Reading The Pictures: Surviving The Crash Of Dubya Air Flight 43

Just days before Obama's inauguration, it's hard not to equate the landing and rescue of US Air Flight 1549 on the Hudson River to the state of American politics.

If the disastrous Bush presidency is indelibly connected to the horror of two commercial aircraft slamming into New York's World Trade Center, the poetic tendency, in light of Obama's campaign of hope and "can do," is to see "the miracle on the Hudson" as perhaps a precursor to a different kind of presidency -- and outcome.

The tendency to, at least subconsciously, equate "the events of January 15, 2009 with September 11, 2001," the ensuing "War On Terror," and even the Wall Street meltdown, however, goes beyond just proximity to the inauguration and to lower Manhattan. It ties together because of the history and memory of place combined with the literal symbols involved. In this case, it's New York's skyline, and its harbor, and its monuments, and its institutions (such as the stock market) which represent essential markers of our psychic experience over the past eight years. And then, there's also the fact that the commercial aircraft and aviation industries have so closely equated their brand(s) -- nominally, physically as well as visually -- with the American mission.

As a result, if you isolate on certain features of those otherwise wholly amazing and hope-inspiring rescue images in the harbor this week, you'll clearly recognize Old Glory and Lady Liberty as fixtures in the background, or Old Glory and the name of our country (in a way we otherwise take completely for granted) as defining the skin of that plane.

Once you step back and see how it ties together, you get a better sense of how Thursday's miracle -- which also delivered New York a fresh, post-Dubya set of first-responders and disaster heros, by the way -- helps land the idea, in the mind of the nation, of America surviving the previous crashes. And with that comes a sense that -- with a whole new team in America's capitol -- we, too, might also come through.

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(image 1: Chris McGrath/Getty Images; image 2: Bebeto Matthews/Associated Press image 3: REUTERS/Mike Segar)

Comments

[larry278]

W flight 43 used AN bi-planes.

[profsteph]

I had a similar thought - I said to a friend tonight:

This kind of extraordinary miracle seems perfectly possible in an Obama America. I know it's a ridiculous thought - but it feels like the golden age of competent people, leaders who think, men/women who are qualified for their positions. It restores my hope to know that this country can be run by people like Obama and this pilot/flight crew - it's like a new morning in America - and I thought as I watched the footage of the plane crash (and yes I know this is completely insane) that if this was a year ago under Bush somehow this would not have had such an extraordinary outcome.

Meanwhile our FDNY and NYPD continue to be hero's here in NY - even with starting salaries of $25,000 and tighter budgets given the wreck of our economy. I don't know how they do so much with limited money and limited equipment - God bless them.

[plumnelly]

I thought the same thing. I also felt as if the people who died on 9-11 were angels watching over all the people on the plane and letting us know if we all pull together in what our country faces we'll be okay.

[sagebrush5]

It is amazing to me that so many of you have been thinking the same thing. After the rescue of every person aboard, I couldn't help thinking this was a breath-taking metaphor for the new "ship-of-s­tate"...
an intelligent, skilled pilot at the helm, a skilled crew working in tandem, many many people on the scene quickly (ferries, etc) and a wonderful outcome. I can only hope that such a fine outcome awaits the country...

[apoyo]

It's an omen of better things to come.

[Dukedraven]

I was picking up the connection on a subconscious level, although I didn't see it so clearly until I read your piece. That's very interesting, Michael. Somewhere there's a silver lining in this crisis, even if it's only our unity and willingness to seek another path.

[MPAndonee]

I thought the same thing. There must be some collective brain working to validate this theory. I believe you are right.

[idealisticNM]

Nice. The symbolism is kind of eerie, but dead on !

[malmond]

I loved your post. You so perfectly captured the almost unbelievable nature of this story. For this to happen in the days before Obama is sworn in is almost impossible to comprehend.

The closet psychotherapist in me can't help also draw a connection to the hopes of better parenting for the nation. I mean the nation as child, of course and I equate us with the passengers on US Air flight.

