X-Message-Number: 17555
From: "Mark Plus" <>
Subject: When you strike the king....
Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2001 22:37:00 -0700

In Message #17540, Mike Darwin writes, referring to Charles Lindbergh's 
assessment about the survival of our way of life,

>Without a moral center he felt certain that technology would the source of 
>the destruction of Western Civilization. Short-sighted self interest, 
>over-optimism, and moral expediency were the real enemies he was concerned 
>about. I believe in this he was right.

While reflecting about the 9-11 atrocity, I was reminded of the saying, 
"When you strike the king, you better kill him."

This enormity is fundamentally different from earlier terrorist attacks in 
that it directly assaulted the ruling class in this country.  The 
destruction of the World Trade Center has killed or financially devastasted 
a lot of wealthy people in the U.S. (consider the interruptions in trade, 
grounding of air lines, insurance claims, etc.), and the economic 
hemorrhaging will probably last for years.

For a long time now they have been able to depend on proxies in the U.S. 
Government to do their heavy lifting.  A few servicemen from blue-collar 
backgrounds would get killed here and there by terrorists, but financiers, 
bankers, etc., have shrugged it off as the cost of doing business in a 
dangerous world.   Now they realize that the shield has failed to protect 
them, and they are angry, frightened, and given the economic incentives to 
act.  Those terrorists have awakened a metaphorical "Great Satan," indeed.

I predict now that they will do whatever it takes to make this threat  go 
away, even if they have to pursue radical, ostensibly illegal or immoral 
solutions in private because they can't generate the necessary  political 
will and cooperation from our government.  I can just imagine the kinds of 
pressures they are putting on poor George W. Bush, who was born into this 
class and is politically obligated to them.  In the real world, people are 
quite willing to hold onto wealth and power using whatever means they find  
expedient.

Welcome to the 21st Century.

Sincerely,

Mark Plus


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