And a short ps.
From the point of view of Al-Qaeda, the victims of the WTC were
"collateral damage" and perfectly justifiable in terms of their
higher aims, that is, their war with the US. They are the exact
parallel of Pentagon justifications of Afghani civilian deaths. To
admit one is to admit the other, and merely to quarrel over whose
violence is more "legitimate".
I would prefer to argue for a world where both these arguments (in
reality the same argument) are seen for what they are; that is, the
obscene prevarications of power. I dream, unworldly though it may
be, of a world where a counter-argument based on morality and
truthfulness would hold weight. Democracy being effectively lifted
out of our hands, for reasons which really are at once too clear and
too complex to go into here, alternative fora like this seem to me
extremely important. Which is why I have posted articles and said
comments which I hope will provoke discussion, and which is why I am
protesting the attempted shut down of discussion here.
I simply don't know why it is assumed that _I_ also don't find these
things upsetting. They are, profoundly. Despite that, I think we
ought to be able to debate them. As I said, these are things that
affect all of us, and poetry not least.
And now I will post a poem. But not one of mine.
Best to all
Alison
--
Alison Croggon
Home page
http://www.users.bigpond.com/acroggon/
Masthead
http://au.geocities.com/masthead_2/
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