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A Lingering Afterimage

By Paul McLeary

The twin spectacles of our recent national political conven-tions did their best to change the public’s perception of what, exactly, 9/11 means. While it was only a scant three years ago that lower Manhattan burned, both parties attempted to transform the day from tragic reality to mythic theater, hearkening back to a time when America stood united in grief and… return to article

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    PLEASE VOTE NADER!! WE CAN CHANGE THIS COUNTRY IF WE ONLY BELIEVE IN A REAL CANDIDATE!!!
    http://www.miaminewtimes.com/issues/2004-10-07/kulchur.html
    http://votenader.org/issues/index.php?cid=7
    http://votenader.org/why_ralph/index.php?cid=2
    http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion/index.php?ntid=12845&ntpid=1

    http://votenader.org/ballot_access/index.php?cid=17

    DOESN’T THE TWO PARTY SYSTEM MAKE YOU WANT TO RALPH???

    United States Posted by Richard Rhodes on Oct 7, 2004 at 9:17 PM

    “In the introduction—where he notes that his post-9/11 travels to the Midwest showed him endless rows of houses “draped in flags that reminded me of the garlic one might put on a door to ward off vampires”—he captures the vague, uneasy feeling many New Yorkers have that 9/11 is an abstraction for many Americans, whose “Let’s roll!” mentality is divorced from a healthy conception of the true cost of revenge. The attacks, after all, were committed by men who justified their atrocities through the self-righteousness of vengeance.”

    Beautifully said! and could not agree more.

    United States Posted by Watson on Oct 8, 2004 at 7:42 AM

    If you want Nader in get involved in the 2008 or 2012 election. The thing to do now is get bush out of office so we don’t have more of the same.

    United States Posted by colin on Oct 8, 2004 at 10:05 AM

    September 11 2001 was much more than a gesture of revenge, it was part of a broader war against many things, some unsavory and others worth fighting to protect. The current form of globalized capitalism, with its rampant concentration of wealth and offensive assaults upon local cultures, was one thing al-Qaeda wishes to destroy. A goal that would create havoc in the world, but considering the observable ugliness and terrible effects of global capital in its current incarnation, perhaps somewhat understandable. But as well, 9/11 was an attack upon America’s tradition of liberalism and guiding ideal of freedom (as inconsistent as these can be, given the lessons of history). An America that promotes free-thinking, pluralistic, tolerant pursuit of one’s own bliss, in partnership with other societies upholding the same goals, is the central thwart to the jihadist vision. They knew America would abridge freedoms after the 9/11 attack, they hoped that police-state tactics would be formulated and also backed by a scared populace, they continue to make plans for dramatic and horrifying acts of violence that will goad America into more bull-in-the-china-closet behaviors such as in Iraq. The leaders of the jihadist movement are patient, wealthy, and dedicated, and they’re convinced that they exclusively own the entire Cosmic Truth. For all of my disgust with the Iraq debacle (and is the world REALLY safer since Saddam was toppled?), which has never been about castrating al-Qaeda anyway, the “war on terror” still has validity if can be recast as a way to undermine the jihadist movement. Regardless of the massive errors of the Bush team, al-Qaeda and the entire jihadist vision is the most terribly totalitarian movement in generations. I lived in Pakistan from 1994 to 1999, during which the Taliban took Afghanistan and turned it into an 8th Century theocracy devoid of any form of freedom (and God help you if you were female, especially a thinking female). It’s not just revenge the jihadists want, it’s a transnational caliphate in which the very pretense of liberty is rubbed out in favor of the strictest and most brutal interpretation of sharia law. When the Taliban took power, that’s what they implemented, and that’s why Osama and his religious perverts felt right at home there. Although I gag on the doctrines of Bush, that does not change the goals or tactics of al-Qaeda in particular nor the jihadist movement in general. The memory of 9/11 should motivate us to disrupt their financial networks, negate their political base by using the wealth of the G7 to help improve the lives of people around the world including the Muslim nations, take a more realistic stance in regard to Israel (Does anyone still think they’re God’s favorite little tribe in the whole wide world? Why? Just because they say they are??), and put an end to the jihadists materiel support by inhibiting the global trade in arms. We and the other nations of the world should do this with great energy and focus, as if there was a war in hand. There is.

    Philippines Posted by Kuya on Oct 12, 2004 at 2:24 AM

    If you want nader to get involved in any way whatsoever, you’re out of your &#@!% mind! The guy is a crazed egomaniac. How does the left get taken in by this crap, time and time again?

    United States Posted by jose on Oct 12, 2004 at 6:58 AM

    I was very impressed by the posting of Kuya.  It is so important to look for deeper answers.  I know it is very difficult, but it is none-the-less very important.  I think that disrupting their financial networks and helping to improve the lives of people around the world are the only sane ways of dealing with this situation.  However, the Gangs of Washington, including all of the players, do not want to look at ways of dealing with the situation.  They do in fact want to enrich themselves and their financial support by waging a war against someone, anyone, that they can point to as the enemy.  I understand that President Bush has some 60 countries where he wants to have regime change occur.  This is insane.  Violence breeds violence.  Breaking the cycle of poverty is the only solution.  Only when people feel as though they have some control over their destiny will we see the end of violence.

    United States Posted by Michele on Oct 17, 2004 at 11:27 AM

    The only way to stop terror is to put a stop to its causes.

    What motivates people to become terrorists?

    Kuya has given one outline, but there are other reasons also.

    Bombing the shit out of them will only create more terrorists from the survivors.

    Religious fundamentalism - of ANY kind cannot ever be tolerated.

    But nor can the illegal invasion of sovereign states.

    Welcome to Iraq - the new terrorist training ground!!

    United Kingdom Posted by AJ on Nov 3, 2004 at 8:31 PM
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