I really believe that if the government had stepped up and given people positive things to do and laid out a reasonable change in attitude we would be much stronger today no matter who was president. Instead I feel like we're just encouraged to throw a blanket over our heads all the time, to be resentful and defensive for no reason.
One of the fascinating movies that came out about 9-11 and such was called "Hijacking Diaster". It had most of the general information that these type of things do, stuff we all know. Their main message was that the Bush administration hijacked 9-11 as purely as the airplanes were hijacked.
One of the best things said in this was brought up by an Indian woman, talking about Gandhi. She said that the only good politics were the politics of fearlessness. Bush encourages a politics of fear. She said that those firemen and other people who helped get people out of the buildings on 9-11 were fearless. They were fearless because they had something to do, they had a concrete way of helping, and they did it.
Our country was swept together right after 9-11 largely because what we saw was how brave people can be in a crisis. Those firemen and others were the heroes. But then quickly that image became supplanted by Bush's face--he became the hero. He stood proud with his megaphone and said we'd bring them to justice, and then everyone breathed a sigh of relief and said, "good, we don't have to do anything anymore, our leader is here to make it all better." And I think that's what most people wanted to hear.
It doesn't feel good to be a victim. It feels good to be the fireman, the person with the concrete things they can do and know that they're helping. Yet people desire against their better interests and desire to have someone else do all the work. Then they don't have to change anything, or give anything up. Or do anything. People always think they'd rather have a life of not having to do anything. But that's not true. They just don't want to do stupid pointless things, which is what most of us do in our jobs. They want to do meaningful things.
But we were given no option of that. Specifically, intentionally. Even the left gave us no options. Giving things up is not really action in that way that makes you feel like you're helping. It's probably good and necessary, but just giving up your toys doesn't make you feel strong. What can anybody do that would be helpful? That film I mentioned said get involved, go protest, be an activist. That's partly good... but I never saw much real good in protesting. It was one of those things where people told you that you were doing something but you just stood around, knowing that you weren't really. I think that's why it's so easy for mobs to break out into violence in a protest--people long to be actually doing something, and waving a sign and yelling doesn't really cut it.
Hmm I'm rambling off topic. I also liked what you said about how you'd rather be right than win an argument. Nobody is like that anymore in politics and media. It's kind of chilling. Everyone is just trying to win. It's not about being right or doing right. It's about winning.
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Date: 2004-11-05 01:29 pm (UTC)One of the fascinating movies that came out about 9-11 and such was called "Hijacking Diaster". It had most of the general information that these type of things do, stuff we all know. Their main message was that the Bush administration hijacked 9-11 as purely as the airplanes were hijacked.
One of the best things said in this was brought up by an Indian woman, talking about Gandhi. She said that the only good politics were the politics of fearlessness. Bush encourages a politics of fear. She said that those firemen and other people who helped get people out of the buildings on 9-11 were fearless. They were fearless because they had something to do, they had a concrete way of helping, and they did it.
Our country was swept together right after 9-11 largely because what we saw was how brave people can be in a crisis. Those firemen and others were the heroes. But then quickly that image became supplanted by Bush's face--he became the hero. He stood proud with his megaphone and said we'd bring them to justice, and then everyone breathed a sigh of relief and said, "good, we don't have to do anything anymore, our leader is here to make it all better." And I think that's what most people wanted to hear.
It doesn't feel good to be a victim. It feels good to be the fireman, the person with the concrete things they can do and know that they're helping. Yet people desire against their better interests and desire to have someone else do all the work. Then they don't have to change anything, or give anything up. Or do anything. People always think they'd rather have a life of not having to do anything. But that's not true. They just don't want to do stupid pointless things, which is what most of us do in our jobs. They want to do meaningful things.
But we were given no option of that. Specifically, intentionally. Even the left gave us no options. Giving things up is not really action in that way that makes you feel like you're helping. It's probably good and necessary, but just giving up your toys doesn't make you feel strong. What can anybody do that would be helpful? That film I mentioned said get involved, go protest, be an activist. That's partly good... but I never saw much real good in protesting. It was one of those things where people told you that you were doing something but you just stood around, knowing that you weren't really. I think that's why it's so easy for mobs to break out into violence in a protest--people long to be actually doing something, and waving a sign and yelling doesn't really cut it.
Hmm I'm rambling off topic. I also liked what you said about how you'd rather be right than win an argument. Nobody is like that anymore in politics and media. It's kind of chilling. Everyone is just trying to win. It's not about being right or doing right. It's about winning.