Reflections on 9/11/2001 (personal and cultural):: Emergency Management Newsletter

Emergency Management and Planning Newsletter
© 2007 by David Kanecki, All Rights Reserved
Vol. 15, No. 11, Copy 203
September 12th, 2007
By David Kanecki, Bio. Sci., A.C.S.
david@xxxxxxxxxxx
P.O. Box 866 * Kenosha, WI 53141 * UNITED STATES
(Former Chairman of Emergency Management and Planning for SCS,
1992-1999)


Reflection on 9/11/2001 Personal Thoughts

Reflection on 9/11/2001 How it Changed Us


1. Reflection of 9/11/2001 Personal Thoughts

When the events of 9/11/2001 began, I was taking my mother out for
breakfast that morning. We were driving and listening to the radio.
The only thing that was different was that there more music and fewer
commercials than normal. However, there was no news as to what had
happen; I would not find discover this fact until we came home.
When I came home, and turned on the TV for my mother to watch her
programs, I was taking care of her then after my father had passed in
2000, I saw dust and rubble on the TV screen and no commentary. I
thought a city in the US had been nuked, like in the movie "The Day
After."
As I learned about what had happened, I had thought about the changes
made in Emergency Management (now called Homeland Security) in 1999,
with the changes to a more political culture (with me being kicked out
because I would go along with a political climate) as opposed to a
professional culture. To me, the logical consequence of changing to a
political culture from a professional culture was 9/11/2001 (the
second Pearl Harbor, the day the internet failed, and the event that
should had never happened if the group I established and policies we
developed had been practiced since 1999).
That week, I was working on a new software project in Java. It is
interesting because that project and how I am now defines a change in
me. Whenever, there is a day the universe changed, it changes you.
Although, I worked in Emergency Management and listened to the news
accounts of home-grown terrorism as the Oklahoma city bombing and
psychologically-induced terrorism of the Unabomber by the radical
culture at Berkley, I did not think that we would become so vulnerable
or agitate, certain peoples that they would pool their money and
talents to striking back. With the cold war over, the peace dividend
was to lead to an economy where we could devote more income to meeting
social needs, not dismissing social needs.
At that time, I was a frequent watcher of the News Hour on PBS, when
he had his partner with him, and the discussion was more diverse from
the far-left to the far-right with seven segments represented and
given equal time. I would listen to interviews and news maker
interviews. I would respond on blogs, and on the internet. Today, I do
not watch the News Hour as much I as did. In fact, I rarely watch it
because in 2000, I felt the broadcast was slanted to one side, the
right, and preferred to watch a balanced broadcast. Since, 9/11/2001,
I have changed my news habits and information analysis habits, as the
news institutions and political institutional reasoning did not meet
my needs and others, in protecting domestic tranquility.


2. Reflections on 9/11/2001 and How it Changed Us

Prior to the 9/11/2001, some TV series that were popular discussed
investigating the FBI (the X-Files), mocking military thinking and
service (MASH), and generally limiting trust of big government. But,
with 9/11/2001, came a change in culture.
Whereas, the 1990's could be classified as the rebirth of the 1920's
in the aftermath of WWI, with the analogue being the end of the cold
war, the period of 2001-2006 could be classified as re-visiting of the
McCarthy 1950's. People wanted government to respond, and take care of
the terrorist problem. So, a blank check was given in 2001 with a
bigger blank check in 2003. The result was that people did not care
how it was done, even if it meant a decrease in individual liberties
and a sort of habeas corpus for this period.
The result of this change was the mood to investigate government (i.e.
the X-Files) switched to a powerful government acting to solve the
problem (i.e. Alias) on TV screens. In addition, other programs as
NCIS, the Unit, followed suit with change that big government services
as good. In addition, by 2003, the was on terrorism was expanded to
Iraq, and little discussion followed.
What the above points to be that US citizen were scared and scared
greatly. Even today, when Bin Laden, who I call Col. Ha-Ha as per the
movie "Twelve O' Clock High," still gets news attention, why? The
reason is that like the air wing depicted in "Twelve O'Clock High" we
have management problems, as the major who would not do his full
duties and slacked, leaving his duties for the wing commander to do
for him, with the result of battle stress hurting him and the air wing
unit. That is one reason why Al Queda and Bin Laden can be Col. Ha-Ha.
The first step is to stop given news material for Col. Ha-Ha, aka Bin
Laden, to broadcast. For example, we should set a policy that any
broadcast by him by a TV, Satellite, other, that source will be
considered an ally to him and will not have the support of the US or
its' people, and the broadcasting service needs to issue an editorial
that Bin Laden's broadcast does not reflect the views of that station
for it to be on friendly terms. Second, we need to stop playing
politics on this. We are Americans, not religious right, left, or
other. The religious right is fueling the religious war of Jihad, we
need to re-stress the five freedoms (freedom of speech, freedom of
assembly, freedom of redress, freedom of religion [ any or choose not
to believe], freedom of expression). Using the Bible to thump Al Queda
will not work; the five freedoms defeated Hitler and will free the
world from this War on Terror.

In conclusion, I would like to see us get back to the point, where
these col. Ha-Ha's do not affect us so. It is important to remember,
that they are doing it because they want us to live like them, and be
controlled by them. The answer to that is NO.

.

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