Reverberations from 9-11

A friend of mine just sent me the address of a website with photos of expressions of sympathy and solidarity from all over the world right after 9-11. The website is http://www.coreykoberg.com/9-11-01/ . If you check it out you’ll probably shed some tears.

It is so sad that the perveyors of hate and animosity have since done everything in their power including outrageous lies and ridiculous charges all laced with the vitriol of class, ethnic, racial and political hatred and envy to divide us and virtually incite mob rule. And to what purpose? That singular, self-serving purpose is political power and monetary gain for themselves. They believe they have discovered that fanning the flames of envy into unreasoning hatred among the poor and less educated will gain them the votes they need to gain power and thus money for themselves with little regard for any damage it does to our nation.

I'm quite certain those in opposition could have found a more constructive means to oppose what they believe to be wrong, but they chose instead to use the path of inciting hatred. They chose to use their followers in the media to help them launch a campaign of charges, condemnations, and even more importantly, omissions in hopes of molding public opinion and affecting elections in their favor. They acted on the known fact that it is far far easier (and cheaper) to destroy than to build. The murderous Islamic 9-11 terrorists who used planes as bombs clearly demonstrated that a few men can destroy in short order what took many men years and a great deal of money and effort to build. This old lesson has not been lost on the left.

The easy way is destruction-- the hard way is cooperation, creativity and construction. Cheap and dirty attacks are much easier than hard work, dedication, cooperation and building. In addition, those who for whatever reason are at the bottom of the income and education scales-- the underpriveleged-- the have-nots-- are easily enlisted in causes that promise the destruction of those better off than they. Enlisted by words of hatred and condemnation for those they envy for whatever reason they become a mob with mayhem and destruction their aim. How much easier to bring down those they envy than to work to raise themselves up.

In his book, "The True Believer," Eric Hoffer describes men who think so little of themselves they can only gain self-esteem by abandoning "self" to a "cause." These true believers, as he calls them, will do anything, including committing suicide for their cause. Following their "leaders" who enslave them to serve the leader’s own and often undefined purpose, these are not men of free will, but true slaves of those who manipulate them. Such is the enemy free men now face including those within our nation as well as those elsewhere.

Here, from fifty years ago, are two of my favorite Eric Hoffer Quotes that describe these people so accurately:

“To know a person's religion we need not listen to his profession of faith but must find his brand of intolerance.”

“People unfit for freedom - who cannot do much with it - are hungry for power. The desire for freedom is an attribute of a have type of self. It says: leave me alone and I shall grow, learn, and realize my capacities. The desire for power is basically an attribute of a have not type of self.”