The Path to 9/11

Great docu-drama! Simply excellent. Some were howling about it in it was not complimentary to certain political figures shall I say. Whatever. I heard Peggy Noonan panning it on the Laura Ingrahm Show (Sorry Laura, but I miss the Hoguester!) as having been so heavily edited to be irrelevant. Her beef appeared to be the removal of items that really painted the Clinton crowd in especially harsh light if those existed. Now I’m down with a good game of Clinton bashing as much as the next guy, but this wasn’t the place for it. Clinton’s problems are well known. Any first year psych student can tell the guy’s a textbook narcissist, which doesn’t necessarily imply good leadership traits. I’ve found narcissists to be quite charming at first meeting hence having that leadership potential anyway. Clinton had me charmed until he wagged that finger in my face telling me he “did not have sexhual reluhtions with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky.” Liar, liar, liar, pants on fire. He and I were done after that. But all good fun in Clinton bashing aside, I can’t in good conscience pin 9/11 on him due to his pre-occupation with himself.

I walked away from that production realizing that no one in this greatest nation on God’s green Earth was prepared for the depth of evil that struck it square on the chin 5 years ago. It was a staggering what-the-hell-was-that blow and simply incomprehensible to us civilized folk that 19 men could be driven to commit such a horrific act. For some of us, it is still is incomprehensible. These nineteen men were not insane. They were highly devoted and intelligent men far as the leaders (Atta, et.al.) go.

Yet to plan for such a thing for years knowing the mission’s completion would result in just as a bloody a death for them as their victims – what drives a man to do so? 11 September 2001 was a wakeup call to us all that yes evil does exist and is quite virulent and quite powerful. Western culture and American culture in particular has spent the past few decades convincing itself evil is not a real entity. If evil does not exist, that rather tends to render God irrelevant. That led to sort-of belief in God as some sort of New Age guru. But human power was where it was at. There was no wrong that couldn’t be legislated or litigated away was the New World Order. We were incredibly intoxicated with ourselves and our seeming ability to do anything we put our minds to and control any aspect of nature and human nature. Clinton personified everything that mattered to American culture so he was the leader we wanted. Absolute belief in our own power to create whatever we wanted.

The Dark One is nothing if not crafty. The Bible warns he can cast himself as a thing of absolute dazzling beauty is deflect us away from a relationship with God. Our fascination with ourselves and our seeming divine power over the world about us was indeed dazzling wasn’t it? What better strategery to neutralize the one nation on Earth with the capabilities and gifts to best make known God’s grace then to have it focus on itself as the world wallowed in misery and mayhem. God allowed us to take that path because it was what we chose. As a father I know how hard it can be to allow harsh, but necessary lessons to occur to my kids whom I love dearly. The Dark One seeing an opportunity to stake his claim in the world struck out with his deceived followers and bitch slapped us hard figuring we were too weak and self absorbed to do anything about it. God willing, we will ask for His strength to continue the fight against unrepentant evil.