Another changer sparked by 9/11
I was going to put up a post about Serena Williams’ meltdown at the US Open, and the reaction to it. But I think I’ll wait till tomorrow, because I want to stick to the topic of 9/11 and its aftermath.
I’ve already written my reflections on the 17th anniversary of the day. But commenter “Matthew” has kindly referred me to this eloquent essay by another political changer who found the events of 9/11 to be the beginning of the process for her.
Annika Hernroth-Rothstein is not even an American. Born in Sweden, she explains that at the time of 9/11 she had just returned to Sweden from living in Paris for a year, a year in which she had happily functioned as a leftist radical.
Here’s what she has to say about what happened to her on 9/11 and beyond:
I [had] identified as an intellectual and as a political thinker with a critical mind. What I failed to acknowledge at the time was that my country [Sweden] was a controlled environment and that the spectrum on which political analysis took place was limited…
During his speech on September 14, 2001, President Bush said that adversity introduces us to ourselves. Well, on that day I was introduced to who I had been and who I truly was. I saw my own place in the context of history, and how the ideas that I helped promote, the accusations I had met with silence, all had a part in shaping the world I now saw burning before me.
It wasn’t a game. I had played it, but it was never a game.
In the weeks that followed, I watched the American news with one eye, and its European counterpart with the other. It was like seeing the slow shifting of the tectonic plates, dividing the world through op-eds and analysis. On September 12, 2001, the headline of the largest Swedish newspaper read, “We Are All Americans.” A few weeks later, that beautiful creed had already been forgotten. The one time my country could side with the U.S. was when America was on its knees, but when it refused to stay down it quickly went back to the smug relativism of World War II, the icy efficiency of a country never having to fight for either ethics or its existence.
Soon enough, the narrative was clear. The end of the story had already been written: The U.S. was unjustly acting as the world police, once again. Bush was a moron and a puppet. America was killing innocent people for oil. It went on and on, and all I could think was that if I know that these things are not true, then what other lies have I accepted as truth throughout my life?
So I pulled at the thread of my ideology, and it all unraveled before me.
Except for that fact that I’m not European, I was never much of an activist, and never a leftist, this fits my own experience, particularly the words “if these things are not true, what other lies have I accepted as truth” and “I pulled at the thread of my ideology, and it all unraveled before me.”
It didn’t happen so quickly for me. It probably didn’t happen all that quickly for Annika, either; after all, she’s writing a brief essay and has to summarize. I got to tell my story in longer form.
But the basics are very similar: acceptance of the views of those around me, and of the tale told in the MSM, without too much question. A sudden jolt, leading to research and more thought, and a discovery of lies and misunderstandings and incomplete truths that raise so many questions.
The sleeve unravels, slowly or quickly. The house of cards falls. The sand shifts.
And one day you wake up and enough has changed that you realize you have moved to a different place, and discover that a lot of people you love don’t understand what has happened to you.
“The sleeve unravels, slowly or quickly. The house of cards falls. The sand shifts.
And one day you wake up and enough has changed that you realize you have moved to a different place, and discover that a lot of people you love don’t understand what has happened to you.”
And so say we all.
Sigh. “The U.S. was unjustly acting as the world police, once again.”. Yeah, I’d love to stay home. But, to riff on Kevin Kline, then “You’d be the littlest province in the Russian Empire”. Or Chinese Empire, or something.
“… if I know that these things are not true, then what other lies have I accepted as truth …?”
So how did she know that these things are not true?? I know the piece is not long and can’t do justice to that question, but … how? I’ve heard that there is shockingly little free speech in Swedish media, which she hints at. Did she pick up more information in Paris? It seems like she was too busy cheerleading for the neo-Marxists for that. Did the Swedish media engage in so much hyperbole that it became too much to stomach?
Most folks are unaware of this but during WWII Sweden allowed free passage thru Sweden, via rail, of German troops on the way to Finland to help the Finns fight the Russians.
