I was in art class, on a B day (a determining factor of my class schedule), drawing a shoe. Yes, it was a shoe. The date was September 11, 2001. I don't think I'll ever forget some of those precise details, like where I was sitting, how I had to crank my neck around to see the TV when the news broke or even that Andy was sitting across the table from me. The events in Boston today are not nearly of the same scope or scale as the attacks in New York that day, but I fully expect the aftermath to bear a striking resemblance to the weeks following the attack in September.
A brief summary of the events that followed for those who may not recall included Anthrax scares, a sniper, and an indescribable fear. Fear is the most tangible memory about these kinds of events, and for a lot of people today they were touched with it much more directly than they may be in the rest of their lives. This is the single largest contributing factor to what is known as the, "Rally 'round the flag effect." In short in describes the unifying effect such attacks have on any given nation. The individual who coined the term, John Mueller, describes three primary criteria for the source of the effect:
1. Is international 2. Involves the United States and particularly the President directly 3. Specific, dramatic, and sharply focused
While these aren't as ubiquitous as they may have been when Mueller wrote them in the seventies, I doubt Mueller would have had the foresight to see the sharp rise of conflicts between nation states and non state actors, The events in Boston today undoubtedly meet these criteria. The aforementioned fear gives way to a dangerous trend in governance.
George W. Bush's approval rating over the course of his two terms. Notice anything?
That trend is closely related to the Rally 'round the Flag Effect, and the suspension of reason. Politicians are as human as the rest of us, and were swept up with the mob and feverish support that followed the attack; without so much as a proper debate on the matter security legislation was put into place that during any other time, would have been laughed out of congress.
Without so much as reading it, (a lamentably common phenomenon) The Patriot Act, in 2001, passed the US Senate with 98 votes. Only Wisconsin's Fienstein, and a Senator from Louisiana who did not vote were against so much as the latter wasn't counted for the bill. It passed the House with similar support.
The fear that this type of attack instills is as damaging as the physical and human destruction they cause. In a nutshell it democracy devolves into mob rule. Approach someone today and say, "Congress is passing a law that would allow them to tap your phone without a warrant, and indefinitely detain suspects in cases they deem appropriate to do so..." and you would likely be told to fuck yourself at your nearest convenience. Yet that is exactly what happened and while there were murmmurs of, and at its intermittent renewal there is, attention brought to its lack of Constitutionality the Patriot Act was signed into law under just such conditions.
It is a unique experience to see the country as united as it is around these events, and it is a touching one at that, but that very mentality is what got us into the current geopolitical situation the US finds itself in today in 2013. While the effect is short lived, as demonstrated by the graph above, it is not hard to appeal to the emotions of a shaken population.
The long winded point of this was to encourage you to reflect on how you react to today's events tactfully. Emotions are running high, and while details are few the temptation to lash out blindly is remarkably tempting. Already in the thread on the matter and on coverage, there are allusions to who or what group (from the President's own mouth on the group bit), could be responsible for the act (which is now officially a terrorist act by the FBI).
Thanks FBI, Bang up job on that declaration. Show me a bombing that isn't
We are all scared in some way, shape or form though it may not register consciously; and anger is the easiest outlet for that fear. However logic and reason are the most valuable human traits at a time like this. Evaluate the facts as they come out, and consider every possibility as more comes out about the story. The song, "Makeshift Patriot," always seemed suitable around times like these.
I feel this admonition could have at least waited until the blood had dried. I don't disagree with you but I don't like how you're trying to fit this into a historical trend only hours after it happened.
Your timing is impeccable. Engaging in intellectual masturbation hours after an incident before policy even has a time to go as jingo as you claim comes across as extremely insensitive.
God this post makes me sick. Why not make this point *before* something else happens? The timing on this is disgusting.
DISGUSTING.
Having emotions about things is what makes us human. I hope we as a people never lose that, even if it causes us to make irrational decisions based on raw emotions like anger and vengeance.
You can be an evolved society without being either flawless or heartless.
On April 16 2013 12:29 itsjustatank wrote: Your timing is impeccable. Engaging in intellectual masturbation hours after an incident before policy even has a time to go as jingo as you claim comes across as extremely insensitive.
let's not think it hurts and you come as a reasoning dick. yeah because a few people died from an attack (it's not even close to a massacre or sthg really bloody.) you can't argue. QQ
On April 16 2013 12:29 itsjustatank wrote: Your timing is impeccable. Engaging in intellectual masturbation hours after an incident before policy even has a time to go as jingo as you claim comes across as extremely insensitive.
let's not think it hurts and you come as a reasoning dick. yeah because a few people died from an attack (it's not even close to a massacre or sthg really bloody.) you can't argue. QQ
I have no idea if this is an attempt at conveying a thought. I just don't know.
This is in poor taste, man. About 24 hours after the event occurs, and it seemed like a good idea to post this? What on Earth's your point? It seems to have evaded me.
On April 16 2013 20:40 ArcticFox wrote: God this post makes me sick. Why not make this point *before* something else happens? The timing on this is disgusting.
The timing on this discussion is vital, because it is in times like these that the people we trust our freedom and liberties to have seized the opportunity to remove some of those liberties in the name of the greater good. It is the time when "we the people" are most at risk to overwhelmingly embrace nonsense because we're afraid of being labeled unpatriotic or insensitive to the people affected by this tragedy.
The OPs very point is being fleshed out already in the early responses to this thread. When should we talk about it? After the knee-jerk laws are passed that erode our freedoms? He even gave a prime example about how reacting first then talking about it later has cost us greatly even in the past decade in the Patriot Act. Our forefathers would be undoubtedly ashamed of us for allowing something like that to pass.
Call me insensitive, but I find it interesting that people are so enraged and up in arms about this, and meanwhile - not only do things like this happen every day in other countries, but our government and our president authorize attacks that will knowingly kill civilians literally every single day. Where is our collective outrage at that fact?
Imagine that you are going about your life with your family, and unbeknownst to you, there is a terrorist hiding out in the building right next to your home. One day while you're at work, a missile lands on your village, wiping out your wife and children. This happens every single day in Pakistan, in Iraq, in Afghanistan. Where are our tears for those families? Why aren't we angry that our tax dollars have directly contributed to the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians around the world?
Some would argue that bringing up these subjects is insensitive or unpatriotic. Insensitive? Maybe. Only a real patriot cares enough to be willing to be called insensitive to protect my rights and your rights. I have family in Boston - my dad works a mere three blocks from where the bombs went off. I am not oblivious to the pain, the suffering the heartache felt by hundreds of families when something like this happens. Nevertheless, I stand with all people like the OP: on the side of reason and careful judgment in a dangerous time. The real danger is not from bombs in bags around your city. The real danger is in letting the freedoms that our forefathers willingly lost limb for, willingly bled for and willingly died for be lost in the name of personal safety.
Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin
Patriotism or being branded un-American seems to be, while not unique to the States a bit more of a common shutdown for non-standard viewpoints. Always been intrigued as to why that is, as a non-American basher who recognises that the country is capable of greatness in many ways as well.
It's really not insensitive to view people everywhere as people, and strive for a better understanding of conflicts in the hope of some day reducing their impact.
EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/4NdZolk.png)
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