...more recent posts
Open letter to Michael Eisner: please don't outlaw the open internet. (link via htp)
[update: new link to that story is here.]
Amazing photo collection of the world's reaction.
Thursday night I pretty much lost it. I felt so helpless. I think it was the initital shock wearing off. I've noticed that in moments of crisis I go into a very unemotional state of mind. Obviously this could be a good thing if the crisis calls on you to take some action. But by Thursday night it was clear that no action was really possible. No immediate secondary attack was coming. Few survivors would be found. Nothing could be done to make the immediate situation any different. Yet I really wanted to do something. Not being able to was very frustrating. And then this was all mixed with my growing realization about where we are headed. I was starting to see lots of writing on the web calling for war. I started to get very scared. And I sort of lost it. The emotion came out.
Yesterday I didn't talk too much. Today I think I'm out the other side of that phase. Now I'm just sinking into a deeper cynicism. We walked up to Union Square Park last night and it was absolutely packed with people. Completely filled. Candles everywhere. Everyone carrying signs with anti-war slogans: "Justice not war" - "Islam is not the enemy" - "stop the cycle of violence" - things like that. People singing. Huge cheers every time a fire truck went by. Workers covered in dust, draped in American flags, having walked up from the pile. Everyone looking each other in the eye. Tears. Hugs. Love. New Yorker's seem to get it (or maybe just the one's who would be drawn to Union Square to assemble.)
But I fear the rest of the country isn't going to share the peace vibe. And regardless, it seems clear our leaders do not. There is at least a fair chance we're headed into a massive global conflict. Somebody on the national stage has to step forward and ask the basic questions. How is it that our country is rich while other countries are poor? How? And the answer can't be that "we are the chosen people" or "we work harder" or "we are better." People are very mad at us. And even a cursory look at the world would seem to give some very good reasons.
"Playing the world's policeman is not the answer to that catastrophe in New York. Playing the world's policeman is what led to it."
The talking moose has lost his mind. And he seemed sort of reasonable. Let's get a grip on ourselves. Here's a little tip if you're having trouble being human: you should never want to go to war.
I kept singing this song in my head as I was walking around today. Seems like a good one to be humming. Maybe I can put it in your head:
Make love and not war! 'Cause we don't need no trouble.
What we need is love (love)
To guide and protect us on. (on)
If you hope good down from above, (love)
Help the weak if you are strong now. (love)
We don't need no trouble;
What we need is love. Oh, no!
We don't need - we don't need - no more trouble!
Lord knows, we don't need no trouble!
(We don't need) We don't need trouble (no more trouble) -
no more trouble - no more trouble!
Seek happiness! (...) Oh, ...!
Come on, you all and speak of love. (...) Oh, yeah!
We don't need no trouble;
What we need is love, now. (What we need is love!)
("No More Trouble" by Bob Marley from the album "Catch a Fire" - complete lyrics here.)
People gathered in Union Square today in the wake of the World Trade Center disaster. Everybody wants to say something about what happened.
For the few people who read this page, get ready to start reading lots about decentralization. This whole episode has made a few things clear. One is that we need a different telecommunications infrastructure, and it has to be radically decentralized. (Try this Google search for "ad hoc mobile wireless" for an idea.) The NYC cellphone system was not up to the task (although it didn't go down entirely which was nice.) If there had been more panic (like, say, if there had been credible rumors of biological agents on the planes) it would have been necessary to have better communications. We know horrible things can happen. Being prepared with the proper communications technology will make a big difference in the aftermath. The blogging community did a good job, but there's more we can do with some better planning. I can relate to what Dave Winer is saying: "While all this is going on I'm getting tons of ideas for how the software can work better to link people together in time of crisis. It's also a time of great opportunity. Keep your eyes and ears open, observe, and share what you learn."
When Bush says "We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these attacks and those who harbor them," does he include those who armed and trained the attackers? If he does, and Bin Laden turns out to be involved, doesn't that put the U.S. in a tricky situation, since the CIA armed and trained him when they needed a pawn to use against the USSR in Afganistan? If we don't critique ourselves we lose.
Added a series of stills from video footage of the second tower collapse.