September 09, 2002 - 5:34 PM
Found this link in Bonni's blog.
I read it all... and whoa.
In a sense, I agree and disagree with everything that's been said in the article. The writer does touch on a lot of very valid points.
Yes, 9/11 knocked the American attitude of "We are the best, no one can touch us" attitude down a level to "We are still the best and now we're going to kick your arse" level. The fact is though, it was still a tragedy, but it is no different to any other tragedy that's happened in the world.
There have been earthquakes and natural disasters that have taken the lives of tens of thousands in one moment. There have been wars which have killed just as many. There's world hunger too.
The tragedy is paltry when it's put down to numbers, far more people are killed in the Middle East by the American strikes on specific targets (face it, you guys can't aim for shit) and far more people are killed in natural disasters in other areas of the world as mentioned before.
The reason why people are mourning this more than anything else is mainly to do with simple fact that no one was expecting it to happen in such a country as the USA so fucking easily. All it takes is planning and a little cash and yes, even America can suffer.
If the Rialto Towers in Melbourne were bombed, sure, I'd be upset, but I'd still be of the same opinion - just another tregedy in a world full of tragedies. Four kids suffered burns to 60-80% of their bodies recently in a gas-tank explosion in their father's car a few weeks ago. A boy was slashed to death in the Melbourne CBD while his cousins ran for their lives and jumped into the Yarra. They drowned.
It's tragic.
But expected.
One thing's for absolute certain though - we all suffer the same in such an event, whether you're a business man on the 114th floor of the first WTC tower, or a little afghanistan woman shot while trying to protect her children from US "friendly fire".
It's the fucking same.
Don't sit there and tell me that America's suffering was greater.
Yes it was shocking, but it wasn't greater.
