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Current Events » in reply to What if the fourth plane had hit the Whitehouse?

America is not made of buildings
Mary Anne — (archived)

America is made of ideas and a common social contract.

Our way of life does not depend on the lives of particular people. Our way of life depends upon fidelity to our principles.

We have survived rebellions, Presidential assassinations, and other national tragedies. We have actually planned for disasters such as you describe. Our social structure is decentralized to such an extent that, while it's possible to cripple us for a little while, it's not possible to decapitate us as a nation.

We are under attack, this is true. But the attacking organization is not a state. And, for all the talk of war, and for all the alerts, we are not yet at war. Where is the declaration? Where are the wartime measures among the civilians? There are none, except for a new enthusiasm for display of the flag, and for wiretapping and similar surveillance.

Until this nation is willing to show a more serious devotion to something besides outrage, we will not be at war.

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