Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2001 22:59:51 +0100
From: Jan Straathof <janstr-AT-chan.nl>
Subject: Re: <fwd> Chomsky, Fisk


dear Michael, you wrote i.a.:

>But there is another question
>that comes up for me here with regard to understanding. Perhaps you can
>help. And that relates to the quest for understanding to bring about piece
>of mind. I'm wondering if you have any thoughts about how this occures, or
>what the elements in play are.

imo, to bring about peace of mind, scientific or other forms of
'objective' understanding of the underlying causes and generative
mechanisms is not necessary, nor even sufficient; what i think that
could be of help here most, is the proper /dialectical/ working-
through of the phases of the mourning-process (i.e. shock, negation,
anger, apathy, acceptance, integration, transformation), and let's
hope (and support) that both on the individual and collective level
this healing process can take its course.

>I'm sure you have heard people say that
>they are just trying to understand this event, because somehow not
>understanding it is painful to them. And I wonder how much the need for
>God is the need to fill this void of understanding. We don't understand
>why bad things happen to good people. Where there is no answer, one is
>inserted -- because it is God's will, and we cannot comprehend His will.

i'm very reluctant to talk about something as "God's will, His will"
in regard to whatever kind understanding or solace it could offer
in the current situation; imho this kind of naive antropomorphing
of God [a main illusion in almost all world religions] is not a part
of the solution, but, on the contrary, part of the problem.

-------

allow me to ask some (factual) questions, which maybe you
can help answer for me, because here in the Netherlands the
media coverage is not very accurate imo:

- i remember from the first news that there was also a carbomb
that exploded near the Ministry of Foreign Affaires, but i haven't
heard anything about that anymore ?

- i also remember the news that there were more then 4 planes
hijacked (5 or 6 ?), any more news on that ?

- is there already a reliable and detailed timetable of the different
events and actions of the first day ?

- the first estimates of casualties in the WTC was ca. 30.000 (based
on the fact that on a normal day ca. 100.000 people work/visit the
WTC), yet at the moment (11 days later) the the total count of dead
and missing people numbers ca. 6000 (of which the majority came
from foreign countries, i heard ?); how come so little people were
in the buildings at the moment of the collapse, or could ca. 24.000
people leave the buildings in such a short time ? [and why was the
WTC attacked at 9:00 AM, and not on a later moment, when far
more people could have been hit ?]

- is there any news on the damage and impact the attack had on the
eco-system in and around New York etc. ?


yours,
jan


     -----------------------------------------

     STEHEN, im Schatten
     des Wundenmals in der Luft.

     Fuer-neimand-und-nichts-Stehen.
     Unerkannt,
     fuer dich
     allein.

     Mit allem, was darin Raum hat,
     auch ohne
     Sprache.

                   ~ Celan: Atemwende ~


     -----------------------------------------




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