In the days and, in many cases, the months following September 11, 2001, the citizens of the United States united together under the common cause of patriotism. Their country reflected in the aftermath of one of the worst attacks the world had come to know. What astounded people the most was how random and unprecedented the action was. As far as the vast majority was concerned, they were not in a war and had not taken hostile actions in the recent past against another country to cause any sort of retaliation. Because this foreground of innocence engulfed the messages sent out by the media, people willingly agreed with all of the ideas of retaliation and breaches of common liberties in order to execute this retaliation. However, with time, this would change.
Several years have passed, and although the hearts of all continue to go out to the losses of fellow Americans, the mood and tone of how and why things happened the way they did has dramatically changed. Feeling mislead and taken advantage of, Americans now heed decisions to support the federal government without concrete evidence. Many believe that those in leadership roles, including the president, toyed with their minds. Although not a commonly held view, some even believe that the government allowed the attacks on American soil to occur in order to have precedence to attack certain geographic regions and political groups.
Granted there is evidence that information communicated to the public was at the very least misleading if not fallacy, everyone should consider all the information they have not received. Although inaccuracy may have been communicated in the past, there are innumerable documents, conversations, and other communication that the general public did not and will not ever have access to. The idea of blindly following one person or a small group of people is never suggested; however, the idea that an average uninformed citizen could make all the decisions necessary to keep this country secure is totally irrational.
Although the post-9/11 citizen receives much more information about world proceedings than a citizen of the early, mid, or even late twentieth century, the media has all the power to determine whether this new-found intelligence is better, more accurate, and more conclusive than that which the early-twentieth century citizen received. In this time when people choose to judge, question, and proclaim actions unnecessary and careless, everyone must realize that they are not receiving the full story. Until all of the intelligence agencies release all of the data they have ever collected or ever collect in the future, no citizen can accurately judge the actions taken by the government. Therefore, while the atrocity of September 11, 2001, has made people rethink about America’s proceedings in foreign policy and caused innumerable people to criticize the country’s authority figures, one should always remember that although caution should not be thrown to the wind, perhaps, one is not the most qualified person to make all of these decisions. Future leaders must consider that their audience has changed and become much more cynical and far less likely to blindly follow lead in order to successfully execute future policy in any area. People want the truth wrapped up concisely and accurately, and future leaders must beware of the newly improved, incredulous national audience.
1 comment:
I enjoyed reading this post. It really made me think about a lot of things and was quite intellectually stimulating. One thing that I agreed with most was your take on the media.
It is true that the media plays a huge role in what the citizens of this country see and learn about the happenings around the county and the world. Almost all news stories from Iraq and the surrounding countries are negative. This is why our country is in such an uproar over the “war” in Iraq, which by the way is not actually a war at all. To my knowledge, the United States has not officially declared war on another country for decades. But that is beside the point.
The media tells us as citizens what it wants us to know and there is really no other way of finding things out unless you know someone on the inside. So yes, there are awful things going on in Iraq, but I have family who have served in Iraq in the National Guard and Marines and they tell me a somewhat different story of what is happening. They say that the media is taking everything negative and exploiting it to no end. They also say that there is good happening in the Middle East because of the U.S.’s involvement. The media doesn’t show us this because it wants us to create a conflict with our government and therefore, more drama within the country directed at the government. It is really a brilliant ploy to make news happen.
Think about it, if the media showed the public the good things coming from the U.S.’s involvement in Iraq and the Middle East, the citizens would not be so angry with the government. The citizens would see that their loved ones are really dieing for a good cause, dieing so other people could live. If citizens saw that, the President wouldn’t be under so much pressure to do something more to get our troops out of harms way. But, if the President weren’t under pressure, would he be making the mistakes he does. Some of the same mistakes we as citizens make every day. We all say things we shouldn’t, at the wrong place and wrong time. The only difference between what we say and what the President says is the audience. Citizens are not normally followed around by reporters listening to every word waiting for something to slip.
The President is just another guy doing a job the best way he knows how. He is using what he has and making the best of things, or at least I hope. You said that the country is now going to be more apprehensive about blindingly following a leader. I think that the country is now more aware, especially now during election season, of the contenders racing for the White House. Honestly though, I think that after the new President takes office, it will not matter who is there, the pressure is going to screw with the person’s mind and they will make mistakes. Chances are, it will seem as though the country hates the new President and citizens will wonder why they ever elected such a person. The fact of the matter is, the President was elected by the people and therefore, is obligated to listen to the people. If you have a problem with the way things are going, take a stand and let it be known. You are most likely not the only one thinking that way. But before making a stand, clearly figure out what you don’t like about the way things are going. I mean specifically. Think about how it can be changed and if it is one, worth the trouble, and two, is it feasible? If so, then plan a course of action and recruit people to help you. Do not just let people walk all over you. Be a leader to others and show the President how it’s done.
I understand that by reading this some of you may have developed some opinions about my support for the current administration. I want to make it clear that though I have my opinions, good and bad, I am really neutral toward the administration at this point. I know that it is all we have and we need to work with what we’ve got. If we want something different next time around, then we need to vote in the presidential elections and make sure we get something different. If you really want to know my opinion on candidates, my first pick is no longer in the race. However, I would never vote for a candidate with an approval stamp from the current administration. I need something different and new in the White House, ideally a woman running things and a First Gentleman by her side. However, there is always next time, but if it takes 16 years from now...
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