Let's talk about perspective

A rant about the US response to terrorism this morning. I am sure this is going to be a downvote magnet, but I really could care less. This needs to be said.

I heard about the "attacks on terrorism" (Oh! the delicious irony!) broadcast on the radio on the way in to work this morning. My first thought was a simple affirmation that it must be a requirment of the position of President of the United States of America that war must be declared on someone as soon as possible. Diplomacy? What the fuck is that?. I head Dubya talking about how he "gave Afghanistan a series of clear demands". I'm sorry, George, but who the fuck are you to demand anything? Let's get some perspective.

I've just read and heard the response to the attacks by Osama Bin Laden. I have to say, from where I sit he has a point. Think about that, mull it over. No, I refuse to water that down with the inevitable "Of course what happened on September 11th was terrible, I'm not justifying it, yada yada yada, I'm not a terrorist, or even a muslim, please don't shoot me!".

(Don't worry, If you've not hit the - yet, I'm sure you will soon)

Nice touch, dropping food & supplies, though. Could you perhaps have done that a year ago? Two? Three?

So who the fuck is anyone to stand up to the USA and say "Listen, George, you really ought to tone down the aggression a little bit until you have some proof that Afghanistan or even Osama Bin Laden are indeed responsible". And therein lies the problem. The US military machine rolls on, obliterating everything in its path. The masses are appeased, people are happy. Hooray!

Hip, hip hooray for freedom and democracy.

Back to perspective. I'm in the lift (that's an elevator for our US friends) on the way up to work this morning. Now I've spent the weekend here at the office, and I'm back again this morning to catch the fallout from the work I was doing, put out the fires, give everyone that warm and fuzzy feeling they need about stuff that matters precisely fuck all in the grand scheme of things. 31 floors is a short trip, but I hear people making chit-chat. "How was your weekend?" asks someone who could care less how this person's weekend was. "Fine, a bit too short" she responds. Typical bullshit idle banter. Perspective. I didn't have a weekend. Does any of this matter? no

Perspective. Would I be as pissed as I am at the moment if I'd left the CD playing instead of wanting to catch the news this morning at 8:00am? Had I not heard about the attack? Of course not. My primary concern this morning would be how the fuck I get my hands on a copy of Sun Workshop Compiler 5.1 before 30 or so developers start screaming blue murder at me.

No, instead I feel uneasy. Australia has an election coming up on November 10, 2001. I fear that the pressing issues for Australians will be ignored because the two parties will be falling over themseves to swear undying allegiance to the USA. The GST? The Tampa crisis? The misapropriation of federal funds by the Liberal party? What have we heard of this in the lead up? Nothing. John Howard is going to ride back into office on the back of a war, and when the war is over, the country will be no better off. This is not to say Kim Beazley is a better choice by any means. This election will not be fought on the issues (are they ever?) but on who waves the most American flags. The voting public have a vested interest in the status quo at a time like this.

Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave, That I, the son of a dear father murther'd, prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell, must (like a whore) unpack my heart with words and fall a-cursing like a very drab, a scullion!