Anniversary
"Thucydides, an Athenian, wrote the history of the war between the Peloponnesians and the Athenians, beginning at the moment that it broke out, and believing that it would be a great war and more worthy of relation than any that had preceded it."
- Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War
It was a beautiful Tuesday morning, and I was at work. The air had a hint of fall in it, but was expected to just graze 90 degrees in the afternoon. I was at work, and there were things to do.
While I was working, a coworker told me that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. He had a smile on his face from talking with another guy, and I at first thought it was joke. But then my memory kicked in and reminded me that an Army bomber had hit the Empire State Building back in 1945, so I assumed he was telling me about a terrible accident. I wandered into another office area, and saw that it was deserted except for a group of people crowded around the TV in a conference room.
I got there in time to see a small object, like a dart, zip into view from right to left and blossom into flames against the south tower, while the top of the north tower was wreathed in heavy smoke and flickers of flames. I recall that I shrugged and said, "Well, these things will happen" before going back to my office.
- Me
So here we are, four years on, and what have we learned?
We have learned that the government we counted on to protect us has failed in that sacred duty. It cannot even help us after a natural disaster; what chance have we then against the malice of extremists?
We have learned that the government has lied, lied, and lied again, dragging us into a war from which there may be no escape.
We have learned that the government has acted to constrain our rights, to draw boundaries around the freedoms that the Founders granted us.
Now the Government has its own ideas of remembering the dead of 9/11 and the fact that we are not safe, by throwing an "America Supports You Freedom March" party on the Washington Mall. However, this will be as carefully managed and spun as a 2004 Bush campaign "town hall" meeting (you remember - all the people at the meetings were carefully screened so that Bush would never have to hear a discouraging word or ever be asked a real question).
Participants in this fascist rally - why do I call it that? Just watch - have to sign up, the march route and bandstand will be surrounded by a fence and the entire(!) Park Police force will be guarding the route. So much for inclusion, and so much for the First Amendment right of people to peaceably assemble.
So, what have we learned?
We have learned that we are not safe.
We have learned that we may not be safe from our own government.
- Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War
It was a beautiful Tuesday morning, and I was at work. The air had a hint of fall in it, but was expected to just graze 90 degrees in the afternoon. I was at work, and there were things to do.
While I was working, a coworker told me that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. He had a smile on his face from talking with another guy, and I at first thought it was joke. But then my memory kicked in and reminded me that an Army bomber had hit the Empire State Building back in 1945, so I assumed he was telling me about a terrible accident. I wandered into another office area, and saw that it was deserted except for a group of people crowded around the TV in a conference room.
I got there in time to see a small object, like a dart, zip into view from right to left and blossom into flames against the south tower, while the top of the north tower was wreathed in heavy smoke and flickers of flames. I recall that I shrugged and said, "Well, these things will happen" before going back to my office.
- Me
So here we are, four years on, and what have we learned?
We have learned that the government we counted on to protect us has failed in that sacred duty. It cannot even help us after a natural disaster; what chance have we then against the malice of extremists?
We have learned that the government has lied, lied, and lied again, dragging us into a war from which there may be no escape.
We have learned that the government has acted to constrain our rights, to draw boundaries around the freedoms that the Founders granted us.
Now the Government has its own ideas of remembering the dead of 9/11 and the fact that we are not safe, by throwing an "America Supports You Freedom March" party on the Washington Mall. However, this will be as carefully managed and spun as a 2004 Bush campaign "town hall" meeting (you remember - all the people at the meetings were carefully screened so that Bush would never have to hear a discouraging word or ever be asked a real question).
Participants in this fascist rally - why do I call it that? Just watch - have to sign up, the march route and bandstand will be surrounded by a fence and the entire(!) Park Police force will be guarding the route. So much for inclusion, and so much for the First Amendment right of people to peaceably assemble.
So, what have we learned?
We have learned that we are not safe.
We have learned that we may not be safe from our own government.
posted by Walt at 6:53 AM
2 Comments:
Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War
Finally!! Somewhere I can say - "Hey I read that book!" and people don't look at me like I'm weird.
I have thought for years that this phony in the white house looks a lot more like stalin than a us president.
The gop on the hill and the white house remind me of a fascist party rather than a democratic one. And the funny thing is, I can hardly believe it, I am beginning to hear and read this now too.
ARE PEOPLE FINALLY BEGINNING TO WAKE UP AND SEE JUST WHAT A DISASTER THIS GOP ADMINISTRATION IS!!!!!
I only can hope that it is not too late. I am not very optomistic though.
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