This is an email from a friend in London that, altho I disagree with much of it, is indicative of how many perceive the US. The friend has a PHD in both philosophy and psychology and is president of the Britsh Psychology Historical Society or something like that;
.>>Dear Fred,
Thanks for this - relieved that all your folks are okay. Paul, our vet friend in West Hempstead saw the whole thing from
his office - sent us a strangely moving laconic message the following
day. I think there will be a major split in Islam itself now, only a
small minority of UK muslims are anything but distressed and this
surely goes for african american muslims and many others outside the
middle east/pakistan region. Since there was a mosque on the 2nd (?)
floor of one of the towers it could even be construed as an attack on
Islam! Feelings over here among us softy lefties centre on concerns
about falling into precisely the trap Bin Laden has set and causing a
major conflict by excessive and insensitive military action. The
ironies you mention are not lost on us either! I think what many
Americans cannot quite grasp is the distinction we make between (a) our
personal american friends and contacts whom we love, the ideals of
freedom, justice, liberty etc which we endorse and (b) the utter
ruthlessness of much US foreign policy and economic power over the last
half century - I mean the CIA was overthrowing elected governments,
assassinating and terrorising its way round the world throughout the
Cold War creating more enemies than friends (Chile, Nicaragua,
Indonesia.... you know the list). It is the latter which causes the
hate. American politicians often sound as if think they
are the goodies by definition instead of the same mixture of good and
evil as the rest of us.
Well, it was a really atrocious act - how far it will really change the
world as we know it (as opposed to NY as we know it) is surely not yet
entirely clear. Is it a political issue or a psychological one? And
where does psychopathology turn into politics?
I don't think many of us lefties are indulging in a compassion strike,
in any case it was, as is rightly being said, not just an attack on
America but people from 60 different nationalities. What we are perhaps
wrily wanting to say without upsetting anyone or sounding patronising
is 'welcome to the real world, now we feel you're one of us'.
My sense is that for the first time I can ever remember Americans
really are united - perhaps, again ironically, it will help heal the
longstanding ethnic etc. divisions for good. Pat Robertson and the
loony right Christians have surely blown it by blaming gays and
lesbians! Farrakhan wisely seems to be keeping his trap shut.
Keep me updated on your readings of the situation.
Hope the grief counselling does not prove too unbearable.
Luv to Maralyn.
Love, Shalom<<
fred |
