A couple of alternative opinions

From: Eighth Dimension (badmood@earthlink.net)
Date: Thu Sep 13 2001 - 21:11:34 CEST

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    Here are a couple of opinions, while still denouncing the violence and the
    horrible loss of life , offering responses beyond and/or above revenge.

    Statement on September 11 Attack

    By David McReynolds and the War Resisters League

    As we write, Manhattan feels under siege, with all bridges, tunnels, and
    subways closed, and tens of thousands of people walking slowly north from
    Lower Manhattan. As we sit in our offices here at War Resisters League, our
    most immediate thoughts are of the hundreds if not thousands of New Yorkers
    who have lost their lives in the collapse of the World Trade Center. The day
    is clear, the sky is blue, but vast clouds billow over the ruins where so
    many have died, including a great many rescue workers who were there when
    the final collapse occurred.

    Of course we know that our friends and co-workers in Washington, D.C. have
    similar thoughts about the ordinary people who have been trapped in the
    parts of the Pentagon which were also struck by a jet. And we think of the
    innocent passengers on the hi-jacked jets who were carried to their doom on
    this day.

    We do not know at this time from what source the attack came. We do know
    that Yasser Arafat has condemned the bombing. We hesitate to make an
    extended analysis until more information is available but some things are
    clear. For the Bush Administration to talk of spending hundreds of billions
    on Star Wars is clearly the sham it was from the beginning, when terrorism
    can so easily strike through more routine means.

    We urge Congress and George Bush that whatever response or policy the U.S.
    develops it will be clear that this nation will no longer target civilians,
    or accept any policy by any nation which targets civilians. This would mean
    an end to the sanctions against Iraq, which have caused the deaths of
    hundreds of thousands of civilians. It would mean not only a condemnation of
    terrorism by Palestinians but also the policy of assassination against the
    Palestinian leadership by Israel, and the ruthless repression of the
    Palestinian population and the continuing occupation by Israel of the West
    Bank and Gaza.

    The policies of militarism pursued by the United States have resulted in
    millions of deaths, from the historic tragedy of the Indochina war, through
    the funding of death squads in Central America and Colombia, to the
    sanctions and air strikes against Iraq. This nation is the largest supplier
    of "conventional weapons" in the world and those weapons fuel the starkest
    kind of terrorism from Indonesia to Africa. The early policy support for
    armed resistance in Afghanistan resulted in the victory of the Talibanand
    and the creation of Osama Bin Laden.

    Other nations have also engaged in these policies. We have, in years past,
    condemned the actions of the Russian government in areas such as Chechnya,
    the violence on both sides in the Middle East, and in the Balkans. But our
    nation must take responsibility for its own actions. Up until now we have
    felt safe within our borders. To wake on a clear day to find our largest
    city under siege reminds us that in a violent world, none are safe.

    Let us seek an end of the militarism that has characterized this nation for
    decades. Let us seek a world in which security is gained through
    disarmament, international cooperation, and social justice not through
    escalation and retaliation. We condemn without reservation attacks such as
    those which occurred today, which strike at thousands of civilians. May
    these profound tragedies remind us of the impact U.S. policies have had on
    other civilians in other lands. We also condemn reflexive hostility against
    people of Arab descent living in this country and urge that Americans recall
    the part of our heritage that opposes bigotry in all forms.

    We are one world. We shall live in a state of fear and terror or we shall
    move toward a future in which we seek peaceful alternatives to violence, and
    a more just distribution of the world's resources. As we mourn the many
    lives lost, our hearts call out for reconciliation, not revenge.

    On the Bombings

    Noam Chomsky

    The terrorist attacks were major atrocities. In scale they may not reach the
    level of many others, for example, Clinton's bombing of the Sudan with no
    credible pretext, destroying half its pharmaceutical supplies and killing
    unknown numbers of people (no one knows, because the US blocked an inquiry
    at the UN and no one cares to pursue it). Not to speak of much worse cases,
    which easily come to mind. But that this was a horrendous crime is not in
    doubt. The primary victims, as usual, were working people: janitors,
    secretaries, firemen, etc. It is likely to prove to be a crushing blow to
    Palestinians and other poor and oppressed people. It is also likely to lead
    to harsh security controls, with many possible ramifications for undermining
    civil liberties and internal freedom.

    The events reveal, dramatically, the foolishness of the project of "missile
    defense." As has been obvious all along, and pointed out repeatedly by
    strategic analysts, if anyone wants to cause immense damage in the US,
    including weapons of mass destruction, they are highly unlikely to launch a
    missile attack, thus guaranteeing their immediate destruction. There are
    innumerable easier ways that are basically unstoppable. But today's events
    will, very likely, be exploited to increase the pressure to develop these
    systems and put them into place. "Defense" is a thin cover for plans for
    militarization of space, and with good PR, even the flimsiest arguments will
    carry some weight among a frightened public.

    In short, the crime is a gift to the hard jingoist right, those who hope to
    use force to control their domains. That is even putting aside the likely US
    actions, and what they will trigger -- possibly more attacks like this one,
    or worse. The prospects ahead are even more ominous than they appeared to be
    before the latest atrocities.

    As to how to react, we have a choice. We can express justified horror; we
    can seek to understand what may have led to the crimes, which means making
    an effort to enter the minds of the likely perpetrators. If we choose the
    latter course, we can do no better, I think, than to listen to the words of
    Robert Fisk, whose direct knowledge and insight into affairs of the region
    is unmatched after many years of distinguished reporting. Describing "The
    wickedness and awesome cruelty of a crushed and humiliated people," he
    writes that "this is not the war of democracy versus terror that the world
    will be asked to believe in the coming days. It is also about American
    missiles smashing into Palestinian homes and US helicopters firing missiles
    into a Lebanese ambulance in 1996 and American shells crashing into a
    village called Qana and about a Lebanese militia - paid and uniformed by
    America's Israeli ally - hacking and raping and murdering their way through
    refugee camps." And much more. Again, we have a choice: we may try to
    understand, or refuse to do so, contributing to the likelihood that much
    worse lies ahead.

    Noam Chomsky



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