Dave here. As I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to publish to a large number of readers, I wanted to share my feelings on the recent horror which has been visited upon the United States, and the entire civilized world. Perhaps some of you will disagree, even strongly, but these are my genuine feelings.
To my friends in New York City, I am more glad to hear of your safety than I can adequately express. To those who have been lost, to those who were in the hijacked planes, those who worked in the attacked buildings, and the heroic rescue workers who have lost their lives, and to all of their friends and families, I offer my deepest sympathies, and share the world's outrage.
I think that like many Americans, I feel both helpless and extremely angry. In fact, I have never felt as bloodthirsty in my life. For the first time in my life, I am eager for America to engage in war.
In fact, according to polls I've seen, most of the country at this point is eager for retribution, and would support even a protracted war. Of course, this would involve, if reports I'm hearing are accurate, a significant ground force.
Before that happens, and as much as we want vengeance, we should be sure to recognize that not only do the rescue workers in New York and Washington City require as much support as we can give them, but soon, very soon, the men and women of our armed forces will need our support as well.
We will, I'm sure, be sending a large number of them into a battle that is terribly dangerous, the type of war which we have not yet fought successfully. Those of you watching our American congress drafting resolutions of support may have noticed the great care that they have taken not to make the same mistakes made when the Gulf of Tonkin resolution was approved. Even if we have learned a lot from the conflict that resolution addressed, make no mistake, we will be engaging in a large amount of guerrilla warfare, and no warfare, save that using weapons of mass destruction, is more dangerous.
Bear in mind that our probable, or one of our probable targets, Afghanistan, is the same country, that, through guerrilla warfare, fought off the Soviet army, and helped bring that country to an end. In addition, as a result of that war, the land of Afghanistan is filled with millions of land mines.
I mention this because now, while our troops are still with us, we need to show them the support and care they deserve for their extreme bravery, for they will soon be asked to wage a war which is unquestionably noble, on behalf of all civilization, a war against madness and evil itself. Many of them may not return, but throughout the coming conflict, we must all let them know that they are our heroes, and that their sacrifices will be made on behalf of an entire world of humanity that wants peace.
To our foreign friends, you deserve the greatest thanks for the support you have offered us. From the rallies of support, to today's incredibly moving moment of silence, to firm statements of solidarity, and wishes of sympathy, I have never felt that the world was so united. I never imagined that the world would be so united with us, and all Americans are extremely grateful to all of you. Doubtless there have been others, but I have been greatly impressed with the speeches I've seen from British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. I do my best to follow foreign government proceedings, given the limited coverage I have access to, and Chancellor Schroeder has always seemed a worthy leader. I've followed Tony Blair even more closely, watching a great amount of the past year's election coverage, and of all of the statements I've seen, I believe Mr. Blair's to be the most impressive and eloquent expression in reaction to the terrible attacks on the 11th. Perhaps this is only because the statement was made in the tongue I'm most comfortable hearing, but nevertheless, it is comforting to hear such words from the leader of the UK. More than this, though, the unanimity of support from all corners of the world has given me a sense of human unity that I didn't really expect or think possible any time soon.
The most emotionally powerful reaction I've had, though, was to the remarks of Russian President Vladimir Putin. His statements were unequivocal, strong, and something even more important. They were the statements of a strong and friendly ally. Not, as so recently, our greatest enemy on this Earth, but in no uncertain terms, President Putin made clear that his great nation, which has in its strength endured so much, for so long, would stand with the other democracies, and on behalf of the civilized world offer its full support to the struggle against terrorism. The government of Uzbekistan, which borders on Afghanistan, is also a former Soviet republic, and has in recent years been friendly to the United States, has also expressed strong support, and we may greatly need it. Certainly, Uzbekistan has endured a lot in its history, and in recent years, and for their firm support, I hope the American government and people are thankful.
President Putin's statement gave me a great amount of hope. We expect such support from our longtime close allies, especially those in NATO. Perhaps, even, we take it for granted. Wrongfully so, if we do, of course. But, to hear Vladimir Putin offer such clear support, to feel such alliance from them makes me sure that those who perished in the horror of the 11th of September have won, with their lives, not a world which will be plagued with terror, but a world that is now hastened to a greater, more lasting, more meaningful peace and prosperity.
It may be, that for all of the terror that has been wrought, and for that which may yet come, these acts of clear evil will motivate the world to greater progress, unity, and peace than we could have otherwise hoped for. If the friends and families of those who have perished innocently can have one source of solace, surely there could be no greater solace than knowing that those whose lives have ended so unjustly have given their lives for the greater cause of world peace, and human unity. That, at least, is my hope. It would be a wonderful legacy in response to such a terrible crime.
As for how I feel about America, well, I'm not a typical American. My father is from Chile, and my mother from the Netherlands, Friesland to be precise. I still feel a strong bond with both countries, still have more family over there than here, and feel a strong allegiance to both lands. Both of my parents came here for different reasons, my father on his own to further his education, and my mother with her family, escaping Europe after the second world war, fearing that the Soviets would continue westward, taking the Iron Curtain to the Atlantic Ocean. Particularly because I am Chilean, I have always felt a bit uneasy about this country. For those of you who know something of the recent history of Chile, or who watched 60 minutes this past Sunday, and saw the story about Henry Kissinger and his alleged role in the 1970 assassination of the commander-in-chief of Chile's army, Rene Schneider, you know why. As it seems, the United States government was responsible for removing a man of great principle and destroying democracy in Chile for more than two decades. For a long time, Chile had been the most stable country in Latin America, with a military strongly committed to the notion that no matter who was in office, they would be obeyed, and the constitution would be upheld. It was thought that under no circumstances could there be a military coup in Chile, because the army had always been apolitical. Members of the military could not vote or have any party affiliation or political expression. Their sole duty was loyalty to the properly elected constitutional government.
