During World War 1 and 2 over a hundred million individuals were killed, most were innocent civilians. Between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries millions of African people were literally taken from their homes and shipped to the Americas. Similarly, Native Americans were massacred and marginalized for decades. Today, the United States and the world commemorate the tragedy of 9/11, arguably the most influential event of the twenty-first century. The terrorist attack, which took place now ten years ago, has affected the lives of thousands of people but let’s not forget these other events. Did World War 1 and 2 not permanently alter the perception of Eastern Europe? Has slavery not changed the livelihood of generations of African Americans? Is the Indian genocide not part of US history, or are these ideas too politically incorrect?
The hijackers, who crashed planes both into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, were a select group of radical Islamists with a clear intention and goal: to take away the life of American citizens. There is no need to underestimate or dramatize the reality of this event. Americans have the right to remember the victims of this attack. However, a conglomeration of people around the world have been astounded by the political and social reaction of the United States. Animosity, interventionism, discrimination, are some of the words that come to mind. The immediate consequence of this strike was the war on terror with the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq to quench the desires of a baffled nation. But does anyone bother to remember the tens of thousands of peaceful Middle Easterners who perished in this unlawful aggression? Or has the US caucus also omitted the millions of expatriates who have to cope with the hypocrisy of a nation that intervenes generally when its interest is at stake but ignores the impoverished world the rest of the time?
Patriotism becomes a problem when transformed into racism. A selfless mindset, which choses to neglect the repercussions of an action or a word, is truly void of morality. The United States claims to be a Christian nation, a community that loves its neighbor as itself; lets prove to the world that this deep rooted belief is still authentically present even in these moments of grief.
Roger Mitchell
2 Corinthians 5:20
Since when has the United States claimed to be a Christian nation? You may wish it to be a Christian nation, but to say either that it is or that it intends to be is pure fantasy.
ReplyDeleteThe fact of the matter is that states are predominantly rational actors. Their actions are representative only of what they (and by extension, their leadership) view to be in their own best interest. Viewed through this perspective, the actions of states are often very consistent and predictable. Once you stop trying to consider normative value systems, politics becomes astoundingly simple to understand. You shouldn't expect the United States to behave in a moral fashion. You should expect it to behave in a rational one.
I enjoy your comments because I come from a background where I used to always separate the private (religious) from the public (non-regligious). I continue to believe this to be true and your remark has reminded me that I should nuance my approach to this hard topic.
ReplyDeleteI based my final words on the morals that guide the United States. The Declaration of Independence holds several quotes that point in the direction of a Christian nation, if not at least a state guided by common values. Take this extract for example: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." The beauty of this phrase is that it not only points to the God of the Bible but also leaves the freedom to everyone to hold another belief system. Therefore, my point is not to convert every reader but to demonstrate that the Founding Fathers gave us mutual moral guidance in order to make rational decisions together rather than individual ones, which constantly change and are often based on self-interest. You might not believe in social justice but most of the world, Christian or non-Christian, is a fervent advocate of this American inconsistency.