Interesting perspective from a blogger who's politics are
fairly left of center (thanks goes to Brumar89 for posting
this elsewhere on SI)......
Jihad radicalizes young Americans
Ever since the US and its allies embarked on their mulitlateral mission to topple Saddam Hussein, I've come to rely on a steady steam of articles claiming that the US-led invasion is "radicalizing" young Arabs. Once a frequent headline, it's popularity has tapered off in recent times, although I can still count on seeing a Yahoo headline every few weeks which reads something like, "Experts: US invasion of Iraq radicalizes Arabs."....
....Ever since Sept 11, 2001 we've been subjected to countless articles wondering why they hate us, or accusing American policy of angering the Arabs on the street. But, save for a few publications, I never see any articles asking why they even hate at all, or accusing the Islamists of angering the John Q. Public Americans.
<font size=4>
I'm about to let you in on an admission: I was radicalized by the Islamists and their Sept 11 attacks. And I know there are many more like me. Newspapers may love to run hyperbole quotes by everyday Arabs who say things like "this atrocity will only create a million more Osamas [or Saddams]," although I honestly wouldn't be surprised if the events of Sept 11 created a couple of more George W. Bushes.
<font size=3>
I started this blog in June 2002 as a reaction to the anti-American sentiment brewing around the world. Most of you who read this site only know me as just another minor voice in the blogosphere and only know of my political opinions post-9/11. The usual response I get from people who came across this site and knew me pre-9/11 are most likely shocked at first and then question whether it's really me typing these posts or just someone else with the same name.
<font size=4>
Now is when I flashback to my pre-9/11 self and the political views I held. First of all, I never voted Republican. Admittedly, I didn't like to vote Democrat either but saw them as the lesser of two evils and would often vote Democrat as a defensive vote if I felt the Republican had a chance of winning. Although I chose not to affiliate myself with any party (a tradition I continue to this day), I most identified with the Greens. While I subscribed to some Libertarian principles, my sympathy was with the Socialists. If given a political quiz, I usually scored left liberal.
<font size=3>
When voting for a federal official, I was only concerned about the candidate's domestic policies and had an isolationist view of how our foreign policy should be. I enjoyed travel but had no interest in the politics of other countries and really couldn't be bothered with even learning the names of foreign leaders. I just didn't care about other countries and found enough to worry about in my own life than to wonder what some shopkeeper in Cairo thinks about something.
<font size=4>
From 2000 to Sept 2001, I hated GW Bush. I despised him, mocked him, and wished hateful things towards both him and Dick Cheney. The very first time I even referred to him as "the president" was sometime after Tower 2 turned into an inferno.
<font size=3>
Israel? They were as much to blame as the Palestinians for failing to make peace. It's just a piece of land, you know.
Iraq? I supported the Gulf War and never really thought about them since.
Iran? Who cares?
Afghanistan? Ditto.
<font size=4>
As I went to work on the morning of Sept 11, I wasn't thinking about that idiot in the White House. I wasn't thinking about Israel or humiliating Muslims either, and I certainly wasn't thinking that the two mammoth office buildings merely blocks away were catching their final glimpse of sunlight. I had bigger things to worry about: I needed a new job, was organizing a show for my band, and was smitten with a really cool girl I recently met.
Call me selfish, but I miss those days. I sometimes wish I was back in the world where we didn't have a Dept of Homeland Security and color coded threats. I miss those days when developments in the Middle East were page 3 news and I looked upon WTO protesters with a sense of solidarity. But those days are gone forever, just like my 3,000 neighbors who went to work one fateful morning.
<font size=3>
* * *
pandavox.blogspot.com |
