I have to apologize in advance for what I’m going to write on the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
I’d like to say that the losses are terrible, but they were not in vain, because America found courage in the time of trial to come back and rid the world of a great evil.
But (obviously, I think), that’s not exactly what happened.
There’s been a lot of Monday morning quarterbacking about the War on Terror. I’m now inclined to the view that Afghanistan should have been a short, sharp punitive mission, and then out again. Iraq was the strategically useful war. But maybe that’s just because I haven’t read enough books on the subject from different angles.
It’s good that we punished the perpetrators. It’s good that Osama bin Ladin was killed. I’ve never nitpicked the president over that action, and I don’t plan to start now.
But all my life I’ve evaluated things through the lens of bullying and abuse. Many people think the United States must be the world’s bully, because we’re so rich and powerful.
But that’s not how bullying works. I’ve seen it myself, and I’ll bet you have too. Dominance is not (or not wholly) a matter of size or strength. It’s a matter of how far the various parties are willing to go to get their way. Often a smaller, weaker person can bully a larger, stronger one, because he’s more ruthless and selfish.
Have those who attacked us in 2001 learned a lesson? Have they retired with bloody noses, less likely to do it again? All in all, I don’t think so.
Remember, the heart of their terrorism is a willingness to die as a martyr. Killing them isn’t necessarily the deterrent we think it is.
It seems to me they might take a lot of satisfaction in what they’ve achieved. Our freedoms in our own country have been reduced. Our presence in the Middle East is diminishing, leaving the chamber swept and garnished for Islamists to move in (as has already happened in several states after the “Green Revolutions”). We have become more, not less, dependent on Mideast oil. Our support of Israel has never been softer. Doors are opening to Islam everywhere in America, while Christian practice is being increasingly restricted. Our school children are taught to admire the Islamic world, and to despise their own cultural tradition.
9/11 seemed like a moment of clarity at the time.
I’m no longer sure America is capable of clarity.
May the memory of the honored dead bring us back to our senses.
I agree. Not sure what the right move on Iraq was, though. Take out the Husseins (rather than electing another one) but leaving the multi-religion party in power might have been better for the ancient Christians, the Jews, the Kurds, etc.
We don’t know how to nation-build.
I just finished reading John Mortimer’s Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders. It’s the story of a young lawyer who finds himself at odds with the older lawyer he is assigned to assist in the defense of a murder charge. Rumpole sees their job as saving the defendant from the gallows. His Leader sees their job as upholding the traditions and dignity of the Court.
Reminds me of Reagan in some ways. One of the reasons his enemies hated him so was that he had the audacity to think we could win the Cold War. His military escalations and sword rattling struck terror, not only into our enemies, but even more so among his own diplomats and bureaucrats.
That kind of division typifies the American response to 9/11. There was clarity for some, but they were quickly pushed aside by those with another agenda. A nation divided cannot stand. We are divided along many lines, philosophical, moral, and religious among others.
The question then is, How do we respond? Mere hand wringing won’t accomplish anything productive. Few of us have the kind of influence necessary to change the course of our culture. Yet, if we all work on winning the souls within our small circle of influence, the tide may change.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7 (ESV)