Monday, Sept. 17, 2001, 8:25 p.m., hell-bound world

The world is going to hell in a handbasket. USA is insisting on the personage of bin Laden, despite being asked for proof that bin Laden was the one "wot dun it". They want him without proof. And a majority of self-selected pollsters believe that the US should change their rule, so that enemy heads of state can and should be targeted for assassination. This would be the same self-selected pollsters who reckoned that "sure, I would get on a airflight again". (These would be the people who go to home.netscape.com webpage.)

If heads of state were targeted, this would of course mean that USA could never regain the higher moral ground again, akin to the lowered status of the history of Catholicism in many people's eyes. And very much like the modern Japanese Government, all of the ones to date, who have never ever yet apologised for the Japanese atrocities of World War II, e.g. the rape of Nanking, the forced 'comfort women'. If enemy heads of state became fair game, then USA cannot complain or moan when their enemies do their darndest to take out the USA heads of state because it becomes a taut cycle of "Do Unto Them Before They Do Unto You".

Children have figured this out. At least, this kid had. The rule of law was supposed to elevate society above that. Isn't that the reason why kids are raised to respect the law? To argue, reason, and think before they act. Rather than whinge, whine, and get vicious.

I got goosebumps as I stood just inside the doorway, as I watched the news on the tv screen two rooms away from me, in the living room. The Pakistan leader has to try and convince his people that asking Afghanistan to hand bin Laden over to the USA is a Good Idea(tm). For one, that effectively removes them from the 'Targetted by the USA' list. Unfortunately, most of the relevant Pakistanis hate the USA. Later on tonight, I saw the pictures of hordes of Pakistanis decamping from their town. They fear a US missile strike. As do I.

A US missile strike, unjustified by uncontroversial proof of bin Laden's complicity, is the one thing that would make me lose respect for USA. And if most USAians _cheer_ the strike, when the strike is borne out of hate, pain, vengeance, the Dark Side ... it would hurt me very much. It would raise my anger. It would sink USA forever in my eyes.

Strange, isn't it. That an act of war inspired by mercenary greed but with the cover of heroic rescue is more palatable than one of simple vengeance and retribution.

Perhaps some Christian teachings did take root in me afterall. Or maybe it is my Buddhist leanings, where loss of control is the one of very worst things you can allow yourself.

Date: 2001-09-17 23:58:43
chiv wrote: 
i doubt anyone's going to start 
assasinating rival heads of state. well, 
not the western powers anyway, if that 
was how conflict was resolved, the usa 
and so on would no longer have material 
advantages. 
even afghanistan could shoot bush dead, 
but they couldn't invade the usa in a 
conventional war. 
most heads of state are cowards, and 
would rather have their citizens involved 
in the killing.  

Rant: FEAR ANGER HATE [S]

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