The Russians had invaded Finland as a by product of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 1939, in which Hitler and Stalin had agreed to “give” themselves those parts of Europe each wished to conquer.
It was this Pact, that gave Hitler the green light to invade Poland in Sept, 1939 – which started WWII in Europe AND !!!! allowed Stalin/Russia to invade Eastern Poland a few weeks later (you can actually find photos of Nazi and Russian troops shaking hands in Poland in 1939 and having a jolly good time too).
Think about this next time you hear about the “good war.”
Please recall that for the Swedes, Finns and Baltic nations, the real threat had been (and for several hundred years) the Russians, and that Stalin (the worst mass murderer in world history up until the mid 1950s) was the real threat to their sovereignty.
In this manner, Sweden retained it’s neutrality during WWII.
By the way, for Sweden, Finland , the Baltic Nations, Poland TODAY, they STILL fear Russia. This is why each of these nations have once again initiated conscription and have begun re-building their defense forces .
Also note that up until 1990 or so, Sweden had a VERY capable defense force aimed at preventing / thwarting any potential Russian invasion. And very recently, the Swedes have once again began preparing for any Russian invasion.
Sweden (as has Switzerland) have not fought in any war for several hundred years. BOTH of these nations have historically armed themselves to the teeth and have , if you will, “compromised” their policies as necessary, to maintain neutrality.
The Swedes today face a threat just as dire when opposing Stalin and the Russians ; the mass invasion of North African Muslims invited in by the globalists/Socialiists/communists within the Swedish govt.
Sweden today is the rape capital of Europe and despite some gains of the anti-immigration political party in very recent elections there, the majority of Swedes still live in a fantasy world (as does Merkel of Germany, and the other leaders of Europe).
The Swedes are still livin in a fantasy world; the believe if you are kind to folks, they will be kind to you.
Sure.
Some Swedes have woken up to reality.
Most have not.
They will be forced to.
Glad you liked the article.
It’s interesting that someone so far to the left could change.
She had a piece in yesterday’s WSJ:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/nationalism-riseseven-in-sweden-1536619575
There is an excellent book about 9/11 that I found almost by accident in a big box store book shelf. It is called “Touching History” and is an account from a woman airline pilot who has interviewed the ATC people plus other pilots. One of her stories is about a flight that was grounded right away in Detroit. A small group of Arab men in First Class left the flight and disappeared. Al Qeada material was found in their abandoned carry on luggage.
A friend of mine, a United pilot, told me that holes had been found drilled from the forward restroom into the cockpit around that time.
My change was marked by an epiphany of characterization. What I thought was left, was actually right. A confusion that may have been forced through a frame shift. The rest of the path is overlaid with discovery of principles (e.g.individual dignity, intrinsic value, inordinate worth) that are internally, externally, and mutually consistent, and a perpetual process of reconciliation to discern facts on the ground.
“Night fell and morning broke before I managed to get off that floor to answer my phone. On the other end I heard my boyfriend’s voice, chanting frantically:
Two more towers! Two more towers! Two more towers!
He and his friends were having a party, celebrating the attack on America.”
And to think that part of MY taxes protect those who wish me death. There is a reason I now refer to them as Zeropeans.
Yet, we have many of our fellow Americans who think Eurotrash is more sophisticated and smarter as they cringe under the Crescent
again..
none of them changed. they found what they sided with falsely represented them and left. that’s not change, that’s finding your integrity intact… not leaving after awareness would be changing
Mike K:
I wrote about that book already, and recommended it, in this post.
Excellent book.
[Karl] Stockhausen, who emerged in the 1950’s as one of a reigning trio of avant-garde composers that included Pierre Boulez and Luigi Nono, was taking questions before a four-day festival of his works in Hamburg. In disjointed comments that were taped by a German radio station and reported internationally, Mr. Stockhausen, 73, called the attack on the World Trade Center ”the greatest work of art that is possible in the whole cosmos.” Extending the analogy, he spoke of human minds achieving ”something in one act” that ”we couldn’t even dream of in music,” in which ”people practice like crazy for 10 years, totally fanatically, for a concert, and then die.” Just imagine, he added: ”You have people who are so concentrated on one performance, and then 5,000 people are dispatched into eternity, in a single moment. I couldn’t do that. In comparison with that, we’re nothing as composers.”