All of that changed when, allegedly, the CIA, at the direction of Henry Kissinger, and Richard Nixon, against the strong recommendations of the US ambassador to Chile, assassinated the man who led the army, who kept the rogue elements, such as those that would come to support the military dictator Augusto Pinochet, in check. Of course, Kissinger denies all of this. He has also refused inquiries in multiple foreign courts, and will soon face a lawsuit filed in US court.
The reign of terror that ensued is known throughout the world, with one of the most terrible incidents being the rounding up and slaughter of dissidents in the national stadium in Santiago. In effect, the US government, or elements of it, destroyed democracy in Chile. Similarly criminal events transpired against Guatemala's government of Jacobo Arbenz.
So, how do I feel about the United States? The truth is, I love this country. I simply don't view it as I view other countries. To me, it's more than a nation, it's a collection of nations. Like all nations, it has a past marked by terrible mistakes and crimes. There is great shame in the past of this country. Our very beginnings were marked by the death and treachery we wrought upon those already living here. Yet, there is great evil in the past of so many countries. The British began the first concentration camps in South Africa during the Boer war, in which countless Dutch settler women and children perished, the Russians had the Gulag Archipelago, the Chinese the Cultural Revolution, the Cambodians the Khmer Rouge, the list goes on forever. In every country on this earth, man has committed cruelty against man. America's greatest attribute, though, is that it continues to move forward. The extreme concentration of power in the executive branch that enabled the Nixon administration to induce a coup in Chile was swept aside as the abuse of the Watergate scandal drove that gang from office. In so many ways, the United States has always shown its ability to move past its mistakes, and become a more worthwhile nation with every passing year.
I wish that there were more tolerance, as our isolation from the world makes a number of Americans xenophobic, I wish that our population was more educated, that nonviolent drug users weren't treated as criminals, I wish that either political party had a consistent and reasonable philosophy of government, yet all of these things and more, I believe, will change slowly in a positive direction. I don't hate the United States because it has committed crimes, I love it because it consistently seeks absolution. The fact that a country with so much evil in its past has been able to overcome the larger part of that evil, and continues to better itself is a testament to the value of the United States. In fact, in my opinion, the greatness of the United States is that it increasingly in its history hasn't been represented a monolithic philosophy, culture or nationality, but that it is a growing coalition of cultures and nationalities, with an ever-clearer philosophy that everyone should have the freedom and opportunity to live their lives as they see fit. To me, that is the greatest aspect of modern America, and easily the best reason to love this country.
All nations of this world are run by humans, and humans will inevitably make tragic mistakes. The greatness of democracy is that it expects and protects against the evils that dwell within all of us.
I'm not religious at all, and I want to share with some of you what that means in a situation like this, and how it comforts me. Yesterday I heard Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell make some despicable statements which I won't repeat here, much as I am tempted to. I don't want to use this opportunity to say what I think is wrong about religion, because I don't think this is the time to engage in negativism. I just want to express my own positive thoughts on the spirituality of agnosticism, or, if you like, secular humanism. Perhaps those of you who are with me on the subject will appreciate it, and those of you who aren't, well, at least this may help you to understand the viewpoint of those like me.
I see evil in the world, as well as good. To me, they are very tangible, very real. Evil is the expression one person's unthinking and selfish cruelty to another, and good is the exact opposite, it is seeking peace and tranquility, the happiness of each person you come in contact with. The reward of good deeds and a good heart is living in a world, no matter how small, that has hope and the company of other good people.
I do not see the world as hopeless without a god, or an afterlife. Rather, I am reassured by it. I am reassured to know that all of the evil in this world, which has been brought into existence by humans, can be driven away, out of existence, by humans as well. We are responsible for our world, and we have power over it. No unseen force with plans which cannot be known, no thoughts of how a god we suppose is good could allow such terror. All of this which has happened is the fault of man. Yet, taking responsibility for evil means we have the power to destroy it.
I, and other secular humanists, value the life we live now. I don't seek reward in an afterlife, or value another life more than this one. It seems to me that the paradise imagined by suicidal hijackers is the very thing which allows them to degrade in their minds the value of this life on Earth to nothingness.
This is why I feel the way I do. Now, I know that some of you reading this will think that I'm bashing religion. Just as you would tell me I deserve eternal damnation for not worshipping your particular god, a more horrible wish than I can imagine. I want to be clear though, that just as I don't view men like Bin Laden and his gang of madmen as representative of Islam, I don't view fundamentalist extremists like Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell as representative of Christianity. Especially not when there have been such fine examples of how kind and good Christians can be in people like Mother Teresa and Billy Graham, and Pope John Paul II. I know that the reason so many people turn to faith in religion is that they have a deep desire to strengthen the forces of good in the world. I don't doubt that for a second.
Islam, for those of you who don't remember, saved western civilization once upon a time, when all Greek learning was nearly lost to us, it was they who preserved and continued vast scientific and philosophical work. In Moorish Spain, Jews once found themselves more tolerated among Muslims than in any other part of the world. Historically, it has been one of the most tolerant religions ever.
As so many have repeated in recent days, we shouldn't paint each other with such broad strokes. Most importantly, we should recognize that most of us, the VAST majority of us are in complete agreement all across this Earth on a few, most important matters.
