Chris Hedges is an American journalist, author and award winning war correspondent who unlike the mainstream media seems to be able to take a pluralistic approach to covering the story of Osama's death. On Sunday May 1st, he spoke at a ‘Truthdig’ fundraising event in Los Angeles where he made many incisive comments regarding the issue. It is well worth reading the whole article which I will provide a link to at the bottom of this post. Here are some excerpts I found particularly poignant and valid;
"So I was in the Middle East in the days after 9/11. And we had garnered the empathy of not only most of the world, but the Muslim world who were appalled at what had been done in the name of their religion. And we had major religious figures like Sheikh Tantawy, the head of al-Azhar – who died recently – who after the attacks of 9/11 not only denounced them as a crime against humanity, which they were, but denounced Osama bin Laden as a fraud … someone who had no right to issue fatwas or religious edicts, no religious legitimacy, no religious training. And the tragedy was that if we had the courage to be vulnerable, if we had built on that empathy, we would be far safer and more secure today than we are.
…We responded exactly as these terrorist organizations wanted us to respond. They wanted us to speak the language of violence…"
These groups learned to speak the language we taught them. And our response was to speak in kind. The language of violence, the language of occupation—the occupation of the Middle East, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan—has been the best recruiting tool al-Qaida has been handed. If it is correct that Osama bin Laden is dead, then it will spiral upwards with acts of suicidal vengeance. And I expect most probably on American soil. The tragedy of the Middle East is one where we proved incapable of communicating in any other language than the brute and brutal force of empire.
An empire finally, as Thucydides understood, is a disease. As Thucydides wrote, the tyranny that the Athenian empire imposed on others it finally imposed on itself. The disease of empire, according to Thucydides, would finally kill Athenian democracy. And the disease of empire, the disease of nationalism … these of course are mirrored in the anarchic violence of these groups, but one that locks us in a kind of frightening death spiral. So while I certainly fear al-Qaida, I know its intentions. I know how it works. I spent months of my life reconstructing every step Mohamed Atta took. While I don’t in any way minimize their danger, I despair. I despair that we as a country, as Nietzsche understood, have become a monster that we are attempting to fight.”
He presents a perspective which I feel empowers us with a more balanced picture of the conflict between the radical idealists of the East and West. Information which you simply cannot get from the mainstream media. He also presents to us an understanding of the effect the Western worlds reaction may have on Western people living in countries in the Middle East and Asia. Similarly to Hedges I feel it is important to realise the power and potentially destructive effect of our 'word' in response to any event in this rapidly expanding global culture of opinions and ideals.
"Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts inspire your words.
Be careful of your words, for your words precede your actions.
Be careful of your actions, for your actions become your habits.
Be careful of your habits, for your habits build your character.
Be careful of your character, for your character decides your destiny."
- Author unknown.
LINK TO FULL TALK BY CHRIS HEDGES -http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/chris_hedges_speaks_on_osama_bin_ladens_death_20110502/
-Photo: AP / Pablo Martinez Monsivais