When he realized how the reporters were reacting, he backtracked and asked that his words not be quoted.
https://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/30/arts/music-the-devil-made-him-do-it.html
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I don’t know how one says something so hateful and stupid in public.
It’s interesting that someone so far to the left could change.
Matthew: I had about twenty feet of leftist books on my shelves when 9-11 happened. I read most of them. Quite a lot of Chomsky!
My first thought upon learning Bin Laden had been quickly singled out as the prime mover was that Bin Laden must be the patsy — like Lee Harvey Oswald.
But I had also read a lot of Islam, so when my comrades asked “Why do they hate us?” I knew that was BS. Muslims hate us because we have not submitted to Allah. Pure and simple.
My conversion didn’t happen over night. Like the classic Hemingway quote, “How did you go bankrupt? Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.”
Once I started asking hard questions of my leftism, it all unravelled — gradually, then suddenly.
My conversion was accelerated when my comrades attacked me bitterly and personally.
I was angry on an intellectual level before 9/11. But I became angry on a blood boiling level after 9/11.
Find out just how much you don’t want to anger me. Your country will become dust.
The Danish Sirius Dog Patrol. Yes, it’s Navy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCTw6WNx_-4
F***ing Greenland.
If you are unlucky to live so long I’ll tell you about the HMS Rawalpindi.
“And then we’ll die” the skipper says to his chief engineer. Which is what we in hospitality industry call a teaser.
I had long been Libertarian — voting for Ed Clark & David Bergland rather than conservative favorite Reagan (1980, ’84). But I moved to Slovakia (on my way around the world, still incomplete) and became more involved in Christian Democrat policy plus finding a girl and getting married.
There was a Free Market group, the Mt. Pelerin Society (founded by FA Hayek), having it’s annual weekly meeting in Bratislava. Attendees included Nobel winning Gary Becker and Michael Novak (whose ancestors were from East Slovakia). That morning I was on a panel supporting Slovakia’s plan to join the Euro zone — there was lively discussion and arguments by Becker favoring competing currencies and expecting the Euro to have problems. The Euro DID have, and does have problems (see Greece), but these can be politically resolved and, most importantly for Slovakia, being in the Euro meant it would be far, far easier for foreign companies to set up in Slovakia. Which was also true.
… I was far more economically oriented then. Went home for lunch and nap and was awoken by wife around 3pm (6hrs ahead of Wall Street) with the news…
Libertarians are mostly non-interventionist free traders. I took 9/11 as a wake up call and the time to support — a World Without Dictators. The two best blogs were Instapundit, and Michael Totten … where Neo actually started commenting before she starting this blog (and I thought, as did Michael, that her comments were insightful). I was strongly against Bush Derangement Syndrome.
I am ashamed and saddened that so many post-WW II boomers are so accepting of the Cambodian genocide, Killing Fields that happened while we are alive and voting. Similarly the Rwandan genocide, of black Hutus murdering black Tutsis. (I spent 3 months working in Rwanda 6 years ago).
America has never been perfect, but has been great since 1776. Most Republican voters love the American ideals of: “All men are created equal”, “land of the brave, home of the free”, “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”, plus enforcement of contracts and private property, leading to prosperity.
BDS >> Trump Derangement Syndrome. Trump is Hitler; Romney was Hitler (until he lost); McCain was Hitler (ditto); Bush was Hitler; Reagan was Hitler.
The US democrats suffer from Democrat Derangement Syndrome, where those who disagree are Hitler. (I would call it Leftist Derangement Syndrome to include the international dimension, but there are (D) Dems on the ballot, not “Leftist”).
