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ArtD48

(150 posts)
Sun Sep 11, 2016, 12:19 PM Sep 2016

Why we must NEVER FORGET 9/11

The obvious reason is to honor and remember the Americans who lost their lives that day. That's a good reason.

But there are other reasons.

The U.S. spends more on its military than the next several nations combined, and has for several years. Do you think we could do that if we weren't kept in a state of constant fear of attack? And what better way to keep us feeling threatened than remembering 9/11?

And do you think a Presidential candidate could suggest we massively increase our already huge military spending
without being greeted by laughter if we weren't in a state of chronic fear?

In the early 1990's when the U.S.S.R. fell, there was talk of a "peace dividend", i.e., more money to spend at home.
But we kept building up our military instead.

But while we're remembering 9/11 there are things we shouldn't remember. Like that we don't seem to have enough money for schools and social workers and medical care for all and free higher education.

So while we should never forget to call our military personal "heroes" we shouldn't call "heroes" the teachers who work for a pittance trying to give inner city kids a decent education, or the social workers who have massive caseloads but still try to protect vulnerable children, or the doctors and nurses who daily save our lives - we should remember not to call them "heroes" because then we might feel guilty about overworking them or demonizing them or their unions.

And there's no need to remember our torturing of prisoners of war, who we refer to with the polite word "detainees", because that strikes at the heart of our idea of American Exceptionalism, and without that idea we might see ourselves as just another nation, with virtues and faults like many other nations. We might think that we should follow all the rules and laws we demand that other nations follow.

And without the state of chronic fear and the belief in American Exceptionalism our bombing of anyone we want, at any time we want, anywhere where we want, might tug at our conscience.


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