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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2011 21:30:33 GMT
On TV tonight, tomorrow night and other upcoming nights, we are of course reliving the events of 11 September 2001.
Right now they are showing "The Children of September 11th" -- the viewpoint of people who were only small children ten years ago and how that day affected their lives.
Totally traumatic, but because of their parents' reactions.
I remember my friend from Strasbourg with his 3 sons. There was no way to shield anybody from the images, but it was necessary for him to carefully explain the event. As adults, we knew what had happened, but a lot of children saw the towers collapsing 500 times like we did, but they thought it was a new event every time, as though every skyscraper in the world was collapsing. Far more traumatic than "just" two towers.
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Post by ninchursanga on Sept 8, 2011 22:14:32 GMT
It's not even the 11th and I'm already having a 9/11 overkill.
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Post by fumobici on Sept 9, 2011 2:20:43 GMT
The damage caused by the planes is minuscule compared to the damage it provoked by politicians in response. Stupid immoral wars, a cratered economy, the Bill of Rights left in tatters, the worst of it was all completely self inflicted. Bin-Laden had the entire US political system doing his work- as perhaps he intended.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2011 4:59:47 GMT
One thing that is being mentioned here is how the United States launched into two wars immediately after the attacks and neither one is finished yet. And of course other countries are continuing to participate. In France, we get death reports of the French troops in Afghanistan every week.
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Post by hwinpp on Sept 9, 2011 9:52:15 GMT
I don't think many here know what happened.
And therefore don't know why the coalition forces invaded Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2011 10:02:08 GMT
Outside of the Western world and the Middle East, I would imagine that most people have absolutely no interest in such 'minor' matters. For example look at the 250,000 dead in the tsunami in 2004. If you put things in perspective, the WTC event had little impact on things in the world, except for making air travel exceptionally annoying (and it was already annoying before then!).
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Post by mich64 on Sept 9, 2011 14:13:48 GMT
While the events of 9/11 were horrific and tragic and there are many individuals still suffering from the events to this day, I think that continuing to recognize it the way the media in the USA does is exactly what Bin Laden wanted. A combination of fear and forever recognition of their destructive abilities.
If NYC wants to have a Memorial and ceremonies than they should, but to televise special after special only serves the recognition of Al Queda. I think a subdued rememberance on TV on the day of the anniversary so that we do not forget the individuals would be proper.
Mich
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Post by ninchursanga on Sept 9, 2011 15:03:28 GMT
Interesting point. I've always perceived the dwelling and state inflicted memorial ceremonies as another instrument for nation building and making sure the fear amongst the general public doesn't wane.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2011 16:57:33 GMT
Such events are extremely powerful weapons. Just imagine the outcry if somebody were to say "we shouldn't commemorate the Holocaust so much!"
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Post by joanne28 on Sept 9, 2011 17:48:31 GMT
I stopped watching events unfold about a day and a half into it. I found it too distressing seeing people hold photos of their loved ones up. I don't plan to watch any memorials. I understand the emotional needs some people have regarding disasters but honestly sometimes I feel it is wallowing.
Comparing 9/11 to the Holocaust doesn't work. The scope and mentality are entirely different. It is unfair to both and trivializes both.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2011 18:15:09 GMT
Exactly. But that is exactly what has happened. Just imagine the outcome of an opinion poll asking young people which event is more important. And pray that the invention of the iPod is not added as a 3rd option. Don't forget that more than 50% of young people are incapable of saying who Adolf Hitler was. And Osama Bin Laden in another 10 years?
The duty of transmitting history to younger generations has been lost almost everywhere.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Sept 9, 2011 18:26:28 GMT
We have a lot of stuff on tv here, but I'm not watching it through choice. I will always remember the events of that day, but think that a lot of the programmes on atm are inappropriate and a little bit sordid. Listening to last calls to loved ones etc.
