When America went insane
Never Forget is good advice
September 11th is a tough day for many Americans, as they remember the worst single attack on the contemporary United States. And the week around it can be fraught. As internet shitposters make memes about it, patriots and people with empathy for the victims repeat the mantra ‘never forget’.
And we shouldn’t.
The people who perished and their families and friends, the emergency service workers and ordinary folk who were in the vicinity of the falling towers, anyone living in a city where such an act of violence was visited must live with trauma the rest of us cannot understand. And in the week of its anniversary, it’s a fitting mark of respect to remember the suffering and loss of 11 September 2001. And. But. Also. We should remember what happened afterwards.
America went mad.
The land of liberty passed law after law restricting freedoms in the name of security and started torturing people even suspected of ill will towards the empire. A country that had long and loudly claimed justice for all, invaded nations that had nothing to do with the attack, punishing militaries and civilians alike for crimes they did not commit. They killed hundreds of thousands and their actions led to the deaths of millions. Because America lost its mind that day.
In a way it was understandable. A violent attack, on a devastating scale — these kinds of things will damage a national psyche, will activate a fight or flight response at a societal level. Horror, fear, anger and the urge to retalliate are normal. Even lashing out, unfocused and unreasonable, is to be expected. But America’s was not a normal reaction.
It was the reaction of an empire and of a nation that has internalised its own foundation myths so comprehensively that it truly believes it is the greatest nation on earth, and its citizens should enjoy more protection than anyone on earth. That these myths are deeply integrated into American society is easy to see. Kamala Harris, the supposed enlightened, moderate and reasonable presidential candidate, was able to promise Americans the ‘most lethal’ military in the world, to rapturous applause from what, in America, passes as a progressive audience. Because America is special. America is best. America is blessed.
The USA’s insane reaction to 9-11 was not just the reasonable (or understandable) response of a wronged party to an appalling assault. It was the shocked indignation at an insult.
How dare they. The affront was not just what had happened, but to whom. How dare they do this to us.
And that sentiment was echoed in the question (or, more often, the absence of the question): Why?
The glib answer, that ‘they hate our freedom’ (or the even less reasonable ‘they are evil’) is a clue as to why the tragedy happened at all. America had for a century (and more) behaved like a global bully, striding the world dispensing misery in the cause of protecting its interests, and under the guise of ‘spreading freedom’. Regardless of whether the beneficiaries of this kindness wanted it.
This is how all empires behave (or have behaved so far), so British folks need not get too smug about Uncle Sam’s failings. Our own empire did the same thing, also often clothing all its self-serving violence in a robe of Christianity. And occasionally both empires did some good. But the inability to see our national failings, to admit our faults and see ourselves the way the world sees us has been the sin of both these empires.
I mean, there are a lot of sins to choose from. Genocide and enslaving, racism and the oppression of women are more egregious, and perhaps they also played a part in the madness that followed 9-11. But the sin of blind pride, of arrogant assumption that God is on our side is what robs our reactions to opposition of all reason and moderation.
We have seen it in Israel over almost a year, so outraged, so indignant at the temerity of a group for whom they had demonstrated a total lack of respect, that such people would attack them. And the screaming wounded pride that they might succeed.
It’s natural to be angry when your people are hurt and killed. It is moral insanity to let that wound drive you to massacre children, torture prisoners and relentlessly, callously shoot and bomb and bulldoze your way through an entire society, all the while still crying victim.
The United States is in decline. Israel is loathed all over the world. They still have their supporters, who are many and powerful. But even people inside these nations know that what they have done cannot forever go unanswered. And deep down, their leaders do, too. The overreaction, the vindictive brutality of post-9-11 America and post-October-7 Israel reek of guilt and denial. We are at our angriest, sometimes, when we are rebuked and we know the rebuke is justified.
It should go without saying that murder is wrong regardless of who does it, but it is not said often enough that murder is still murder if it’s ‘our side’ doing it. Even if we have told ourselves and our children and their children and the world that we are the good guys.
Denial that anger at us is justified will lead us to do terrible things. Will breed more anger.
This is a lesson that the Church can learn.
If we are criticised and attacked, even in cruel and unkind ways, are we ready to ask why it is happening? Are we ready to hear the answer? Can we listen?
Real persecution happens to Christians in places where they have no power and no standing. I would never want to deny or diminish that. But the animosity we feel in nations where our bishops are in the House of Lords or evangelicals can sway elections? That isn’t persecution. It may be spite. It may be prejudice. But it also may be prophecy. It may be a loss of privilege that we feel as pain.
We can resist injustice, even if that resistance serves ‘us and ours’. But we should always be wary of a narrative that makes us blameless when we enjoy privilege and power.
If we react by lashing out, overreacting, giving into the fundamentalist urge to control, censor, silence and punish, we will not only harm ourselves. We will harm others.
It’s a hard lesson for nations. There’s no reason why it would be easier for individuals.
As a deeply insecure person, I can tell you I have reacted like America before and I probably will again. But the point of following the guy who told us to turn the other cheek is that, if we call ourselves by his name, we kinda have to stop and think before we turn to retribution. And that’s just like-for-like.
Reacting to a slap by burning down the aggressor’s village and salting the earth does not fall into the category of ‘reacting badly’ or failing in one’s Christian duty.
It’s moral insanity. And we should never forget.
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Heeeey friend. You made it to the end of the post. How you been? I have been dooowwwwn this week. But in that way that is super aware of how good I have it, you know? So there’s that. Also been workign with some people on potentially putting together something cool that is much needed in Christian landscape and will soon be looking for collaborators. So if you know any good Christian writers who have reasonable attitudes to faith and politics drop us a line! Anyway, I’m gonna go watch Beetlejuice Beetlejuice now. Jump in the line! xoxoJ