Love and Hate ‒ The American Dilemma by FB Ali

The American dilemma in dealing with the world, and especially the Muslim world, is neatly captured in two recent blogposts. The American people, by and large, espouse values and beliefs that they rightly expect should earn them the goodwill and affection of other peoples. However, many of the policies and actions of their government, ostensibly in furtherance of those same aims, result in creating resentment and dislike abroad, shading into hate and rage at the margins, which sometimes lead to attacks on the US and its people. Or, they lead to wars in which US soldiers fight in other lands, kill and are killed, maim and are maimed.

 

 

Chas Freeman in a post yesterday sought, in eloquent and moving terms, to create an awareness among Americans as to how their actions affect other people, and how this, in turn, colours the latter’s attitudes and reactions. He highlights this thesis by quoting an exchange between the judge and Faisal Shahzad at his trial. In it this well educated, upper class Pakistani (his father is a retired two-star air force general) explains what made him end up as the (failed) Times Square bomber.

 

Freeman concludes: “If you view the world through a bombsight, everything looks like a target. Yet the lesson of 9/11 is that if you drop bombs on enough people – even on people with no air force – the most offended amongst them will do their best to bomb you back.........The lesson of Iraq and Afghanistan is that there are some problems for which invasion and occupation are not appropriate or effective responses........Over-reliance on military instruments of statecraft has become a major problem for us”.

 

Freeman’s post is at: http://warincontext.org/2010/10/16/chas-freeman-engaging-the-middle-east-after-the-cairo-speech/

 

The second post is by a US army helicopter pilot on the blog of a Pakistani newspaper. In it he describes his experiences in Pakistan flying relief missions to aid the flood-affected people of the north. This elicited an outpouring of gratitude and affection (for the US and its people) in emotional posts from numerous Pakistanis, who appear to be exactly the same kind of people as Faisal Shahzad. The blog turns into a veritable lovefest when John Bockman’s family (his mother, father and brother) joined in with their posts.

 

Maggie Bockman, John’s mother, concludes: “Thus shall it be between Christians and Muslims, your country and mine: despite the heartbreaking fractures, we shall become strong in all the weak places, and no government policies, no misguided violent people shall prevent it, because God wills it, whether we call him Allah or Jehovah, and we will it, with all our hearts. We shall support each other while respecting our differences”.

 

Finally, in a remarkable twist of irony, these two narratives are linked together when Maggie Bockman ends by expressing exactly the same hurt and grief that Faisal Shahzad said drove him to his desperate act!

 

This blogpost is at: http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/1906/friendship-and-flood-relief-a-us-helicopter-pilots-tale/

 

Comments

[Maggie Bockmann]

FB Ali said:

"Finally, in a remarkable twist of irony, these two narratives are linked together when Maggie Bockman ends by expressing exactly the same hurt and grief that Faisal Shahzad said drove him to his desperate act!"

Thank you for your post, Brig. Ali!

I think Dr. Philip Zimbardo, who studied the horrendous and heartbreaking Abu Ghraib torture, has done some excellent work on this love/hate dilemma, which we Americans don't own entirely, but which you astutely point out plagues us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6DpoO28gr0&feature=player_embedded

Dr. Philip Zimbardo:

"The most powerful antidote to the world's evils is the world's heroes. Will you join us in seeding the world with heroes?

The Heroic Imagination Project (HIP) inspires ordinary people to trigger extraordinary social change."

http://www.heroicimagination.com/whatiship

Here is Dr. Zimbardo giving a lecture (the pictures make me weep) on his book, "The Lucifer Effect" at M.I.T.:

http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/459

I'm glad to see people of all faiths working on this love/hate dilemma to help all our precious children, of all races, nationalities and religions, grow up in a peaceful, prosperous world.

If we seed the world with heroes, it will be a much happier place for our children to live. May Almighty speed that day!

