"Rowland. Your mom called and wanted me to tell you not to worry and that she's ok," my fourth grade teacher told me during lunch on Tuesday September 11th, 2001. I was in fourth grade. I had no idea what she was talking about. I knew my mom was in New York City, so I thought maybe there had been a really bad car accident in the city or something. One by one, kids started getting taken out of school early. One of my teachers turned on the news and I saw both the towers on fire with a gaping hole in each. For the rest of the day it was chaos. Teachers were running around making desperate phone calls, crying, and all the kids were completely confused. Eventually I was taken out of school by a family friend. My dad was on high alert on the SWAT team and I found out my mom was in a hotel across the Hudson watching the whole thing unfold. While I didn't understand the significance of what had happened at the time it etched a very emotional feeling in me. I slowly came to realize the world would never be the same.
As the 9th anniversary of 9/11 passed this Saturday, I was training on a military base in Virginia and I really came to understand the cost of freedom. I realized that we take so much for granted and do not really understand what the cost of our ignorance towards the outside world is yet. So many people advocate a much more isolationist attitude towards our affairs. I believe it is more important than ever to reject this line of thought and gain an understanding of different cultures and philosophies. We have to engage the world in a positive manner.
Relating this to the hegemony article we read, I find that it is extremely important that we maintain security of our interests abroad and remain engaged on the world stage. If we keep a constant presence across the globe we can keep tabs on our interests and the threats that face us as well. However, we must do so with discretion. We must factor in the effect our presence has on the local populace. This goes not just for war zones, but bases in places like Germany and Japan.
For nine years we have been fighting a war against an enemy who uses all of our weaknesses against us. They use the tools of the modern geopolitical structure to fight us. They create a negative world image of us, use propaganda through Al Jazeera and the like, and count on us to perform classical military maneuvers. If we are to beat this we have to become smarter and more committed. The result of the war on terror will be mirrored by changes we see in our own society. If we can't get out of our current state of apathy and ignorance, we will lose the war. If we learn to adapt, become well versed in world affairs, and as a population realize a common purpose, we will win. I believe if we win the war on terror, and more immediately the war in Afghanistan, we will be able to keep our hegemony. If not, we will lose it because it will be a sign that the US can not adapt to the changing world.
On this anniversary of 9/11 I hope that we as a people do not forget what the cost of ignorance is and make changes to our behavior. As Alfred said in Batman Begins, "People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy." I hope this will not be the case again.
Your point about what is sometimes called the "dark side" of globalization -- terrorists and other non-state actors have access to the same globalized communication and transportation networks and increasingly porous borders as the rest of us -- is well made.
ReplyDeleteYou seem to be making the case that winning the war on terror and the war in Afghanistan would be a symbolic victory as well a a purely military one, since it would reflect how other states see us -- and how we see ourselves. What do you think victory in the war on terror or victory in the war in Afghanistan would look like?
I think victory in the war on terror will be when the world begins to reject terrorism as a valid use of political and military force. Specifically when the arab world starts to reject extremism and shut them out. Already some imams and clerics are making the moves to preach peace and tolerance rather than jihad in the mosques. I believe when the world as a whole revokes terrorist tactics we will win because the only way terrorism is able to sustain istelf is by constantly gathering followers and having legitimcacy among the people. We must ruin this legitimacy.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of the war in Afghanistan, I believe victory will be measured in much the same way. We will see victory when the tribes of the Hindu Kush and the southeast provinces determine that the Taliban are no longer their friends and do not allow them shelter or entry to Afghanistan. Once we see a shift from anarchy to a relatively cohesive government structure like in Iraq, we will have a light at the end of the tunnel. It will take much more committment than most Americans think however, and I think it is important to realize this is the struggle of our time and it must be won, or our dominance will not last.