What do we do now? (was: RE: [thechat] Palestinians)

[spinhead]

I've been amazed over the last few days (since I've been on the list, but
mostly the last few days) how easy it's been to have a multicultural
multinational conversation.

I like your point, Bill. It MUST be good for SOMETHING.

Oh; you were hoping I had an answer?

spinhead


----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill" <bhaenel at twcny.rr.com>
To: <thechat at lists.evolt.org>
Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 6:57 PM
Subject: What do we do now? (was: RE: [thechat] Palestinians)


> WARNING -- VERY VERY VERY VERY LONG MESSAGE BELOW...READ THIS ONLY IF YOU
> LOVE PAIN AND HAVE A DESIRE TO EXPERIENCE EXTREME EYESTRAIN:
>
>
> > there will literally be no end to this until
> > we can improve on descriptions like "freaky-wiedy madmen" for our
> > aggressors.
>
> Okay, okay - you got me. BUT --- you're spelling of "wierdy" was
incorrect.
> Please refrain from such gross error in the future.
>
> [but seriously...]
>
> You are correct, and I was sorely mistaken. They are certainly not mad,
and
> in fact are more likely clear-headed and quite intelligent to have
> coordinated and pulled this thing off. However, it is more than tempting
to
> associate such extreme passion with a loss of sanity. Especially when we
> REALLY DON'T KNOW what their true motivation is, as you adeptly pointed
out.
>
>
> > We need to walk in their shoes (nod to Erika) and attempt to
> > understand their perspecitve.
>
> I'm scared to try such a thing, but indeed it will be the best way to
> understand and then as immediately as possible, stop them.
>
> We are taught as Americans, from an early age, (in the immortal words of
> John Belushi, and I guess someone more important than him before that if
> that's possible) that "when the going gets tough, the tough get going". In
> the face of destruction and death on our own soil, we know only how to
keep
> going by simply not stopping. So it's easy to immediately begin looking
for
> someone to blame and punish, often at the expense of digging a deeper
hole.
> But then, that's how we grew so fast, isn't it? Isn't that how we got
where
> we are? By sheer strength, determination and a little Yankee ingenuity?
> Maybe the time for all of that is over, but I'm simply afraid of what will
> happen if we back off.
>
> > And I worry it may escalate. It will be hard now to pull off another
> > devastating attack on this scale, but we may be seeing the beginning of
> > a period of unrelenting terrorist activity if no new ideas come out.
> > More suffering, more deaths - and we'll still not know why.
>
> I know. I worry, too.
>
> Okay, so what do we do. I mean, really...WHAT DO WE DO NOW??? As I said, I
> can't simply sit back and hope and watch and hope. There must be something
> we can do besides the obvious like giving blood and fighting and shooting
> and stuff. I mean, in the future, starting now, what do we do?
>
> The members of this list are sitting at the desks of some of the key
> communication points on this planet. In the past, our "internet" thing has
> been a great way to make money, and oh btw send email and stuff. Is it
> possible that the many great minds that have crawled out of hiding to take
> over the net are now available to actually do some good on a greater
level?
> Can't we find a way to do something with this great system that we, with
our
> own hands, have built over the last (very few) years?
>
> Any ideas? Am I falling down gracefully?
>
> There must be something, right? Screw E-commerce, let's use our
> multi-national, self-created society here to do something. Nobody wants it
> for anything else anymore, right? Certainly BANNER ADS, aside from seeming
> incredibly insignificant right now, aren't worth a damn. You know the
> internet was destined for something better than it's accomplished up until
> now. We're too smart to sit back and make intelligent comments about
> international policies and hope that POLITICIANS do something right! What
do
> they know? We're the ones that are directly tapped into the world's most
> incredible communication system.
>
> Okay, I have no ideas, but I give a great speech, right? I understand that
I
> am a big silly-head with an incredibly naiive mentality about the world
and
> too much idealism. But if I'm not who will be?
>
> Consider that bizarre (if somewhat misplaced) message on [thelist] earlier
> today about the Nostradamus thread on Google Groups. Did you read that?
> Scary stuff. Some guy actually sounds like he knew something. Who knew?
Who
> said anything until it was too late? Imagine what you could do with what
you
> know about protocols and ip's and servers and shit.
>
> We are the ones who are tapped into the heartbeat. So how do we get
> involved? Come on geeks...
>
> blah, blah, blah...no one will ever chat with me again...
>
> BH
>
> > Its called *opinion*, and it's something that has *always* been
respected on this list, so let's not forget that.
>