Unreality

[days_unfolding]

This is worse than Pearl Harbor. Pearl Harbor was a military target. While the Pentagon might be a military target, the World Trade Center certainly isn't.

The senselessness of the day's events boggles me. At first I was wondering what the terrorists could possibly hope to accomplish by this act, knowing that we'll throw our vast resources into finding and punishing the perpetrators, and the only thing that I could think of is that this was an act of retaliation. My mom agreed: "Let's see how you like it."

While I feel for the casualties and survivors, my most fervent prayer is for cool minds to prevail in the coming days. If we, say, bombed Afghanistan, we'd be giving more people a reason to hold a grudge against the U.S. The problem with "I hit you, and you hit me, and then I hit you..." interactions is that they never seem to come to resolution. Look at Israel. Look at Northern Ireland.

And there's no foolproof way to guard against a terrorist act. I read somewhere that the one type of assassins that it's impossible to guard against are those who are willing to die in the attempt. The same principle applies. The only thing that might possibly be a defense is to have the type of police state in which they know exactly what you do, with whom you associate, and are willing to contain innocent people in order to also contain a few terrorists. We can't afford that.

Personally, I've been feeling an eerie form of calm all day, although I've been riveted by the news stories. I think anyone who has lived through a major disaster, such as the large earthquake that the Bay Area had several years ago, has had to come to terms with the fact that they could die from being in the wrong place in the wrong time. My mom is trying to grapple with those issues now; she flies a lot on business and has business trips in a few weeks. To be honest, I wouldn't feel comfortable with getting on a plane right now, even though it's likely to be safer now then it has been for quite some time. The danger will be when our state of alert will pass, as it inevitably will.

I inadvertently proved that the Prozac is wiring me out by forgetting to take it today. Mid-afternoon, I got so sleepy that I had to lie down. Going back to sleep soon sounds like a plan because I still don't feel that I can concentrate on work.

My anxiety class tomorrow night promises to be somewhat surreal. I know that at least one person in the class has a phobia of bridges, and these events are likely to set her back.

Sorry for the length of this entry. Needed to purge.

Comments

[rillifane.livejournal.com]

Hitting back only fails to work if you neglect to kill everyone who has pissed you off.

Assuming you can identify EVERYONE who has pissed you off!

[workinprogress.livejournal.com]

And in an attack this well-planned and executed the tentacles of involvement, and passion, may extend deep and wide. There will always be someone left to seek retaliation on retaliation. I'm not speaking against taking physical action in response to this horror, but I believe we must face the fact that yesterday's events represent the most current, and dramatic, example of a world-wide malaise which we humans fail to recognize as essentially a symptom of our benighted worldview and the way we deal with each other. Let's not forget Hiroshima and Dresden and the escalating culture of violence that we as a society have helped to create in the latter half of the past century...our hands are not entirely clean in this matter. It's not different because these are "our" innocent victims. In the minds of the perpetrators no doubt these too were considered justified acts of war on a corrupt and evil society.

Let's all resolve to STOP IT here and now! To stop our own thoughts, attitudes, and actions that might lead to further escalation of this madness in the world. To explore ANY honorable avenue to resolve our differences rather than to resort to further violence. We are now so inextricably interconnected, and the components of nuclear and biological, not to mention "low-tech", terror have become so pervasive and portable, we fail to do so at our extreme peril...and at the peril of the world's children.

"An eye for an eye" is a bankrupt philosophy that will not lead to peace.

Re: Assuming you can identify EVERYONE who has pissed you off!

[rillifane.livejournal.com]

Well, of course, in the end, it would be better to live in a world in which there was justice for everyone, no poverty and in which violence was unthinkable.

But its clear that such a time is not about to happen soon.

I'd not really agree that there is "escalating" violence in the world. There was a time, not too very long ago, when the mass extermination of whole societies was regarded as the normal activity of of people in conflict or simply as a means of freeing up space for your own society.

Much of the perception of escalating violence is influenced by the very fact that there is a diminishing level of violence which colors our expectations. Constant references to Hiroshima only serve to remind someone familiar with history that the Japanese killed more people in Nanking a fews years prior by the old expedient of cutting off their heads, using them for bayonet practice and burying them alive.

My concern is personal and unashamedly selfish. I don't want me and mine being screwed with by some nuts espousing some looney, dimwitted religion.

General talk about world justice is all well and good but those who fuck around with me and my family and friends are going to get their asses kicked.