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Now that you've so masterfully put things into perspective, I will never bother feeling sympathy for anyone who dies in any other country. After all, shit happens. Live with it.
I'm glad you've been able to point out the folly of us wittering American to us so we can truly understand ourselves. Thank you so very much.
However, as a matter of fact, on 9/11, sitting in a bar in midtown Manhattan, bunched around a television screen with a crowd of other people trying to figure out what the fuck was going on, I remember distinctly thinking to myself, "Well, I guess America has finally joined the rest of the world."
At other times I've said that whenever something tragic happens in America we want to turn the site into a museum, whereas if Europe had taken the same approach after the first two World Wars the whole continent would be nothing but a museum.
Do you know what, though? New Yorkers aren't walking around all the time talking about 9/11. Most of us have made whatever fitful peace we can with the fact that we live in a city that is a likely target for future terrorist attacks, and we're getting on with our lives.
I would venture to guess, however, that the real trauma for most people who live in New York is the death of 3000 or so of its fellow citizens and the destruction of a major defining landmark. That's just a guess. I'm also just guessing that that would have been traumatic even if we lived in a country that had seen that sort of thing happen to them before.
Ah, yes, and here come the hand-wringing liberals. Everyone's favorite cliche - alongside the ugly American. You see, you can't take exception with a movie that exploits a tragedy that took place to your city without being some nattering, pathetic, wimpy, hand-wringing liberal. We're supposed to revel in the regurgitated images of the violence inflicted on you, because, after all, it's just a monster movie. Indeed, I'm sure a burgeoning Iraqi movie industry is already churning out delightful sci-fi action-adventure flicks that are metaphors for Operation Shock and Awe. I just hope there are no hand-wringing liberals in Iraq.
I guess you're absolutely right. I should just remember that 9/11 was no big deal, that the only thing traumatic about it was a bunch of self-deluded Americans getting their comeuppance, and I should buy a ticket and settle down with a bag of popcorn to what looks like a truly crappy flick by J.J. Abrams.
It's my duty as a citizen of the world.
Oh yeah, and did I forget to say fuck you?
