Sep 11, 2008

9.11

I've gone all day and I thought I could get away without posting something about 9.11.

Can't ever forget.

The smell of burning concrete, asbestos, and human remains - it was kind of like concrete, a burnt up frozen pizza and a wad of burning hair. Dust was everywhere. Death, stink, despair.
It's been seven years, and that one day has changed our world. Rumors of friends dead in the towers, others missing - later to find out they were just late to work. It has changed a lot of things. From big to small. American politics, the world map, and casual trips to the airport, and cameras in cell phones.

What still is so striking is that every single movie from 1969 to 2001 still strikes a chord in my heart. I also would suggest Paul Greengrass's Flight 93 if you want to 'get into' that emotion that happened on that day.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Have you totally forgotten Khobar Towers, the first attack on the WTC, the attack on the USS Cole and the embassy bombings (Nairobi and Dar es Salaam)? All these terrorist attacks occurred during the Clinton watch.

In my opinion there will be a greater likelihood of attacks during an Obama administration. Firstly, it is clear from Bin Laden's own words that the shameful retreat from Mogadishu in 1995 encouraged his theory that the US would cave in under terrorism. The moral weakness of Bill Clinton as amply supplied by his maladroit responses to terrorism inspired 9-11, my dear. The planning for that attack occurred before G. W. Bush was even on a ballot in a primary election. Obama will be perceived as weak simply because he has no reputation as a warrior, no true physical or moral courage -- things the medieval mentality of the jihadists appreciate and admire. Obama will mostly inspire contempt. George w. Bush is hated by our foes, but they dont hold him in contempt, not since 9-11 anyway. They know he will respond to terrorism and will attack them savagely wherever they are if they are discovered. They hate him. And they fear him. They know him better than you do. McCain is more like Bush than he is Obama. Bin Ladin and his followers will be much more cautious with McCain at the helm.

Secondly, Obama is not a Muslim now, but his early school records in Indonesia list him as a Muslim, whether or not it is actually true. Since he is an admitted Christian now, the jihadists may deem him to be an apostate -- the one thing worse in their estimation than an infidel.

Anonymous said...

He heh... wut?

Anonymous said...

Neal:

Ever see "The Siege?" Saw it 'cause a buddy was in it, and man, it is so freakin' scary how striking a resemblance that has to our world today.
Label me a bleeding heart if you will, but I'll wager that jihadists LOVE world leaders like W. who fan the flames of hatred and fanatic behaviour. What those cowards lording over uneducated, wayward youth need is an enemy, someone whom they can caricature and use as a scapegoat. Wait. Was I talking about the muslim wackos or the Christian ones, like the guy who claims we will all ways need to fight a war.

Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia, right?