All the best,

Maggie Bockmann

[Maggie Bockmann]

The Compassionate Instinct

Compassion is deeply rooted in human nature; it has a biological basis in the brain and body.

Humans can communicate compassion through facial gesture and touch, and these displays of compassion can serve vital social functions, strongly suggesting an evolutionary basis of compassion.

And when experienced, compassion overwhelms selfish concerns and motivates altruistic behavior. http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_compassionate_instinct/

Jeremy Rifkin, Empathic Civilization animation:

Research suggests that we are soft-wired not for aggression, self-interest, violence, utilitarianism, but rather for sociability, attachment, affection, companionship, and the first drive is the drive to belong.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7AWnfFRc7g&feature=player_embedded

We have not yet begun to tap our rich innate resources to create peace among the peoples of earth, I believe.

[William R. Cumming]

Curiosity! Are the deployed Chinese heavy construction battalions facing security problems wherever deployed? My understanding is that they are deployed in Afghanistan, Pakistan, the other STANS, India, Banladesh, SubSaharan Africa, Venzuela, Panama, Haiti, and elsewhere? Hope someone knows for sure exactly how these units often numbering in the thousands manage security issues? Also reading a rather interesting book by C.J. Chivers entitled "The Gun"! Largely discussing the evolution of the fully automatic guns post civil war! Contains some real tidbits.

[FB Ali]

Maggie Bockmann,

I'm so glad that someone brought my post to your attention. It was a privilege to highlight here your, and your family's, moving posts on the Tribune blog. Incidentally, I hope you know that my post was picked up by another blog, which quoted even more of your posts. At:

http://warincontext.org/2010/10/20/no-pakistani-child-is-worth-one-whit-less-that-any-american-child/

I look forward to looking up the links you've given. Warm regards,

[Sidney O. Smith III]

MB

If you haven’t already, you may find the works of Xavier Le Pichon of interest. Le Pichon is a world renowned geophysicist who, at the same time, is extremely devout and believes human society should revolve around its most fragile members. He was recently interviewed for an radio program called Krista Tippet On Being. I caught part of the interview on the local npr station and later bookmarked the website, hoping one day to have the time to learn more about this remarkable man. The edited version of the interview lasts about 50 minutes but all you have to do is listen to 10 or 15 minutes to recognize his brilliance.

http://being.publicradio.org/programs/2010/fragility/

Here is a quote from the webpage:

"Xavier Le Pichon is one of the world's leading geophysicists, and his pioneering research on plate tectonics revolutionized our understanding of how the Earth works. He has also spent decades living in community with people and families facing disability and has emerged with a rare perspective on the meaning of humanity — a perspective equally informed by his scientific and personal encounters with fragility as a fundament of vital, evolving systems."

[Charles I]

Hi my dear FB. Generously eloquent as always.

Twas indeed your country's loss Pat, and my country's gain as FB proceeded to serve Canada in a leading role in very high tech infrastructure security.

But now he serves the world in this delightful manner, and now we're all richer for him.

And you.

[Maggie Bockmann]

General Ali,

I appreciate so much your highlighting John's blog. No one has ever said to me, "May Allah bless you," and I can't describe to you how my heart expands when John's Pakistani friends say that to our family.

I followed the link to your blog from Charles Cameron's SmartMobs blog, which I also appreciate.

I stumbled upon the War in Context blog, and was so touched by Nadia's tragic story. Remembering her little sad, too-old-for-her-years face makes me cry as I type this. I want so much to find a way for her to have schooling. It haunts me. I have no idea how to do this, or even if I can.

Sidney Smith,

I can't thank you enough for that link! Xavier Le Pichon embodies the values that I have been struggling to even find words to express. I am so grateful to find him. And...my computer has been busy all day downloading the rest of the On Being podcasts (it's now on #297 of 400). Thank you so, so much for introducing me to this great resource!

Blessings to all,

Maggie

[FB Ali]

Maggie,

A pleasure! Keep up your good work.