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The Morality of Death
Why do so many people worship death? And how does a life-loving country
like America get swept away by it? Since 11 September, the terrorists
and their homelands have been described as people that are at war with
"American ideals" or "the American way of life" or "what America stands
for". The politicians and news sluts do not, however, describe exactly
what America does in fact stand for.
An analysis of the events can provide some explanation; but
the public reaction to the events, and the way in which most Americans
are behaving since then, paints an entirely different picture. On one
hand, we can infer what the terrorists believe we stand for when
we look at the targets they chose. The World Trade Center's destruction
was more than the death of 6,000 of America's most productive and intelligent
businessmen - it was the decimation of (as the building was fittingly
named) the center of world trade; and, consequently, of the philosophy
of capitalism, upon which world trade is based. Thus, it is obvious
that the terrorists and third-world dictators see America as the embodiment
of capitalism - as they should; and capitalism, being the target of
their collective hatred, is what they sought to annihilate.
Looking at the past two-and-a-half centuries, this is what America's
enemies have always hated. As proven by American history and
the Constitution of the United States, capitalism is the only system
of voluntary trade between free individuals which allows the exchange
of value for value, to mutual benefit, upon which the creation and sustaining
of life on Earth rests. Our old enemies - the communists - attacked
capitalism as exploitation, claiming it prevented prosperity and destroyed
freedom. 70 years of genocide, dictatorship and foreign debt by communist
states has proven them wrong. To their credit, however, at least the
communists saw prosperity and freedom as their supposed ideals.
Our new enemies not only damn capitalism, but trade and wealth as
well. They are the intrinsicist, religious fanatics who regard man as
a helpless toy at the mercy of an omnipotent superbeing whose existence
must be accepted and revered on faith, with no rational or sensory basis
for that belief. Religion insists that mankind has no free will and
that the only purpose of his life is that which comes after his life.
In rational, objective terms, this can only be his death.
You don't have to take my word for it - just listen to their spokesmen:
"Americans are fighting so that they can live and enjoy the material
things of life," declares one Taliban representative, "but we are fighting
to die in the cause of our gawd." That sums it up rather blatantly,
if you ask me. Another quote: "We are as eager to die as the Americans
are eager to live." No argument there - and please, don't let me get
in your way.
Thus, the terrorists attack capitalism, not because they disagree
with it as the method by which to obtain prosperity and happiness, but
precisely because it allows one to obtain prosperity and happiness.
It is because the creation of wealth and the productive activity of
man's mind are what lead to happiness on this Earth that the life-haters
or Earth-haters attempt to destroy us. It is clear that America stands
for life, if you look at our history and the achievements of our greatest
men: we dedicate our lives not to gawd, but to advancing our careers
and building our cities and our skyscrapers. Our government and political
process revolves - not around control and coercion, as do the majority
of governments in the world - but around individual rights and personal
property. In the phrase "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,"
the last item is clearly the purpose of the first two.
It is clear that Americans are lovers of work, of activity, of life
and of wealth. We are people who wish to produce and love to use our
minds. We are thus appropriate objects of resentment for foreign religious
radicals who regard life's purpose as suffering and sacrifice.
This is why the public reaction to the attacks on America disturbs
me so much. I wince every time I hear someone praise the "sacrifice"
of our police and firemen. This is not what they are doing! Sacrifice
is the deliberate destruction of that which one values. Our heroic firefighters,
policemen and soldiers are not sacrificing - they are doing
their job, knowing that their freedom and their lives depend upon
how well they do it. That is the American sense of life.
This is also why I cringe when I see the record droves of lemming-like
crowds descend on Bulldog Stadium to witness an anti-secularist, pro-sacrifice
religious spokesman preach the enemy's morality. I also understand all
too well that I am in a minority here. I'm sure that I am one of the
few people I know that did not go to the Graham crusade, and this is
very disturbing. The attack on our country should have led individuals
to think rationally, and care more about their lives and their freedom.
Instead, more and more people are turning to mysticism and death - with
every call for "prayer" or "gawd bless America".
As an American, I have become accustomed to expecting rational behavior
from my fellow men. I have always assumed that most individuals are
benevolent by nature and that they see life as something to enjoy, and
the Earth as where they belong. I'm beginning to feel lonely as I realize
that I may have been mistaken; for the American sense of life has always
been my sense of life - happiness, wealth and productivity have
always been my most rational and most passionately sought goals. My
morality is the morality of life. What, then, is theirs?
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