World War III, Maybe?
What happened in NYC and DC should remind mainstream americans that life outside the United States is very different for the rest of humanity. We live without active regard for the social, economic and political situations most humans are forced to suffer every day. While the media expends efforts to report news about the world around us, most americans remain physically and emotionally detached from the countries and people with the funny sounding names and places.
We are a media driven, spoon-fed, consumption oriented, narcissistic, materialistic, entertainment-minded and pleasure centric society. I AM NOT CONDEMNING any of these characteristics of our american lifestyles and behavior. It is just the color of our national culture.
You want proof? Yesterday, in Providence, RI a man was removed from an Amtrak train and arrested. Authorities deemed him suspicious because of his turban and long beard. Therefore, he was arrested and detained. I saw that man several weeks ago at the same train station waiting on the platform. I immediately mumbled to myself, "wow, a SIKH in Providence--not a common sight".
Your average mainstream media minded american has NO IDEA what a sikh is or where they come from. Most americans do not know the difference
between Shiite and Sunni's either, let alone the countries in which they reside. However, I'll bet those same americans know what happened on "Ally McBeal or Friends or Big Brother" right? I'll bet they know the lyrics to the top ten hits from J-Lo, Maraiah, Destiny's Child, N'SYNC, right?
These are the reasons the american mind is not ready to handle international matters. The generation X and i crowd can barely find their own state on a map. While everyone is gadget conscious and electronically savvy, their foreign counterparts are able to grown their own food, handle weapons and animals and travel without assistance or machinery. No matter how angry our youth may seem today, they are not trained, nor even ready to be trained to confront what may become WWIII.
I am sorry for the current and incoming generations of americans. Perhaps, globalization may sharpen our senses and wake this nation, if not, occupation by foreign enemies will for a certainty. We have yet to realize the ramifications of these attacks. This is a complex situation.
How should NATO and the US respond? Will genocide of all arabs be enough? Should arab nations be forced under threat to hand over all terrorists, extremeists, leaders, agitators, rebels, guerillas? Should we attack one arab nation after another and occupy their countries and exploit their resources? Should we allow innocent women and children to suffer because of the fanaticism of cowardly religious leaders who prey on the malleable minds youth?
The answer depends on what all powerful nations agree as their ultimate global objective. If economic globalization and equalization are the goals, the approach taken will differ greatly from a goal of peace and security and freedom from terrorism. Whatever goals are set by the nations involved, americans are NOT ready by any means. Americans are creatures of comfort and habit, immune to inconvenience and allergic to sacrifice, unless profitable.
History is full of mistakes that started with noble intentions. Saddam Hussein is still in power, while his people suffer. Because we are not ready, yet. We allowed the British to divide Palestine after the war, and look at it now! We allowed eastern europe to be divided after both world wars, and it is still not right. We have always prescribed "democracy" as an antidote for war, without ever getting our hands dirty and really diagnosing foreign affairs. We are probably going to same all over again, only with greater intensity. Instead of launching missiles into Afghanistan, maybe we will "nuke" them for effect. Maybe we will invade, and
then leave, like Iraq ten years ago. I know one thing for sure, we do not understand the arab because we do not care!
The saddest tragedy is the millions of innocent arab women and children who are about to die, believing it is Allah's will, when the sleeping giants from the west arrive with their electronic war machines and caravans of death, while their supposed spiritual leaders like Saddam Hussein, Moammar Quaddafi, Usama bin Mohammed bin Laden hide safely in their mountains, in their palaces and secret places, leaving their loyally blinded followers out in the open to
face "democracy" when it comes!
Perhaps we can find solstace in believing the arabs are the new king of the south and the NATO-US alliance is the king of the north, and after the dust is settled, and the arabs are occupied and subjugated, we will hear the cry for peace in the middle-east, once and for all. Who knows?
One thought certainly demands consideration, this talk of a long-term struggle definitely has connotations of a three, four or five year conflict. Are we ready for the reports about atrocities committed by our troops, or NATO alliance troops in other countries?
Are we ready for the media emprires to betray us once the conflict begins? While the media screams revenge with the country now, they will soon be reporting dissention, controversy and opposition to our military tactics, once they are underway.
How will the media report US troops carrying out assasinations? How will they report desolated arab villages and burning women and children? Remember how the media affected the Vietnam conflict? Liberals protesting in the streets with students and riots everywhere, while troops were trying to obey orders and perform their duties.
Americans do not understand what they want, nor what they are asking for in this situation.
This nation needs more time to prepare and prepare it's allies. This time, we won't be facing neatly arranged bunkers and walls in Normandy. There won't be any pillboxes or trenches, or uniformed soldiers attacking in groups. If fanaticism runs as deep as it appears, these arabs may fight with women and children like the Viet Cong, only with more intensity.
Americans were able to show some vietnamese that the north and the cong were cruel and sadistic. This time, it's not about freedom versus communisim, at least no in the mind of the individual arab.
It's about the Devils (US & NATO & Israel) versus Allah! Just wait!
