Death of Innocents

I wrote the following article in September 2001. I find it fascinating that there is so little change in the situation between then and now.

Great turning points in history have often been marked by a great slaughter of innocents. Masada, the birth of Christ, the birth of the American, Israeli and Indian nations, to name but a few. What does this latest massacre of innocent individuals portend for the future of our troubled species?

The perpetrators of this gross deed have done the cause of freedom, their’s and our’s, no favours. Nationalism, patriotic fervour, religious fundamentalism and intolerance are all back with a vengeance, seeking vengeance. The cycle of attack and counter-attack is poised, ready to begin. Although there are no obvious beneficiaries, no expectation of a positive outcome, no relief for the dead victims, the will to revenge is overpowering, and will be answered.

What are the likely consequences of this world changing event? The United States and its people can be forgiven for being seriously pissed off by this unprovoked attack. I think their relationship with limp left governments like South Africa will become much more self-interested. You are either a firm friend of the US, or you are on your own, baby.

The worst consequence from my perspective is that big government is back with a bang—well, three bangs actually. The government that seemed powerless to detect or stop this act, or to punish its supposed perpetrator for other equally horrific acts committed in the past, despite the best intelligence systems tax money could buy, now has a hugely increased budget and authoritarian powers to stop similar attacks in the future. Yeah, right! Like all concentrations of money and power, these people will use this money and power to protect their access to money and power, whilst harassing those who threaten them in any way. Legitimate anti-government organisations with public and non-violent agendas can expect to suffer the most. Well hidden, violent terrorist organisations can probably expect business to continue much as before. There will be the occasional, well orchestrated, prime time “successes” against the nefarious terrorist enemy. Real terrorists, like the Chinese or Indonesian governments, will continue to enjoy “favoured nation” status, as did Afghanistan until a few years ago. Individuals and organisations seeking to reduce the power of government in their lives but lack power or money will quickly succumb in the new world order.

Rees-Mogg and Davidson’s book, The Sovereign Individual, predicted the decline of the nation-state and the rise to ascendancy of the “sovereign individual” in the new millennium. It is naïve to expect the rulers of the nation-states to quietly acquiesce in their own demise. They are Wellington, and the World Trade Centre is their Waterloo.

What should be the response to the events of September 11th? Even in a civilised state such as the USA, the rules of law and the rules of war are different. A general threat to the population from a hostile invading force calls for a largely indiscriminate and fatal response against all who are perceived as enemies.

Is the USA at war, as so widely proclaimed by the organs of government? Well, most of the invading forces are dead, by their own hand, or returned to their home country. Their supposed home country is more to be pitied than feared, more to be aided than attacked. The vast United States is threatened by a ragged band of armed nutcases, admittedly capable of the occasional painful blow, but no threat to the survival of the United States at all. The rules of war do not and should not apply.

The perpetrators should be brought to book in a lawful fashion, and should be similarly disposed of. If the United States abandons the rule of law in dealing with these terrorists, who then is safe? Would the suburb of Woodstock in Cape Town be acceptable collateral damage for a strike against Pagad? Are the SACP and PAC classified as terrorist organisations, subject to unilateral attack by American forces? Much as I despise these groups, I hope not.

When seeking a criminal, it is common practice to “follow the money”. The finger of suspicion will point at those who benefit most from the crime. Who has profited from the events of September 11th, and who has lost? After the victims themselves, organisations opposing government, including international terrorism, would seem to have lost the most. This may be an unintended consequence of an ideologically motivated attack, but the consequences for these organisations will be severe.

Amazingly, those organisations tasked with detecting and eliminating terrorist threats, who have failed so lamentably in that task, appear to be the greatest beneficiaries of the new world order. In terms of increased budgets, greater powers and unquestioning influence on policy, they are in the pound seats. The CIA, the FBI, the ATF, those sinister 3 letter mnemonic shapers of American society and international policy, they now have carte blanche to chase their enemies, real or perceived, while an outraged public mourns its fallen members.

How did a group of religious fanatics from the poorest and most divided country in the world execute such a large and successful operation, without a flaw, a single detectable error, a leak from the 50 or 60 people involved? How did this international gathering of suicidal fanatics go undetected for months? How did the world’s most sophisticated surveillance operations fail to respond even 30 minutes after the attack was clearly in progress?

Has the unthinkable scenario played out by Geena Davis in the film “Long kiss goodnight” come to pass? Is Osama bin Laden the unsuspecting dupe of the power brokers in Washington and Foggy Bottom, the men who can plan a complex operation 50 moves ahead, using the giant computers and systems at their disposal? Will the World Trade Centre join the pantheon of other uncertain, unresolved disasters in recent American history, alongside JFK, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Waco, and others?

Who will know? The fox has been instructed to guard the hen house, the CIA and FBI are in charge of the investigation. Amidst the fuss of blowing Osama bin Laden and half of Afghanistan to dust, will anyone be looking within, asking difficult questions, publishing unpalatable facts, firing evil or incompetent agents? I think not! Fox Moulder come back—we need you now more than ever!

I believe the United States will be doing the world and Afghanistan a favour if they remove the atrocious Taliban pimple from the disfigured face of the Middle East. I believe there are a number of other terrorist GOVERNMENTS, as well as organisations, around the world which can only be removed by cauterisation, like warts, and the USA happens to own the heat.

But I fear that in the post Cold War world, the agencies fighting terrorism need the terrorists to justify their existence. If we leave the business of making peace to those with an investment in war, then peace will be a long time coming.