I have always been uncomfortable with the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. I was shocked and furious when our Prime Minister made the decision to go ahead without the voters' support. If one of my family had been murdered on September 11th I might feel differently but I don't think so. 2 wrongs don't make a right. I don't mean to be disrespectful towards the people who died in the 9/11 attacks, but the people of these countries didn't instigate the attacks...fanatics did....yet it's the people of Iraq and Afghanistan who have suffered.
If the folk in America want to remember their lost loved ones with ceremonies, and give voice to their determination not to be cowed by fear all power to them.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2011 18:54:52 GMT
Unfortunately, they have been cowed by fear.
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Post by myrt on Sept 9, 2011 20:30:16 GMT
It was a haunting and hideous event which I personally will never forget. But then there are so many terrorist attacks which are horrifying and senseless, and so very many innocents slaughtered in the wars which have resulted from it. Man's ability to commit wholesale murder for no good reason continues century after century...and, no doubt, future historians will have a different perspective on it to the views promulgated now.
I refuse to watch any more films, documentaries or commentaries about it any more. It upsets me too much - as do all the films, documentaries and commentaries on the Holocaust, the world wars, genocide in Africa, natural disasters in which thousands of people die horribly....there are so many and what difference can I make to prevent any of it happening over and over again?
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Post by lola on Sept 10, 2011 15:12:31 GMT
The damage caused by the planes is minuscule compared to the damage it provoked by politicians in response. Stupid immoral wars, a cratered economy, the Bill of Rights left in tatters, the worst of it was all completely self inflicted. Bin-Laden had the entire US political system doing his work- as perhaps he intended. Yes. I can't believe Bin Laden or anyone could have predicted this reaction, though. www.npr.org/2011/09/06/140056904/the-top-secret-america-created-after-9-11 |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 10, 2011 18:38:32 GMT
It's pretty much all the same stuff that we used to accuse the KGB and the Stasi of doing, even more ironic that it is claimed to be in the name of "freedom" when the whole point is to remove freedom.
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Post by mickthecactus on Sept 14, 2011 16:13:42 GMT
Exactly. But that is exactly what has happened. Just imagine the outcome of an opinion poll asking young people which event is more important. And pray that the invention of the iPod is not added as a 3rd option. Don't forget that more than 50% of young people are incapable of saying who Adolf Hitler was. And Osama Bin Laden in another 10 years? The duty of transmitting history to younger generations has been lost almost everywhere. I was forced to watch The Million Pound Drop on TV the other night and a couple who looked about 30 put a lot of money on the strength of Queen Victoria being beheaded. Strangely enough, childrens history knowledge here has improved considerably thanks to the TV "Horrible History" series. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2011 17:24:52 GMT
Oh, is it once again from the UK that that horrible game show comes? It just started in France about a month ago. Yuck.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Sept 14, 2011 20:40:44 GMT
I don't really know who watches those awful game shows...or those Strictly-Come-Dancing-On-Ice-X-Factor-Pop-Idol type things...I'm convinced that the audience consists mainly of the presenters themselves and their families.....
My sister watches 'strictly come dancing'... she drops into a strange trance-like state as she gabbles on about people I've never heard of ('Celebrities' apparently) who dress in sequins and prance about on the tv showing off....I'm thinking of locking her in a room with a good book for a few days until she comes to her senses....
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Post by mickthecactus on Sept 15, 2011 10:24:56 GMT
Oh, is it once again from the UK that that horrible game show comes? It just started in France about a month ago. Yuck. I don't know if it's US or UK. I watched because our NY office arranges insurance on the $1,000,000 there. |
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Post by ninchursanga on Sept 16, 2011 16:10:15 GMT
It's pretty much all the same stuff that we used to accuse the KGB and the Stasi of doing, even more ironic that it is claimed to be in the name of "freedom" when the whole point is to remove freedom. That's the most worrysome, that lots of peope don't seem to see this and buy into the whole story of 'in the name of freedom'. In a podium discussion with veterans I once attended I was shocked how much the veterans insisited that if they hadn't gone there, 'they' would be here. 'They' being the commies, muslim terrorists or whoever the enemy of the time was. |
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