I hate to interrupt a good circle jerk, but damn! I'm hoping to reach you before your faces become totally frozen into half-smirks of self satisfaction and mutual congratulation..
You are all sympathetic to the loss of life in NY. Let me thank you, on behalf of all New York, for the depth and heartfelt warmth of your charity.
Some dude comes on and writes that his friends have been burned to death, he's read your posts, he's angry, and he tells you to fuck off.
I'm sure he wouldn't have gotten so hot under the collar if he had realized how delicate your sensibilities are, and that with the mere mention of anger or invective, you will retreat like the three monkeys covering their respective sense organs: See no evil; hear no evil; speak no evil!
I'm sure that the subtext in your replies posted to him, said: "Tribal, you are acting out of sadness and anger for the loss of life by your countrymen; that is the wrong course of action, just as it is wrong to use terrorism to react to the death and suffering of those in the Middle East, and we will work publicly to get the message out that both sides are warmongers" That was your message to Tribal, wasn't it.
And once he had your message, it would be unnecessary for him to return, because that is all he needs to learn, right?
Let me further congratulate you on your sense of objectivity and even handedness. I have followed the demonstrations in London and elsewhere in Europe, protesting the use of force by the US. I am sure that many of you attended.
Although no one has said as much, I am certain that you have also attended prayer vigils for the dead of the US, as well as demonstrations protesting the use of force by the terrorists against the US, since the use of force, as opposed to discussion and diplomacy, is wrong. Right?
Once again, I congratulate you on your ability to think objectively, and to publicly show your non support for violence perpetrated by either side..
As to specifics, I'd like to congratulate apollo child, a rational american. He doesn't want anyone to get too theatrical, just because 6000 people died by fire in the course of about an hour. But he certainly is right; as an LA resident, he might be a target too. However, I am confident, apollo, that if the time should ever come when you must watch your mother die screaming while her body flails and burns, or your brother or friend vomiting and shitting himself to death because he opened the wrong envelope, that you will spare the world from any unseemly displays of theatrics. I salute your obviously cool head.
I also salute your intelligence, apollo, which must be much greater than mine. If mine equalled yours, I might understand your reference to the Freudian psychoanalytic terms of 'transference' (a type of projection where early childhood conflicts are reexperienced with the psychoanalyst) and 'displacement' (the tendency of libido to invest itself in neutral objects as opposed to the original objects of its aim).
Us simple folk might think that you have botched an attempt to sound intellectual by using the wrong jargon, but I will leave it to 'you in psychology' to understand such complex matters. And heaven help us regular guys, should you ever complete Psych 100, and move on the the rarefied air of Second Year.
Nemo, it's neither sweet nor glorious to die, but we in North America may yet get to experience that 'extasy of fumbling for gas masks' that your poem refers to. Maybe, if we die in a gas attack, you can write a poem about us? That would be nice...
Ever been in a real, serious fight, like for your life? If you survive (and I use that term expressly, as opposed to 'win'), the aftermath usually involves sobbing, maybe vomiting from emotion, but no feelings of glory. Once you've done that, you don't do it again lightly.
Tired + rundown: what's your real name? Flora MacDonald, Glenn Clark or Sunera Thobani? If you are Canadian, you'll know what I mean. And maybe not all Canadians support the US, but your government has committed troops. I hope that you will support them when they must die for us, so that you and I can man our important posts at the computer terminals.
Bezzer: Do I really sound like a ten year old? Thank you for that compliment. One of my great desires has been to find a way to reclaim the innocence which I possessed as a child. Have I finally succeeded? Perhaps, after reading my thoughts here, you will promote me to age 5?
Why should I write a letter to the military? They already agree with me, to say the least. And I can't launch any missiles from my Barcalounger. I called to see about getting one of those buttons installed, but they said the backorder list was so long, I'd have to wait at least 8 months. By then, there'll be no one left for me to nuke...
Patel's post has brought a reply to mind, which I am sure will make you smile, because of it's simple minded jingoist tone:
We Canadians learn about the Great White North, our animal friends, and our fertile environment. One of the things we learn is how a pack of wolves deals with a herd of deer, buffalo, or elk. The herd as a whole is too strong for the carnivores, so they pick at it from the sides and back, looking for stray calves, or for the chance to sever the hamstrings of an adult, or to separate an animal that is maybe ill, slower and weaker.
The US has been historically strong (I'm not discussing benevolence or rectitude here, just strength). Lately, it has been more reluctant about throwing its weight around, and internal debates about policy, etc. are often aired internationally.
There are those around it who would like to see it fall, for reasons valid or invalid. Historically, they have been afraid to face the US head on, because it was still to strong.
Someone just decided to give it a try. Question now is, what is the true nature of the US; is it still strong, or is it merely old and bloated, and an easy target that has been living on past reputation?
At this level, it's merely the law of the jungle, evolution, the survival of the fittest; not the most moral or the kindest, but the fittest.
Boys and girls, we are all going to be touched by this, and we will all have to choose sides. I don't think we'll get to fence sit this one. Well, I'm comfortable with my choice.
Speaking of courage and all that manly stuff, do you remember my earlier post about the planes? I asked if you (each one of you, that is) found yourself on a hijacked plane that was certain to be used as a bomb to destroy innocent lives, whether you would engage in a struggle, at great personal risk to yourself, with likely death as an outcome, to overcome the hijackers and thwart their plan, like the individuals on Flight 93 did. Forget questions about enlisting or civil disobedience. Would you do this?
(j/k)
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