Just thought I'd share this email I received. I don't expect everyone (or most) to agree with it, but it seems important nevertheless.

> My dear friends -
>
> The drums are really beating now - it's incredible to me how
single-mindedly media in this country, including nominally
'independent' and semi-critical outlets (NPR, etc.) are engaged
in not only preparing the American people for war, but creating
the emotional and psychological conditions that will preclude
even the public consideration of any other options. We ARE
going to war is the message, and no matter what happens or who
we go to war with, it will be justified because of the horror of
9.11 - I'm scared.
>
> I've personally never seen such a massive forced
homogenizing of opinion as we're witnessing today. The
declarations by political leaders and media figures that "all
Americans are united in the same feeling, the same mind,"
"constitutional liberties may be too much to bear," and "this is
a war of good vs. evil, and good will prevail," are absolutely
terrifiying to me. The sinister confluence of religion,
patriotism, and militarism into this newly focused 'Americanism'
is something I don't feel that I've witnessed before to this
degree, not during the Gulf War, or certainly any time since.
>
> For as much and as lightly as the term 'fascism' has been
tossed around since I can remember, I feel like we're starting
to witness it's naked, public face, as justified by this
terrible tradgedy, using the pain of the American people, and
others, to nourish itself like a great invisible vampire.
>
> The *only* media voice of reason or critical reflection that
I've heard since the attack was that of Vladimir Pozner (sp?),
one of the major networks' chief correspondents in Moscow - he
basically said that no amount of killing other people will in
any way prevent this kind of disaster from happening again in
the future - that in fact, it will guarantee more of the same.
That only by trying to fathom the reasons WHY people are willing
to kill themselves and so many others for their ideas will we be
able to stop this madness - and then only by addressing those
reasons concretely. That when people are fed, when people can
be involved in some kind of political process, when people have
a home of their own, only then will all of us be safe from
terrorism. But such declarations by any political leaders would
be suicidal right now, as these ideas could only be seen as a
retreat, a defeat, an abdication of the political & military
initiative we've been delivered.
>
> That correspondent's notions seem absolutely self-evident to
me, yet I found myself struck still and silent in shock and
disbelief that he was being allowed to say such things, that he
wasn't cut off or garbled by some mysterious interference or
loss of satellite connection - because these simple ideas are
simply not being made part of the dialogue in this country right
now - maybe it's just too soon, but I don't think that's the
problem.
>
> My fear is that making these ideas public will soon be done
at serious personal risk, that as the nation as a whole is swept
up into this wave of uncritical, unreflective, uncompassionate
war hysteria that these individuals will be considered traitors
- as un-American as ethnic Arabs or Muslims as a whole. Islamic
centers are being shot up and vandalized, mosques are receiving
death threats... brown people generally appear to be at
increasing risk now - I've heard from two people (one Indian)
who've been refused service at establishments that don't cater
to "terrorists."
>
> I feel that all people of conscience, compassion and a view
beyond the immediate, visceral (and understandable) impulse to
retaliate must make it our duty to bring a message of
compassion, restraint and deep, critical focus to everyone we
meet, to do whatever we can to keep this situation from getting
even further out of control.
>
> If you disagree with any of this, or just wish I'd left you
alone, I apologize. Thanks for indulging me with this email,
it's something I needed to write.
> My dear friends -
>
> The drums are really beating now - it's incredible to me how
single-mindedly media in this country, including nominally
'independent' and semi-critical outlets (NPR, etc.) are engaged
in not only preparing the American people for war, but creating
the emotional and psychological conditions that will preclude
even the public consideration of any other options. We ARE
going to war is the message, and no matter what happens or who
we go to war with, it will be justified because of the horror of
9.11 - I'm scared.
>
> I've personally never seen such a massive forced
homogenizing of opinion as we're witnessing today. The
declarations by political leaders and media figures that "all
Americans are united in the same feeling, the same mind,"
"constitutional liberties may be too much to bear," and "this is
a war of good vs. evil, and good will prevail," are absolutely
terrifiying to me. The sinister confluence of religion,
patriotism, and militarism into this newly focused 'Americanism'
is something I don't feel that I've witnessed before to this
degree, not during the Gulf War, or certainly any time since.
>
> For as much and as lightly as the term 'fascism' has been
tossed around since I can remember, I feel like we're starting
to witness it's naked, public face, as justified by this
terrible tradgedy, using the pain of the American people, and
others, to nourish itself like a great invisible vampire.
>
> The *only* media voice of reason or critical reflection that
I've heard since the attack was that of Vladimir Pozner (sp?),
one of the major networks' chief correspondents in Moscow - he
basically said that no amount of killing other people will in
any way prevent this kind of disaster from happening again in
the future - that in fact, it will guarantee more of the same.
That only by trying to fathom the reasons WHY people are willing
to kill themselves and so many others for their ideas will we be
able to stop this madness - and then only by addressing those
reasons concretely. That when people are fed, when people can
be involved in some kind of political process, when people have
a home of their own, only then will all of us be safe from
terrorism. But such declarations by any political leaders would
be suicidal right now, as these ideas could only be seen as a
retreat, a defeat, an abdication of the political & military
initiative we've been delivered.
>
> That correspondent's notions seem absolutely self-evident to
me, yet I found myself struck still and silent in shock and
disbelief that he was being allowed to say such things, that he
wasn't cut off or garbled by some mysterious interference or
loss of satellite connection - because these simple ideas are
simply not being made part of the dialogue in this country right
now - maybe it's just too soon, but I don't think that's the
problem.
>
> My fear is that making these ideas public will soon be done
at serious personal risk, that as the nation as a whole is swept
up into this wave of uncritical, unreflective, uncompassionate
war hysteria that these individuals will be considered traitors
- as un-American as ethnic Arabs or Muslims as a whole. Islamic
centers are being shot up and vandalized, mosques are receiving
death threats... brown people generally appear to be at
increasing risk now - I've heard from two people (one Indian)
who've been refused service at establishments that don't cater
to "terrorists."
>
> I feel that all people of conscience, compassion and a view
beyond the immediate, visceral (and understandable) impulse to
retaliate must make it our duty to bring a message of
compassion, restraint and deep, critical focus to everyone we
meet, to do whatever we can to keep this situation from getting
even further out of control.
>
> If you disagree with any of this, or just wish I'd left you
alone, I apologize. Thanks for indulging me with this email,
it's something I needed to write.