U.S. must not continue the cycle of vengeance

BY SENWUNG LUK

There is no question that this week's vicious attack on the U.S. was an act of unspeakable evil. What is perhaps a more insidious evil, though, is the current of thought that has been behind much of the rhetoric we are hearing across this country, from the talking heads on television to many of the ideas floating around this campus. It is the notion that since the perpetrators are wrong and they have done something against us, then we must be unequivocally in the right.

There has been much brouhaha in the media about how this attack is one on American freedom and democracy. Even if the terrorists are Islamic extremists, I suspect their main incentive had nothing to do with the destruction of these aspects of American life. What they seem to care about, though, is how Muslim in the Middle East live. Most Americans are simply rather ignorant of the role their country has played in that region in the recent past. This country's policy towards Iraq and Israel has earned it a great deal of antipathy in the Middle East, because rather than working with justice in mind, American leader have put domestic expediency at the top of their agenda. In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, American policy has been grotesquely lopsided. The idea that the two sides have been left to fight it out amongst themselves is especially erroneous: each year, billions in financial assistance and discount high-tech weaponry go to Israel. As a result, this conflict can in no way be considered a fair fight.

What is especially troubling is the idea that anyone who questions Israeli policy or American policy towards Israel can simply be dismissed as "anti-Semitic". Not being anti-Semitic does not translate into the conception that the Israel government can do no wrong. Even if, as is frequently pointed out, Israel is a democracy, this only means that it is run by a system where a majority opinion prevails, but it does not speak to the moral quality of the choices such a state makes. Even democracies, like Israel, like America, can do wrong.

It was not immoral of the terrorists, or anyone in the Middle East, or anywhere, for that matter, to question American policy; in fact, given this country's past and present policy in the region, any reasonable and clearheaded observer should. The actions of the terrorists were unambiguously morally abhorrent, but the ideas behind their actions cannot be so easily labeled as evil. I suspect they wanted to teach America a lesson about daring to interfere with their part of the world, to match America's past violence with this gruesome act. It would be easy to follow their example and seek revenge for such a horrible crime, and indeed, we should not be surprised if that is exactly what the terrorists want.

If valuable lesson can emerge from such a large-scale tragedy, it is that America must not sink into complacency in its status as the world's most powerful nation. No matter how mighty one may be, one should always tread carefully. The longer one's sword, the deeper the wounds one can inflict. Just because a grotesque act was committed against this country, does not mean any response is justified; it does not grant this country special license to use the sword. Just as none of America's past actions justified such a crime against civilians, no action against us should make us similar shameful perpetrators of atrocity. Every citizen has the right to be proud of the ideology behind his country and culture. This pride, however, is dangerous if not accompanied by the willingness to examine these beliefs, especially before our acts. We watched with horrow as others chose vengeance by mass murder as an appropriate response; now, Americans must reflect upon whether the incredulity that their nation can do evil can ever be justified.

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