h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Thanks so much for the note. The WTC tragedy is touching so many.

Charlotte

Hi charlotte

Thank you very much for your response. If you feel the need to talk, just contact me. I assure you that we Brits will stand by you through thick and thin. As someone once said to me "Never mistake kindness for weakness" and I think that is what has happened this week.

All the best

Sara

Thank you Sara.

It means a lot to the Americans that so many are willing to stand shoulder to shoulder with us. We worry though, about what Bush will do.

I won't kid you, outside of this crisis, the man is not popular. He is seen as something of an uneducated wingnut who go into the office with fraud and through the many chinks in the system.

Americans have not supported Bush's policies abroad nor many of them at home. He has branded himself as ignorant on so many frontiers.

He also has that "Don't mess with me" attitude that we fear will lead him into a premature strike.

I'm very torn. On one hand, I feel that we do need to retaliate, I think I even support going to the length of war if it means getting the man who orchestrated this. And truthfully, I don't think I'd feel so extreme if they had only hit the pentagon. A military target I can see in a terrorist act. But to annihilate so many innocent people, and not even just Americans, so many foreign visitors dies in this thing.

On the other hand, I can't help but look at the global cost of a war. The Arabic nations tend to stick together no matter who is in the wrong, and a war with Afganistan could very well turn into a war with the middle east. The impact that would have on the globe would be just devastating.

Also, while I can see my was to accepting strikes on infrastructure in Afganistan and on Bin Laden's organization itself, I can't see my way to strikes that might harm civilians.

My anger and grief in no way extend to wanting an eye for an eye. I would feel ill if the innocent civilians of Afganistan were turned into victims too, and I can't see how it could possibly be avoided if we go to war.

Yet the scale of the terrorism here is just too big to turn the other cheek on. Or is it? Do we honor our dead if we instead try to heal our relationship with the mideast, or do we just show the terrorists that massive death will do the job?

I'm so conflicted.

I'm appreciating everyone's input in the forum, it is an education in many ways.

Charlotte

Hi Charlotte

I'm sorry that I've taken a while to get back to you.

I understand your dilemma. On one hand the Western world needs to show that we won't be terrorised, on the other so many more innocent people could die.

I think that President Bush and all the other world leaders should take a step back and take stock of the situation. A 'shotgun' (please excuse the expression, it was the only way to convey what I mean't) retailiation could lead to more vile terrorist attacks. They need to think carefully about what they will do. Can they find a way of getting these terrorists and those who harbour them without innocents being hurt.

At the same time the people who died in this terrible tragedy need to be honoured. Those who attacked them need to be brought to justice.

This has affected so many people throughout the world and I think we are all trying to make sense of it. I don't know if you feel like I do, that we are caught between a rock and a hard place?

I don't understand why human beings hurt each other, after all we're all the same. It should not matter about race or religion. As far as we know we are the only planet with life on it. So our world is unique and we should live in peace. I only wish some people didn't try to destroy it all the time.

I hope that we are all able to find some sort of resolution.


Take care

Sara

"I think that President Bush and all the other world leaders should take a step back and take stock of the situation. ...retailiation could lead to more vile terrorist attacks. They need to think carefully about what they will do. Can they find a way of getting these terrorists and those who harbour them without innocents being hurt."

Exactly. I absolutely agree with you. I honestly feel that if we bomb Afganistan then we are no better than the terrorist here. After all, what is to be gained from bombing them? All we will do is further ravage their already utterly desolate country and kill thousand of innocent people who had nothing to do with bin Laden and the attacks. How does that give us "Justice"?

"At the same time the people who died in this terrible tragedy need to be honoured. Those who attacked them need to be brought to justice."

The more I think about it, the more I think that the best way to honor them is to change the world where such violence was desirable, let alone possible. More violence doesn't seem to me to be the way to achieve that end.

"I don't know if you feel like I do, that we are caught between a rock and a hard place?"


It's exactly how I feel. And I feel further frustrated by the knowledge that our American leader is a fool. George Bush is so utterly unqualified for his office. His lack of intelligence was something to mock in the elections and afterwords, now it is something that could cause a world war. Very sobering. Clinton's administration was very flawed, but at least he *tried* to make peace. Bush just sashayed through conferences (or *out* of them as the case was), insulting nations and people and acting as if he S**t didn't stink, little white doves flew up his butt and carried it out.

I'm being crude, I know, but I just detest the man. And now, on top of what he is trying to do internationally, he is pushing for new laws here that will erode the right to privacy even further, and Congress and the population will let him because they are scared and shocked.

"I don't understand why human beings hurt each other, after all we're all the same. It should not matter about race or religion. As far as we know we are the only planet with life on it. So our world is unique and we should live in peace. I only wish some people didn't try to destroy it all the time."

I'm not a religious woman, but I'll give you a loud AMEN to that. I keep hoping that as time and distance take us away from the horror of the suicides hijackings, that people will begin to really *think* about this issue. What made us a target? What actions committed in the past have stirred so much animosity? What can we do going forward to change this?

Too, I want those responsible brought to justice, but not through bombing and war. We have a $5 million dollar reward out for Osama bin Laden. What a joke. The man has a personal fortune of over $300 million. We need to put a $100 million dollar reward on his head. A chunk of money that will prop up an entire government and make it look just plain stupid to house one fanatic.

I'm ranting Sara, forgive me , I find this whole thing so draining emotionally and mentally.

Tomorrow a friend and I are going to a small Afgan community in a city near us to try and spread some goodwill. We are taking free tickets to our local Renaissance Faire and flowers. Wish us luck, we are hoping to try and ease some of the division between communities. I wonder to myself "how much can two women do? Even two well intentioned women?", but then I remember that almost everything begins with one person's idea/willingness for change.

My current favorite quote ever is from Ghandi: "Humanity is not bad, humanity is a great ocean. If a few drops of water are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty." I'm sure I've gotten that wrong, but it's the general idea.

Peace to you and yours,

Charlotte