The fifth anniversary of 9/11 passed with a clash of opinions. Are we safer than five years ago? Has the Iraq war created more terrorists? Is the battle against al-Qaida set to last a generation? Voices on all sides seemed certain of their position, but the prevailing truth is actually one of uncertainty. If the Republicans keep the House and Senate in the upcoming elections, it will be a victory for those who manipulated our uncertainty. The Bush administration will have convinced people to fight endlessly, to never allow a relaxation of tension, to consider "Islamic fascism" an ever-present danger to each of us. It's difficult to live with painful uncertainty. The head has to overrule physical fear. Researchers in stress management point out that random stresses are more difficult to endure than predictable ones. A predictable stress would be something like the morning traffic jam that greets commuters every day. People don't like such stresses, but they cope with them normally. Terrorism, since it strikes out of the blue, is unpredictable, and therefore coping is much more difficult--Bush's policy of fighting all the time offers, if nothing else, a predictable response. Unfortunately, this tactic doesn't work to stop terrorism, to eradicate it at its root source, or even to push it back within check. As long as American troops stand on Muslim soil, there will be a bottomless supply of new jihadists. In interviews last week the official 9/11 commission unanimously declared the failure of our response to the attacks that day. If you want certainty, there you are. For certain we will keep on financing terrorism through Arab oil profits. For certain the number of terrorists is growing. For certain the worldwide perception of the U.S. is that of an uncontrollable aggressor. People don't want to face these certainties. They accepted Bush's "win the battle at any cost" mentality, but now that conditions are growing ever worse and the Iraqi policy ever more frustrating, there's no way out but to start living with uncertainty. Two years from now, when right-wing war makers no longer control the White House, we can hope for intelligent, flexible, realistic talk from the next President. Meanwhile, we are fighting terrorism blinded by fog.
Click: www.intentblog.com