A Day Of Remembrance

Introduction

I did not know it at the time, but on September 11, 2001, my life changed forever. And not just my life, but the lives of everyone in the Western world, whether they were Americans, Europeans, or of a completely different origin. On that day, our freedom and our very way of life was boldly challenged and threatened by a group of people who were but a few representatives of a wholly violent religion (and I use that term loosely). In this essay, I will look at the past, present, and future in relation to September 11, 2001. The past is important because it shows us mistakes and how to avoid them; the present because it is what directly affects us; and the future because our very survival hinges on what will happen. All three of these are important with regards to the victims as well: close to 3000 innocent people, mostly Americans, died that day. America and the entire Western world should be united against those who would wreak such destruction up us, yet we are more disunited than ever before.

The Past

September 11, 2001 was not a declaration of war on the United States. It was but a battle (albeit a large one) of a much larger war, a war that extends beyond our lifetimes. Islam has been warring with the West for a long time now. Remember the Battle of Kosovo in 1389? And what about the Siege of Vienna in 1529 and the later Battle of Vienna in 1683? These are but a few examples of Muslims seeking to spread Islam to the Western world. One need look no further than the aftermath of these battles to see the destructive influence that Islam had on Europe. The Serbs lost the Battle of Kosovo with disastrous results that still plague them to this very day. The Austrians won both the Siege of Vienna (though it could be called a Pyrrhic victory) and the Battle of Vienna; as a result, Austria flourished. Think about all the excellent culture that has come from Austria alone: Mozart, arguably one of the greatest composers ever to have lived, was Austrian. Austria has also produced many outstanding artists, architects, writers, scientists, and mathematicians (see a list here of famous Austrians). Serbia has... what? Islam stifles progress so much that Serbia did not make as much of a contribution to the world as her other western European neighbors.

Keep in mind I am not trying to slight the Serbs in the least. I am actually very pro-Serbia. Still, it is significant and important that Serbia has not produced many famous people and of the ones it has, many made their contributions abroad in a different country or lived in Serbia after it was free of Ottoman rule.

America did not really have these earlier encounters with Islam. The Atlantic Ocean was a buffer between us and Europe for many years. It made possible the American foreign policy of isolationism. Technological developments of World War II (namely the atomic bomb) rendered isolationism obsolete (though many libertarians would disagree--it is because of this that I am not a libertarian). As our world and way of life became more globalised, our exposure to Islam increased. Despite the physical distance between us and the Middle East, Muslims were able to come to America (and the West in general) more easily. Terrorists attempted to blow up the World Trade Center in 1993, but failed, finally succeeding in bringing down the towers in 2001.

In the aftermath of the attack on September 11, 2001, America was very united. I can remember seeing a sudden explosion of American flags and a surge of American patriotism. Today though, a mere seven years later, one does not see that anymore.

The Present

Abraham Lincoln famously said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." Three years later, America, which was severely divided over the issue of slavery, erupted in civil war, one of the most bloody conflicts our country has seen.

America today is very politically divided. There is of course a lot of tension due to this being an election year, but there was great division even before the election. Both sides of the political spectrum are in opposition to each other, unable to agree on much. The right wants to take military action against the terrorists (the "war on terror", an endeavour I have mixed feelings about) while the left just wants to "talk" and "reason" with the terrorists.

There is obviously quite a contrast in these views. Thinking that we can reason with our enemies is quite a fallacy and will get us nowhere. Look at where all of the reasoning with Adolf Hitler got us: a massive war in which there were approximately twelve million civilian casualties alone, not to mention astounding military loss. It is common sense that we cannot reason with people who want us dead, but apparently common sense is not very common. Attempting to reason with those who perpetrated the attacks is not only stupid, but insulting to those who died.

The Future

The future of our world does not look very good, to put it bluntly. A best case scenario, in my view, will involve the West waking up to the threat of Islam, electing politicians who represent their change in views, and eventually fighting a bloody war with Islam (these people have been waging jihad since the dawn of their religion--they will not give up easily). A worst case scenario will involve Islam winning the war against us and achieving the dream they have held for over a thousand years: a world ruled by Islam. In that fateful case, life will not be worth living anymore.

But the goal of this section is not to speculate on what will happen, but rather to enumerate what we should do in the future in light of the events of September 11, 2001. I would advocate the following:

-Stop funding terrorists. This means that absolutely none of our money should be allowed to reach them. Obviously this may not be feasible immediately because of their oil reserves, but is not limited to oil. I would advocate a full-scale trade embargo with any country that harbours terrorists.

-Stop immigration. Immigration from Muslim countries should be cut off fully, and other immigration cut back. All illegal immigrants, regardless of their country of origin, should be deported and borders enforced (that is probably more easily said than done, though).

-Cultivate closer relations with Russia. Our treatment of Russia has alienated them and driven them into the hands of those who also hate America, such as Iran. Russia has the potential to arm Iran with nuclear weapons, and the last thing we need is a nuclear Iran. Russia may not be an ideal country, but they are much less worse than the Muslim Middle Eastern countries. Russia is also almost a natural ally of the United States because they also have Muslims waging jihad in their country (can you say Chechnya, anyone?).

-Give strong support to Israel. I'm a big fan of Israel, and Jews in general. We should continue to support Israel, a wonderful country with every right to exist. Israel is a decent country surrounded by countries full of people who would love to see them dead. Every day that Israel continues to exist is a blow to our enemies. Let's hope America will continue to support this excellent country.

-Stop our pro-terror policies in the Balkans. America has done some pretty embarrassing things in the Balkans in the last twenty years or so. We have continually been against Serbia (which is a most excellent country), supporting their enemies instead. We supported Bosnia, but Bosnia supported al-Qaeda.

Conclusion

I understand that not all may agree with some of my points, especially the ones I just enumerated. I would like to say something that every American (and every decent person) ought to agree with: September 11 was a terrible tragedy and I would like to extend condolences to those who lost loved ones that day. May America never see such a tragic day again, and may she stand strong in the face of her enemies. Resisting evil is never easy, but is always worth it in the end.

Image credit.