How is it we are told to Never Forget September 11th & the nearly 3000 lives taken yet, in the same breath, we Never Remember the unjust “wars” exacted in retribution or the hundreds of thousands of blameless, faceless Iraqi & Afghani fatalities?
There is no exchange rate for human suffering. All human life is sacred; all murder unholy.
At the beach, now, and I look up to see more of this short-sighted deceitful propaganda in the skies!
Of course, September 11th was horrible, but Never Forget is terrible advice, considering how the US handled that tragedy (George Bush’s “Crusade”) and the greater atrocities this led to in the Middle East/Muslim world which we are all still suffering the consequences of.
This is why I say Never Forget is bad spiritual advice (and in poor taste) when one has exacted revenge that far exceeds initial loss.
By all means, honor your dead but respect, too, the millions whose innocent blood was shed.
It’s unseemly to keep one's wounds open, while downplaying the great pain that we've inflicted on others. There is wisdom, humility and even self- preservation in honoring one's suffering & setting it aside, to Live.
Without forgetting it is quite impossible to live at all.
― Nietzsche
"If the other person injures you, you may forget the injury; but if you injure him you will always remember."
...
“Hate is a dead thing. Who of you would be a tomb? ” ― Gibran
Perhaps, it’s time to begin forgiving others so that, one day, we can forgive ourselves... Yet, it’s a perversity of human nature that when one finds it hard to forgive themselves for wrongs, they find it even harder to forgive those they’ve wronged...
It’s only fair, we belong to a larger (grieving) human family. Privileging pain is another unfortunate face of this so-called American Exceptionalism...
True understanding does not continue to look back and keep count.
Instead consider the continued loss of innocent others, Americans and otherwise, in this so-called war on terror...
“Indeed, one of the unquestioned assumptions of such rites has been the specialness of our dying as Americans — the lopsided value we have placed on American lives lost that September day, compared to the men, women, and children who die...around the world, often in circumstances at least as horrific as the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
As anthropologist Talal Asad perceptively puts it, “human life has differential exchange value in the marketplace of death when it comes to ‘civilized’ and ‘uncivilized’ peoples” and “this is necessary to a hierarchical global order.”
If the other person injures you, you may forget the injury; but if you injure him you will always remember.
—Gibran
[art by Gibran]
words & art by Khalil Gibran
This is a great reminder of the overly simplistic and incomplete messages that we're being sold by the media. I wish more people could see beyond the sound bites and the propaganda. When you learn that the media is being used as a tool to steer public sentiment towards achieving the goals of the ruling classes you can pretty effectively predict their future moves.
I've suspected this for a long time (since 2014 to be more exact) but I am now 100% certain that anything we are told by media is 99% false. This also applies to what is going on in Afghanistan now. Who knows? Maybe the Taliban are the good guys. I hope so. Because we are sure not the good guys.
It's complicated, @owasco... There's something rotten in the state of the 'good guys' and, sigh, there's misguided goodness in the so-called bad guys. Meddling in the affairs of others, with dark, power-hungry and greedy intentions brings out the worst in Others. I'm grateful that people are waking up to this...
I appreciate your taking the time to read and, more importantly, your willingness to think differently and question authority, @ericvancewalton. We're fortunate, on Hive, to attract folks who are independently minded and recognize that the old ways are broken. At the risk of sounding wildly optimistic, I think a shift is taking place world-wide with all the protest, revolutions, evolutions we see and that these are the birth pangs of a New World! May we live to see this world that we dream of.
The last 20 years of war in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, and who knows where all else are more stains on the already filthy honor of the US government. I am glad I have a better understanding of democracy and representation now, and can see it represents no one but the political class. Collective guilt is a dangerous and irrational idea, but it was used to claim so many lives.
Thank you, for your affirmation. Growing up in Egypt and attending American schools, we always viewed the US as a Big Friendly Giant.
This benevolent image and the narrative of the world’s savior/police shifted, dramatically, with George Bush Jr (although of course, it was already set in motion by his father….
Ah, the Sins of Empire!
Much food for thought @yahia-lababidi, I totally agree, we really need to learn to forgive!
Thank you, for your attention and compassion, @lizelle. Yes, forgiveness is the only Way…
As a Muslim and immigrant, I’ve been forced into this position of Reluctant Activist.
Here’s my Coming to America story (if you’re interested).
Majority of Muslim in the world believe of peace and tolerance. I myself a Muslim and practice to live in tolerance and respect towards other religion and culture.
What I hate the most is the extremist that perform act of terrorism, and use religion to justify it...
Thank you, for your affirmation. 🙏 If religion is not based in love and forgiveness, then it is untrue. Those who hate and murder in the name of religion are doing the devil's work.
As a fellow Muslim, I think you might appreciate this book & my review of it:
https://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/blog/book-reviews/radical-love-bliss-beauty-and-islams-mystical-tradition-yahia-lababidi
Stay blessed 🙏
It was not W's crusade but the forever war created by the military industrial complex and international banking cartels. Sounds to me like you do not like the new normal. Keep on stacking friend. The resistance is live and well in the new weinmar republic.
I agree with the first part of what you say — how the problem is bigger than one man.
But I don’t understand what you mean about my not liking The New Normal or to “keep on stacking” (what’s that)?
We need to get back to basics and load up on things that do not have counter party risk. Bible, water filters, Moringa Oleifera, Bullets, and bullion. Self reliance and small communities will defeat the New World Order. The NWO has created the plandemic and the new normal is the two tier society of the Vaxed vs the UnVaxed.
I agree about the return to basics and a faith-based life (I’m a Muslim). Peace ✌🏼
That is cool. Everyone needs the basic instructions before leaving earth. I dont believe in the KJV either. I won't take the debate into more contentious territory than that.
Thank you, for sharing your thoughts. I wish you a healthy, restorative weekend ✌🏼
Lots of overtime and some entertainment. Thank you for the well wishes. I do the best I can to only rest when I am dead but alas I am weak.
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Thank you for saying what needs to be said. The circle graph sure exposes US actions for the knee jerk murderous actions that they have long been. It also suggests different motives for and perpetrators of the fall of two iconic buildings.
I am bereft today, but not for the deaths of Americans, even though I knew one of the dead well.
I believe no one, or thing, that peddles hate.