I Just Wanted to Write Candidly a Bit.
It’s good to be traveling on Sept. 11th. The day has come and gone in this time zone. Though it’s 4am after a pretty full day, it’s still Sept. 11th in the States.
Exactly one year after the twin towers were bombed, I flew between Seattle and Texas. I didn’t intentionally choose that day during my booking, but that doesn’t change the palpable feeling of flying in the face of blind hatred and violence.
The significance of the day kept making itself known, even here in Singapore.
Two themes have run strong over the course of my trip - besides the obvious game stuff. The first: I’ve met very few Americans who weren’t students, or Navy Boys from the Kittyhawk. And even then, they’ve made up a meager fraction of those with whom I’ve actually met and spoken with. The second theme to this trip: Once you stop living you start dying. Though it might seem strange to anybody else, these two themes have been so pronounced over the last month that I can’t help but connect them.
Of the three American non-navy non-students I’ve met and spoken with, Joel is an American travel writer whose looking at why our country (at least mine and his) just doesn’t get out much. John, just now, talked about how few peaceful ambassadors there are to our country. The only other American that I’ve met hated America. There was no logic or reasoning. It’s all he seemed to have on his mind while talking to me.
Did September 11th wake us up, or did it put us to sleep?
Some people may fear that the world doesn’t like Americans. I haven’t found that to be true. Rather, one has to make allowances for ignorance, which can be found regardless of nationality. Some Americans dislike Americans on principle, but how different is that? I make fun of myself (the USA inclusive) pretty liberally, but in the end we stand as an example for the rest of the world. We have all the toys of the next generation, and the world often learns (moving itself forward and backwards) from our successes and failings.
It’s not just that our country was built on powerful principles. Those principles don’t work for every other country, all of the time. Applying them broadly has been linked by some theorists to [genocide]. It’s this notion that, among other things, the world follows our lead. If we lead with insular ignorance, then we can’t be surprised by the dire eventualities. For us and for them.
Plus, traveling is fun. Working so that you can drink, so that you can work some more. No thanks. That weekend in Vegas could have been a beautiful month in Thailand.
Anyway - Americans, speak up! I want your thoughts on my 4am rant.
Neils Clark :: Sep.11.2007 :: General ::
I’ve found that Americans are very insular. So many Americans go to other countries to work and never even attempt to learn the native language or immerse themselves in a different culture. Their servants learn to speak English and that’s good enough for them.
Americans need to seek out other perspectives. Instead of sitting on a high horse and looking down anything “un-American,” we need to actively seek to learn from others, seek to understand others. Even today, how many American policy makers understand Islamic culture and thought? Seeking understanding will, well, prevent misunderstandings. Beyond understanding, learning from others will promote understanding and continued strength. It will build friendships.
Not that I’m perfect in making international friendships. But I try to understand other perspectives. Besides, its more fun to live in another country when you try to find out what its really like to live there. For example, I thinks its foolish for Americans to want China to make a radical switch to a democratic form of government. The Chinese government is far from perfect, but suddenly transposing an American system of government on an unprepared and very culturally different nation would probably lead to chaos and famine. Let the Chinese evolve in peace. I believe that, as more Chinese gain an education, they will do themselves justice. International human rights pressure isn’t bad, but make sure you understand where the Chinese are coming from before you ask them to change to be “more like America.”
What does 9-11 have to do with the American insular attitude? I dont’ know. To be honest, I’m afraid that it hasn’t changed American perspectives much.
Great post. Great comment.
Thanks, Mr T.
Who do you know that has servants, Kevin??