And in the midst of
And in the midst of my hunkering down, I contemplate my bloodlust in the dark. There was a time, when I used to hang out with these folks, that I would have found such a call for death and devastation abhorrent, and a reflection of the worst tribal instincts of humanity. "There is no way to peace, peace is the way." It sounds so nice, doesn't it? Somebody else said something like that once…what was his name…he wore sandals…that nice boy from Nazareth? Got nailed to a tree? Oh yeah—Jesus!
Along with what Jesus said in the book of Mathew (5:39) and Paul's insistence that vengeance belonged to the Lord (Romans 12:19) there are similar passages in the texts of everything from Confucianism to Islam. An interesting take on Jesus' injunction to turn the other cheek is that he referred to a Judaic law, established by God and enforced by the judiciary of Israel, which precluded personal vengeance. Furthermore, governments are enjoined to "execute wrath on those who practice evil."
I suppose that's what I want, here: to see some wrath executed. The Peaceweavers and others like them would have me believe that, had Bush said "As a peaceful nation we send out a call to the people of the world to join us in having war no more," an "overwhelming change of consciousness" would have resulted. The trouble is that such faith is only that, faith. I doubt very much that the masses who cheered as our towers fell would join us as we "change old violent ways and together raise our consciousness, act compassionately, and have the moral courage to do what is right and noble for all living beings." As nice as such sentiments are, they have as much real impact as attempting to levitate the Pentagon to stop the war in Vietnam. Such mysticism will not serve us well when our enemies are attempting to acquire nuclear weapons. Pursuing unconditional peace in the face of indiscriminately murderous hatred results in being indiscriminately murdered. It may elevate one personally and even spiritually to think the good thoughts and hum that cosmic Om, but it is not our personal and spiritual elevation that is at stake here, it is our nation and our civilization.
Of course, such thinking isn’t really in evidence anywhere within the real political spectrum at the moment, which is just as well. And I am indeed satisfied with our activities to date, which amply demonstrated that we will bring down governments in response to attacks upon us. But there is an extension to that, and it must be admitted: when our enemies finally execute the Big Nasty, there will be no quarter given. No sympathy for innocent civilians. No opportunity for negotiation. No debate about anything except the target. For that reason alone, the State sponsors of terrorism had better hope that we have the best intelligence on the planet. Because if an American city falls, an entire nation will be turned into ash with forty-eight hours, and we will choose that nation based on what we know about our attackers.
I wish we lived in a world where we had the luxury of precise moral action and delicate consideration. But we don't. That is a terrible truth. Brutal action against us will be met with a hammer blow of incredible magnitude. I’m good with that. If that renders me "unenlightened," so be it.
Hopefully, that hammer won't have to fall.
Probably, at some point, it will.