The Pilot, our parent, displayed many of the qualities that define a "good" parent. To protect his passengers from harm, he acted with skill and competence while remaining calm and collected. This lack of anxiety communicated to his passengers that they didn't have to "freak out" even though the situation was very serious (He was, in fact, quite realistic.­.."Brace for impact!").

The graceful water landing, with no lives lost, was miraculous. What followed was in great part the result of a good parent setting a good example through action: the passengers worked together to save one another from the danger of drowning in the freezing waters of the Hudson River.

No one knows for certain what our future holds. But in this moment, only one day away, it feels like our new Pilot/Parent will work to see that his Passengers/Children are protected while we work together, just like the grown up we see before us, to save one another during a frightening landing.

Thank you again for helping me, fellow passenger.

[MamaBird62]

I like what you say about a time of unity, and people helping one another. However, I think the term "leader" works better than parent. A person can train over many decades and develop the skills necessary to accomplish what Capt. Sully did, parents have to act out of common sense and love, usually with little skill or training, that's quite a difference.
I am a year older than PE Obama and in no way view him as "Daddy," who will swoop in and save us, in fact I think that way of thinking can be self-destructive. We all have to be adults now and try to do the right thing, whether it is taking responsibility for our families, our finances, the environment, the leaders we help elect, etc. We are not helpless like passengers on a crashing airplane, nor are we like small children.
We need to appreciate what we have, realize that we live better than 95% of the world's population, look for ways to help our fellow man, and move ahead.

[TRYKER]

Granted, many are of your same mind.
However, there are 50 Million or more "children of this nation" that DO need a leader that will act the patient parent with strict boundaries and house rules, so to speak. They have been led astray with lies and misinforma­tion...(An­nenberg Study) and must be brought up to speed with the truth and reality and guidance.
It doesn't matter if you call him a parent, a teacher, a leader, an example...­he IS the President, we DID choose him...now we must pay attention.
We loved his qualities, we admired his heart and courage, we recognized a LEADER and we chose him. The curtain has gone up, the show has started, watch and enjoy.

[deke4]

Has anyone noticed the Repubican parrots just giving a cursory statement as to the financial difficulties Obama faces but nary a word on who or how we came to that dilemma. That is their first salvo in the attack on placing the Bush screw ups on Obama's shoulders. Not many noticed the Bush statement that "I inherited a recession when I entered office" (forgetting to mention that the Council of Economic Advisors as then constituted had already proclaimed that the recession started in Mar. of 2001. Then a new Council was formed and changed the date to Mar. of 2000. There is a hard and fast rule in setting dates for when recessions start, two consecutive quarters of minus growth.) Bush further went on to say that he is leaving in a recession and that between recessions everything was hunkydory. He fails to mention the debt he created after blowing a half trillion asset Clinton left him. He fails to mention two wars being paid for on supplemental budgets that our grandchildren will have to pay for. Bush wishes Obama well in a pig's eye. He who used the word accountability endlessly never applied to him. In my heart of hearts I believe it is time to have a thorough investigation of this administration. A no holds bar investigation.

[2008CaliforniaFan]

And to reiterate the issue of the Bailout. The MSM pundits talked endlessly about Obamas vote to get the money, (350 B.) what would he do with it hour after hour..ad nauseum.

I have never seen CNN ask a question or even do an interview with Paulson and Bush about who got the F I R S T 350 Bill ion. They won't say and the MSM is letting the whole issue slide by.

Why has Nobody ever got that answer from Paulson. ..?
He's 'off the job' as of tomorrow..­.. and the Media never questioned him. T H A T 's the story.... they didn't cover. The Bank was already rob bed.... no one went after the cr0 0ks.

[cobobs]

I could not help thinking about those potent symbols myself. Call me superstitious, but I take such signs seriously.

[darker]

After Geo.W.Bush crashed America into a mountain of debt from his war-profiteering and his
government only for the rich, we don't know yet who'll survive this or how long Bush's damage will last.