[Air-l] the september project in the news

Maximilian Forte mcforte at kacike.org
Mon Jul 12 12:14:18 PDT 2004


Thanks Ulla, I am happy to share my opinion (that's all it is),

especially if it can be used to correct false or imposed universalisms as
present in the statement: "It's not about an American thing. It's about
issues that concern all of us, no matter what country we live in." Americans
have been setting the agendas for many peoples in many places for many
decades...that is an American thing.

The article itself also reinforced my perception that this was an "American
thing" (I love this expression, and I will now make it my own). How?

It's an American thing to think that you can divorce politics from
discussions of political issues such as democracy, citizenship, and good
lord, patriotism--from the article: "The directors of The September Project
are determined to keep politics out of the day's events."

It's an American thing if one of the dominant questions mentioned is: "What
do you like about America?"

It's an American thing in the minds of some of the participants that were
quoted: "Nationally, I think we're just coming out of a period of mourning,"
said Zavorska. "We're beyond the shock and grief, and now we need to start
talking about what it meant to us."

Leaving aside the ubiquitous "terrorist sympathizers"...I think there are
many lucid, otherwise decent individuals for whom 9-11 was also not a
"tragedy", not that they glowed with joy either. In comparison to the
massive tragedies that many have suffered, and continue to suffer worldwide,
9-11 is minor, VERY minor. But, thankfully, the Internet can be added to the
mass media in over-amplifying American concerns and making the whole world
own those concerns, like it or not.

I am not actually criticizing the project here--it's the way the "thing"
gets framed that really bothers me. If there were one source of relief about
not being an American citizen, it would be not having one's social agenda
dictated to by American fears, American concerns, and American hysterias.
Wanting to be "independent" of the dictates of others is also...here we
go...an "American thing", so I am sure you understand the sentiments well.

All the best,

Maximilian C. Forte






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