Post #114260 by aquarj on Mon, Sep 13, 2004 7:45 PM

One of the things that really scares me about 9/11, and unfortunately human nature in general, is the readiness to hate. In Rwanda, I guarantee that most outsiders would have difficulty picking out a Hutu from a Tutsi, but Rwandans seem to have perfected this skill. An entire power structure was built on this distinction and the hatred between the groups resulted in a jawdropping genocide, the likes of which the UN had decades earlier promised itself would not be allowed to ever happen again. For those who seek a shortcut to power, one of the quickest routes is to teach young people to hate, and exploit this hatred by assuming a leadership role against a common enemy. I think the choice of an enemy is often almost arbitrary, although certainly it makes sense to exploit emotions like envy. But it is disturbingly easy, because people seem to have an amazing natural tendency, almost a desire, to find dividing lines, whether they be race, religion, height, economic status, culture, language, physical features, or whatever. There are so many examples of this not only in history but in the world we occupy right now. Despite the baffling tendency to look for explanations behind Osama's behavior, it should be obvious that nothing justifies the slaughter of innocents perpetrated by his organization. That is NOT fighting the good fight in any rational mind. Whatever realities underlie the emotions that he has succeeded in exploiting among his followers, the fact remains that he must be stopped, and I feel that the memory of 9/11 is an important reminder of this.

Watching the political discourse in the US, especially now leading up to an election, it's alarming to see the degree to which hatred seems to be encouraged here too. It seems like political groups are leading the political discussion beyond disagreeing with opponents, and into the realm of fostering visceral hatred. And unfortunately a rational review of positions, issues and facts is often easily subverted by this more direct route. The more people are taught to hate, rather than to think, the more it seems like a recipe for disaster.

I don't mean for this to be a political post, and this is not an invitation for right-leaning or left-leaning TCers to point out how their political opponents are guilty of fostering this kind of hatred. It would be much nicer to see people assert their own refusal to submit to hatred, no matter how bad they believe their opponents are. It's not about pointing fingers, it's about doing the right thing oneself.

-Randy