i was reading the world is flat by thomas friedman, and near the end he wrote "We need our president to restore September 11 to its rightful place on the calendar--as the day after September 10 and before September 12. We must never let it become a day that defintes us. Because ultimately September 11 is about them--the bad guys--not about us.
"We're about the Fourth of July, we're about 11/9 [the day the Berlin Wall fell]."
and i thought that was really great. especially in light of what happened recently in london, and how they reacted versus how we reacted (to the bombings with "how to protect yourself", etc., but also in a sense to 9/11). i mean, we're still talking about it (that being 9/11). and i'm not going to deny that it was awful and senseless, but we also need to move past it as a country and learn from it, and as friedman says, not let that define us. that's why i get so sick of this pseudo-patriotism that almost borders on the same fantaticism that we accuse the same people we are fighting of having.
guh. sorry if i am incoherent or something. i'm tired, and it's hot and so while i know what i'm trying to say i'm not sure if it's the same thing that is actually coming out of my mouth. so i will just leave with this quote:
"The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country." Hermann Goering, at the Nuremberg trials.
yeah, i agree with you sarah.
Posted by: bridgett | 15 July 2005 at 08:06 AM
The World Is Flat makes me want to stalk and hug Thomas Friedman WAY more than the Lexus and The Olive Tree.
Posted by: sara | 15 July 2005 at 10:28 AM
Wow. exceptionally well said. That's very very true. now I have another book I need to read. :-) thanks!
Posted by: geoff | 15 July 2005 at 10:47 AM
The Cornell book club blog (which is being shut down, btw, at least the nonfiction section, gotta make an announcement) has officially reestablished itself here :)
Posted by: Laura | 15 July 2005 at 11:38 AM
you know, next i am reading "death sentences: how cliches, weasel words and management-speak are strangling public language." just in case anyone wants to read along with me. it was a runaway best-seller in australia, and it looks like it should be pretty good.
Posted by: sarah | 15 July 2005 at 11:49 AM
Just finished "death sentences" and loved it!
Posted by: Trisha | 18 July 2005 at 01:17 PM