money FOR THE VICTIMS and FAMILIES of 9/11. And, as so far, 6 months later... most of it hasn't found it's way to the victims. I don't know what the Red Cross has done with it (there are various rumours).
60 minutes, last night, ripped the Red Cross a new one. It did it's research and found some VERY interesting facts. It never actually mentioned 9/11, sticking with the San Diego office of the Red Cross, but it was vaguely insinuated that the problem doesn't just lie in the San Diego office.
Two problems mentioned: 1) The Big Quake of 89.. the Red Cross got a few million for the victims of the Big One.. and most of it never got into San Diego until the city took the Red Cross to court.
In another episode, a smaller disaster.. a fire that burned a few homes... the Red Cross not only gave NO aid to the people who had lost their homes, but then proceeded to use the pictures of the residents to collect money in their name.. which they also didn't get.
It took a huge court battle and what was found out was that the funds were, instead, used on a new phone system. After the court battle, the Red Cross finally had to pay the residents.
I suspect that it will take another court battle to get money to the victims of 9/11 and their families.
Until then... I know *I* will never donate to Red Cross again.
Yes, I know.. I DO hold grudges... but this one I'll stick by...
I can't think of much else to say except to post my weight.
As I thought, the 251 was due to my being sick. Apparently, it was.
Today's weight is 253 (it WAS 252, but it was a rough weekend)
Hasta luego, folksies!
I've been thinking alot lately about a certain question: Have we, the American People, REALLY changed since 9/11? A mere 6 months later, people are getting back into their routines, living their lives in a normal fashion. Has anything really changed?
Right now, they say, people are able to look past race and sex and religion and see each other as Americans... more than ever before. Is this true? Based on what? I'm not sure I disbelief, but I have to wonder how long it lasts.
My answer is simple.. it'll last until Al Qaeda and those who harbor Al Qaeda are defeated. When we finally vanquish the enemy, we'll go back to hating each other.
I think one thing that's changed is that, all of a sudden, billions of americans everywhere realized that their cities and states were.. insignificant. That they now HAD to look past their own borders to know what's going on in the world.. before it hits us again.
I was reading an interesting article. It was about Ari Flieschman's (not sure I have the name right) recent comment blaming Clinton for allowing Al Qaeda to grow.
It said, and I agree, that it ISN'T Bill Clinton's fault. It's ours. Because we didn't want to look past our own borders to the troubles around us and felt secure and happy and peaceful and there was little real chance of getting us into a war with an idea until... something happened.
It makes me more suspicious that Septmeber 11th was a setup. That our government knew something was going to happen, allowed it to happen... but no one; not Osama bin Laden, not our own government.. knew how bad it would be.
Because if they hadn't allowed something to happen, we'd still be blissfully unaware and evil (and I do believe these radical islams are evil) would be allowed to grow inside and outside of our own borders.
I truly believe that, as a people, Americans are notoriously isolationists. America is so far away from most current events and so we don't care. It's easier to just deal with our own dull little lives and let current events be.. unimportant. And it takes something like this or Pearl Harbor to snap us out of it and realize... A) we're not invulnerable and B) we NEED To be aware of what's going on in the world around us.
The world is a scary place... there's calling for war in Israel, terrible violence in India and Pakistan, and... who knows what else. Those are just two examples that have been in the news recently.
There's been alot of question lately... 6 months after 9/11. What's next? I heard a poll that said 80% of Americans believe that this isn't over... that this war won't take place just in Afghanistan, but on American soil, killing Americans innocents.
I'm with that 80%. I believe that something else will happen: potentially more terrible than 9/11.
We haven't done jack shit to the Al Qaeda network. We've POSSIBLY (but not necessarily) taken Afghanistan away from them.. but, even then, for how long. I heard tale (in TIME of course) that America recently had to REBOMB Al Qaeda Terrorist training camps where Al Qaeda terrorists were regrouping.
And Afghanistan is only the tip of the iceburg. Even if we shut down the ONE nation, there are so many more. Some which no one's sure how to deal with.
Take Saudi Arabia... we have to go in there and either whup some ass or get their government to whup some ass. Because Al Qaeda is VERY strong there (along with various Palestinians terror groups). News suggests to me that, while they don't want to anger us, they're slow to get their own terrorists out.
What do we do about this?
What do we do about Israel itself? Israel is decidedly our ally, but it's a haven of terrorists and busting them (if you haven't seen current events) is messy and not working as well
Hell, what do we do about US? We've busted NO American Terrorist Cells. They've hidden and we don't know how to get to them. The INS (Jesus, 60 Minutes ripped the INS a *NEW* one last night. And the Red Cross too.. more on that to come.) is a joke at the moment... our borders are still very weak. And there's serious concern that WHEN something else happens in America, we won't be ready for it.
This is where Americans have changed... we're more aware (to various degrees) of what's going on, we've reevaluated (some of us) what's important to us and we realized that our time alive may be much shorter than we'd like and... tried to deal with it.
And I can't help that laugh that, most likely, everything WE fight for here and now... will be torn down by our children who don't understand the need for tighter security and think that the powers that be have too much power and have been abusing it.
On a vaguely related topic, as I know I've said more than once, I'm no longer a fan of the Red Cross. I know that I (and most of America) donated money FOR THE VICTIMS and FAMILIES of 9/11. And, as so far, 6 months later... most of it hasn't found it's way to the victims. I don't know what the Red Cross has done with it (there are various rumours).
60 minutes, last night, ripped the Red Cross a new one. It did it's research and found some VERY interesting facts. It never actually mentioned 9/11, sticking with the San Diego office of the Red Cross, but it was vaguely insinuated that the problem doesn't just lie in the San Diego office.
Two problems mentioned: 1) The Big Quake of 89.. the Red Cross got a few million for the victims of the Big One.. and most of it never got into San Diego until the city took the Red Cross to court.
In another episode, a smaller disaster.. a fire that burned a few homes... the Red Cross not only gave NO aid to the people who had lost their homes, but then proceeded to use the pictures of the residents to collect money in their name.. which they also didn't get.
It took a huge court battle and what was found out was that the funds were, instead, used on a new phone system. After the court battle, the Red Cross finally had to pay the residents.
I suspect that it will take another court battle to get money to the victims of 9/11 and their families.
Until then... I know *I* will never donate to Red Cross again.
Yes, I know.. I DO hold grudges... but this one I'll stick by...
I can't think of much else to say except to post my weight.
As I thought, the 251 was due to my being sick. Apparently, it was.
Today's weight is 253 (it WAS 252, but it was a rough weekend)
Hasta luego, folksies!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2002-03-11 06:56 pm (UTC)But isn't that what we should be doing? If we were to change our lifestyles because of 9/11, we'd be living in fear. And that's all that any terrorist wants. That's why they're called terrorists.
I'm not saying that we should act as if nothing happened, because we shouldn't. But we shouldn't change how we go about our daily business because of it. We should know and remember, and keep up-to-date with the current events. But we should not live our lives as if we're going to die any time now.
At least, that's how I feel. I'm not going to live in fear. I'm going to live my life the way I want, and be happy. If we don't move on, we'll never pull through.
(no subject)
Date: 2002-03-11 07:07 pm (UTC)I dunno.. where's the line from going back to living a 'normal' life and continuing to be ready for.. whatever comes?
(no subject)
Date: 2002-03-11 07:17 pm (UTC)Where that might be, I'm not sure exactly.
(no subject)
Date: 2002-03-11 07:27 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2002-03-12 06:22 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2002-03-12 10:45 am (UTC)The problems started long before 9/11 and haven't been fixed in light of 9/11.
That's it in a nutshell.