John Whitehead's Commentary
The Lessons of 9-11
Who could ever forget the horrific images of 9-11? Between the media and our own memories, they have become imprinted on our minds. And although tribute and remembrance are expected as Americans observe the anniversary of that infamous day, if we do not soon learn the lessons of Sept. 11, then no amount of patriotism or nostalgia will benefit us.
Our understanding of the word "terror" is derived from the Latin terrere, which means "to cause to tremble." Terror takes its primary meaning from the effects it has on a victimized audience. And on Sept. 11, the American people became a victimized audience as those who perpetuated the terror watched.
Even with its vast array of military, intelligence and technology, America was not prepared for such an attack, and the al-Qaida terrorists knew it.
Our government was not prepared for the attacks. Despite the fact that the likes of Osama bin Laden had been boasting for years that the American homeland was a target, we were blind-sided by his emissaries. Despite the fact that our government had spent $40 billion on intelligence gathering, 19 foreign terrorists were able to train on American soil and use our own airplanes against us.
Paralleling these concerns is the penchant for overreaction caused by the terrorists' attacks--something the terrorists obviously watched in glee. Since Sept. 11, our government has passed some of the most invasive and overreaching legislation that invites intrusion into the everyday lives of American citizens. For instance, the massive USA Patriot Act, which was rushed through Congress--although the majority of congressmen admitted they had not read it and was signed by President Bush six weeks after the terror attacks--allows, among many other things, "black bag" searches for medical and financial records, computer and telephone communications, and even the books Americans borrow from the library.
Also, the FBI can now monitor political and religious meetings inside the United States, even when there's no suspicion that a crime has been committed. Although there is much more, suffice it to say here that the power the American government now possesses to investigate average Americans is unparalleled in our history.
Shortly after the 9-11 attacks, the polls indicated that many Americans were willing to give over their freedoms in order to secure a bit more protection. However, the good news is that recent polls indicate that Americans are worried that our government has gone too far and that the pervasive measures that have come out of the Bush Administration could end up restricting their freedom--something they are much less willing to hand over now.
We must also be concerned about how America is perceived around the world. Due to diplomatic blunders, we have managed to instill much of the world with an intense hatred of our government. In fact, in response to the Sept. 11 attacks, there was dancing in the streets in numerous countries around the world, not just Muslim countries.
Maybe the most telling example of how we are perceived internationally is the recent jeering of Secretary of State Colin Powell at the South African Earth Summit. He was jeered so loudly that his voice could hardly be heard.
Clearly, how we see ourselves is not how the rest of the world sees us. It's high time that we develop a clearer foreign policy to present a better image to the world. And one wonders whether the President's plans to bomb Iraq at this point in time would be an effective way to present our interests to the world--especially in light of the major world leaders who are against such all out acts and with the disunity between the President, Colin Powell, and Congress over the issue.
When all is said and done, however, the best counter-terrorism involves aware, prepared citizens and effective leadership. Government is not the answer to all our problems. Sept. 11 proved that. And before we can effectively fight terrorism, our government will have to partner and work closely with the American people. This means that our government should be preparing us through educational programs in our schools, through seminars on the local level, and through the media on how to understand and combat terrorism. This does not mean encouraging Americans to spy on their neighbors or give up their hard-won freedoms for a false and fleeting sense of security.
There is no reason for us to tremble in the face of a handful of terrorists ever again. America was surprised once. It should not--it can not--happen again. As the great philosopher George Santayana once wrote: "Those who do not learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them."
Constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead is founder and president of The Rutherford Institute. He can be contacted at johnw@rutherford.org.
Our understanding of the word "terror" is derived from the Latin terrere, which means "to cause to tremble." Terror takes its primary meaning from the effects it has on a victimized audience. And on Sept. 11, the American people became a victimized audience as those who perpetuated the terror watched.
Even with its vast array of military, intelligence and technology, America was not prepared for such an attack, and the al-Qaida terrorists knew it.
Our government was not prepared for the attacks. Despite the fact that the likes of Osama bin Laden had been boasting for years that the American homeland was a target, we were blind-sided by his emissaries. Despite the fact that our government had spent $40 billion on intelligence gathering, 19 foreign terrorists were able to train on American soil and use our own airplanes against us.
Paralleling these concerns is the penchant for overreaction caused by the terrorists' attacks--something the terrorists obviously watched in glee. Since Sept. 11, our government has passed some of the most invasive and overreaching legislation that invites intrusion into the everyday lives of American citizens. For instance, the massive USA Patriot Act, which was rushed through Congress--although the majority of congressmen admitted they had not read it and was signed by President Bush six weeks after the terror attacks--allows, among many other things, "black bag" searches for medical and financial records, computer and telephone communications, and even the books Americans borrow from the library.
Also, the FBI can now monitor political and religious meetings inside the United States, even when there's no suspicion that a crime has been committed. Although there is much more, suffice it to say here that the power the American government now possesses to investigate average Americans is unparalleled in our history.
Shortly after the 9-11 attacks, the polls indicated that many Americans were willing to give over their freedoms in order to secure a bit more protection. However, the good news is that recent polls indicate that Americans are worried that our government has gone too far and that the pervasive measures that have come out of the Bush Administration could end up restricting their freedom--something they are much less willing to hand over now.
We must also be concerned about how America is perceived around the world. Due to diplomatic blunders, we have managed to instill much of the world with an intense hatred of our government. In fact, in response to the Sept. 11 attacks, there was dancing in the streets in numerous countries around the world, not just Muslim countries.
Maybe the most telling example of how we are perceived internationally is the recent jeering of Secretary of State Colin Powell at the South African Earth Summit. He was jeered so loudly that his voice could hardly be heard.
Clearly, how we see ourselves is not how the rest of the world sees us. It's high time that we develop a clearer foreign policy to present a better image to the world. And one wonders whether the President's plans to bomb Iraq at this point in time would be an effective way to present our interests to the world--especially in light of the major world leaders who are against such all out acts and with the disunity between the President, Colin Powell, and Congress over the issue.
When all is said and done, however, the best counter-terrorism involves aware, prepared citizens and effective leadership. Government is not the answer to all our problems. Sept. 11 proved that. And before we can effectively fight terrorism, our government will have to partner and work closely with the American people. This means that our government should be preparing us through educational programs in our schools, through seminars on the local level, and through the media on how to understand and combat terrorism. This does not mean encouraging Americans to spy on their neighbors or give up their hard-won freedoms for a false and fleeting sense of security.
There is no reason for us to tremble in the face of a handful of terrorists ever again. America was surprised once. It should not--it can not--happen again. As the great philosopher George Santayana once wrote: "Those who do not learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them."
Constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead is founder and president of The Rutherford Institute. He can be contacted at johnw@rutherford.org.
ABOUT JOHN W. WHITEHEAD
Constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead is founder and president of The Rutherford Institute. His most recent books are the best-selling Battlefield America: The War on the American People, the award-winning A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State, and a debut dystopian fiction novel, The Erik Blair Diaries. Whitehead can be contacted at staff@rutherford.org. Nisha Whitehead is the Executive Director of The Rutherford Institute. Information about The Rutherford Institute is available at www.rutherford.org.
Publication Guidelines / Reprint Permission
John W. Whitehead’s weekly commentaries are available for publication to newspapers and web publications at no charge. Please contact staff@rutherford.org to obtain reprint permission.
