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forwarded from a teachers' listserve
On the Bombings
by Noam Chomsky
The terrorist attacks were major atrocities: In scale they
may not reach the level of many others -- for example, Clinton's bombing of the Sudan
with no credible pretext, destroying half its pharmaceutical supplies and killing
unknown numbers of people (no one knows, because the US blocked an inquiry at the
UN and no one cares to pursue it). Not to speak of much worse cases, which easily
come to mind. But that this was a horrendous crime is not in doubt. The primary victims,
as usual, were working people: janitors, secretaries, firemen, etc. It is likely
to prove to be a crushing blow to Palestinians and other poor and oppressed people.
It is also likely to lead to harsh security controls, with many possible ramifications
for undermining civil liberties and internal freedom.
The events reveal, dramatically, the foolishness of the project of "missile
defense." As has been obvious all along, and pointed out repeatedly by strategic
analysts, if anyone wants to cause immense damage in the US, including weapons of
mass destruction, they are highly unlikely to launch a missile attack, thus guaranteeing
their immediate destruction. There are innumerable easier ways that are basically
unstoppable. But today's events will, very likely, be exploited to increase the pressure
to develop these systems and put them into place. "Defense" is a thin cover
for plans for militarization of space, and with good PR, even the flimsiest arguments
will carry some weight among a frightened public.
In short, the crime is a gift to the hard jingoist right, those who hope to use force
to control their domains. That is even putting aside the likely US actions, and what
they will trigger -- possibly more attacks like this one, or worse. The prospects
ahead are even more ominous than they appeared to be before the latest atrocities.
As to how to react, we have a choice. We can express justified
horror; we can seek to understand what may have led to the crimes, which means making
an effort to enter the minds of the likely perpetrators. If we choose the latter
course, we can do no better, I think, than to listen to the words of Robert Fisk,
whose direct knowledge and insight into affairs of the region is unmatched after
many years of distinguished reporting. Describing "The wickedness and awesome
cruelty of a crushed and humiliated people," he writes that "this is not
the war of democracy versus terror that the world will be asked to believe in the
coming days. It is also about American missiles smashing into Palestinian homes and
US helicopters firing missiles into a Lebanese ambulance in 1996 and American shells
crashing into a village called Qana and about a Lebanese militia - paid and uniformed
by America's Israeli ally - hacking and raping and murdering their way through refugee
camps." And much more. Again, we have a choice: we may try to understand, or
refuse to do so, contributing to the likelihood that much worse lies ahead.
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