Either the Reps and normal Americans are successful at fighting back, and Making America Great Again, and supporting Free Speech again, or America will be on the socialist Venezuela path. Even a rich country, with bad socialist policies, can be destroyed. Even Sweden, with too many non-Euro, non-Christian oriented immigrants, can be destroyed.
It’s already tomorrow. 🙂
It’s not part of the proud history of our armed forces. But men and women launched on 9/11. If they had to they would have brought down those commercial airliners. Full of innocent men, women, and children. They would have hated it, But they would have done it. For you.
I am a first responder who worked the site for months..God bless you for remembering………..
I watched the second airliner hit WTC building 2. I was watching ‘Good Morning America,’ back when I still watched a bit of TV and was getting ready to take the train to Los Angeles to teach my medical students. I did go on up to the school and, of course, classes were cancelled.
I was a medical student the day Kennedy was assassinated and walked into the autopsy lab just as the radio was reporting “shots fired.”
Angel on September 12, 2018 at 10:49 am at 10:49 am said:
I am a first responder who worked the site for months..God bless you for remembering………..
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And God bless you, and all those who responded so heroically.
huxley on September 12, 2018 at 12:18 am at 12:18 am said:
[Karl] Stockhausen, who emerged in the 1950’s as one of a reigning trio of avant-garde composers that included Pierre Boulez and Luigi Nono, was taking questions before a four-day festival of his works in Hamburg.
* * *
This was so intriguing I looked up the NYT article, and the Wikipedia entry for the composer.
Wiki first – not surprisingly, Stockhausen takes issue with the newspaper:
“In a press conference in Hamburg on 16 September 2001, Stockhausen was asked by a journalist whether the characters in Licht were for him “merely some figures out of a common cultural history” or rather “material appearances”. Stockhausen replied, “I pray daily to Michael, but not to Lucifer. I have renounced him. But he is very much present, like in New York recently” (Stockhausen 2002, 76). The same journalist then asked how the events of 11 September had affected him, and how he viewed reports of the attack in connection with the harmony of humanity represented in Hymnen. He answered:
“Well, what happened there is, of course—now all of you must adjust your brains—the biggest work of art there has ever been. The fact that spirits achieve with one act something which we in music could never dream of, that people practise ten years madly, fanatically for a concert. And then die. [Hesitantly.] And that is the greatest work of art that exists for the whole Cosmos. Just imagine what happened there. There are people who are so concentrated on this single performance, and then five thousand people are driven to Resurrection. In one moment. I couldn’t do that. Compared to that, we are nothing, as composers. […] It is a crime, you know of course, because the people did not agree to it. They did not come to the “concert”. That is obvious. And nobody had told them: “You could be killed in the process.” (Stockhausen 2002, 76–77)”
(To see how the excerpt appeared out of its context, and in English translation, see Tommasini 2001. For a translation of a larger context of the exchange, see Hänggi 2011. The full text of the press conference, in German, is printed as Stockhausen 2002.)”
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And this from NYT later in their article:
“Even if you concede that Mr. Stockhausen meant to say that Lucifer was the creator behind the terrorist ”work of art,” his words are still an affront. Art may be hard to define, but whatever art is, it’s a step removed from reality. A theatrical depiction of suffering may be art; real suffering is not. Because the art of photography often blurs this distinction, it can make us uncomfortable. Real people, sometimes suffering people, have been photography’s unwitting subjects. That’s why we have photojournalism, to keep things clearer. The image of a naked, fleeing, napalm-burned Vietnamese girl is truth, not art. Images of the blazing twin towers, however horrifically compelling, are not art.”
That image, as Neo recounts, was neither Art not Truth.
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“..neither Art nor Truth..”
These stories of changing one’s viewpoints based on new information always fascinate me.
The first step for me was reading “Radical Son”, the autobiography of David Horowitz and his sudden realization that the Left cares only about power despite all the psychobabble happy talk bullshit they throw around.
Highly recommended.