First, second, and third: Sources, sources, sources.
Your word is only as good as the evidence you have to back it up.
-----Original Message-----
From: Kurt Buff [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2001 7:05 PM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: A few thoughts on today's events
First:
Thanks to those outside of the US who have expressed concern and
support. It
is much appreciated. I don't live anywhere near NYC, but as a US citizen
and
a simple human being I am distraught by these events, and wish the best
for
those who've been affected.
As usual, people across America have mostly responded by trying to
comfort
and care for those who have been directly affected by the attack. It's
not
for nothing that citizens of the US are known as the most generous in
the
world, and the most practical.
Erik Goldoff's forwarded post from his IT director is spot on, and also
much
appreciated.
Second:
It does not matter, in some senses, who did this. What matters is why it
happened. While steps do need to be taken to detect and punish the
perpetrators, this problem will not fade simply because the US will have
(probably) killed whoever did this. In many places across the world, the
US
is hated, and with reason. The US government has since World War II been
instrumental in destabilizing many democratically elected regimes, and
has
sided with tyrants and dictators, so long as they supported US foreign
policy, or were willing to be puppets. The main target for many years
was
Communism, although after the Berlin wall fell the focus changed, and
has
continued to change, to whatever enemy of the day is fixated upon.
Cuba, Iraq, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden,
PFLP,
DFLP, etc., etc., etc. are all targets now, but whether now or in the
past,
the US government has pursued its ends with means that are not in
keeping
with the stated values that most Americans cherish and profess to
believe.
American foreign policy has tried to direct events and attitudes across
the
world, but it has often not had a coherent aim, usually trying simply to
keep a lid on various situations, or trying to reward those who have
toed
our line. Its overseas agenda has been chaotic, perverse and
inexplicable.
We will suffer more for it.
The easiest example is right now the most relevant - Israel and the
Palestinians.
I won't try to say who is right or wrong in that conflict, but suffice
it to
say there is blame enough for both sides, and the US government has been
neck-deep in it. Worse, the US government has sent conflicting signals
since
the beginning.
It's overly simplistic to say that we are hated because we have tried to
be
the world's policeman. If we were only that, we would have far fewer
problems. The problem is that we are the corrupt cop on the world beat;
sometimes meddling where we shouldn't, sometimes turning a blind eye
where
we shouldn't, often picking on the wrong party in a conflict, and in
general
being ham-handed and incompetent in the patrolling of our self-appointed
rounds and the execution of our self-appointed duties.
I'll make one last point here, which has been stated elsewhere - I don't
believe that you can find a large terrorist attack anywhere that wasn't
sparked by some long-standing pattern of government interference where
it
wasn't wanted and wasn't justified. If the US government hadn't elected
itself the world's policeman, this wouldn't have happened. Still on
point,
if the US government hadn't been such a corrupt cop, this probably
wouldn't
have happened, although it possibly might still have. That's harder to
discern. Whether or not we should be the world's policeman is a separate
matter, but if we must be, we should be a good cop, not a bad cop.
Third:
The fallout from this outside of realm of the immediate (i.e., our
military/political response to the actual attack) is going to take a
long
time to see. Economically speaking, the WTC housed some really
influential
firms, and major offices for many more. People are worrying about gas
prices, among other things. You should be aware that fluctuations in
commodity prices will fluctuate for a while, and that gold and oil
prices
will rise for a while - mainly because they are real stores of value,
and
are, er, liquid assets.
Longer term, there may be flight of capital from the US because of loss
of
confidence in the security of the country. Or not. There may be serious
erosion of civil liberties. Or not. I'd bet on the former in each case,
but
I hope for the latter. However, I believe that that the longer-term
effects
will be overcome, as long as the US government doesn't pass too many new
laws.
Finally:
I'll not try to make any exhortations on actions anyone should take, or
what
they should believe. I'll leave that to others, who perhaps will be
better
received than I think I will be for posting this message. What I wish to
impart here is some perspective, and some context. If you wish to flame
me,
please think again. I don't rile, and will simply delete any flames. If
you
wish to discuss my thoughts, do so, either here or privately. I can't
say
how much I'll be interested in talking about this, since I'm still
trying to
come to terms with this both emotionally and intellectually. Still, I'd
like
to hear what others have to say.
As Bette Davis' character said in All About Eve - "Fasten your
seatbelts,
we're in for a bumpy ride."
Kurt
http://www.sunbelt-software.com/ntsysadmin_list_charter.htm
http://www.sunbelt-software.com/ntsysadmin_list_charter.htm
