A sign of strength?
From JW: "In colloquial terms, everytime we're attacked, we make money. Even writing that seems too harsh a statement but it's true. Maybe because we don't like to think of ourselves as profiting from the misery of others?
Is that a sign of our strength? That kind of equivocation?"
This is not so much a sign of strength as it is a sign of resilience. But the specific point is that there is a different vantage point when viewing the effect of terrorists attacks that are valid and important. As Allen Green span pointed out, GDP increased after Hurricane Katrina as a result of money being pulled from the investments of insurance companies and put back into circulation. The same economics apply to 9-11, albeit on a much smaller scale. So again, at the macro level, this is not a judgment on our societal mores, but rather, a statement of fact that terrorism benefits an economic sector of our industrial complex. Now, following the assertion that terrorism is primarily a psychological operation, which message would we prefer the terrorist receive--that they make us afraid or that they help us increase our GDP?
Is that a sign of our strength? That kind of equivocation?"
This is not so much a sign of strength as it is a sign of resilience. But the specific point is that there is a different vantage point when viewing the effect of terrorists attacks that are valid and important. As Allen Green span pointed out, GDP increased after Hurricane Katrina as a result of money being pulled from the investments of insurance companies and put back into circulation. The same economics apply to 9-11, albeit on a much smaller scale. So again, at the macro level, this is not a judgment on our societal mores, but rather, a statement of fact that terrorism benefits an economic sector of our industrial complex. Now, following the assertion that terrorism is primarily a psychological operation, which message would we prefer the terrorist receive--that they make us afraid or that they help us increase our GDP?
posted by Tom at 11:19 AM
2 Comments:
Well, when put that way - no contest....I'm sure it would thrill them to know we make money on terrorist attacks. (sarcasm)
Very interesting reading, awaiting part 2 - thanks for sharing.
Cynthia (Tampa)
If I could explore this issue just a bit further ~
Two sectors that have benefited greatly from terrorism and our response:
1. for lack of a better word, mercenaries or companies that the gov't contracts out to: Haliburton comes to mind.
2. all the jobs in the homeland security sector -- including I suppose some of the programs at universities and community colleges, like INSCT.
So is there an inherent bias to keeping the status quo ~ not exploring the issues that you raise? My answer: that the pendulum is shifting and that Americans want to have this discussion ~ perhaps I just hope I'm right!
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