The Native Iowan

juz thinking here…

What are some events we can list that have defined an era? Please feel free to add to this…

20s – 40s: boom time, bust, depression, suicide, work corps, dustbowls, colonialism decays and falters, Hoover damn, Damn Hoover, the war to end all wars then the 2nd war to end all wars, pearl harbour, Dresden, london bombings, China, military events are plentiful: the trench war in France, Fall of Singapore, Guadalcanal, Normandy invasion as success as orchestrated by Churchill, , Gallipoli disaster in WW1 as orchestrated by Churchill, African famine, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the fire storms of Tokyo, german extermination camps,

50s: Korean War, post WW2 industrial boom, Jet planes, biggest baby boom the world has ever seen, Elvis, R&B, beginning of R&R, suburbia, mass education for western world, colonialism changes and redefines itself through industrial development, China, African famine

60s: Civil Rights, Viet Nam, Kent State shooting. JFK shot. MLK shot, BobK shot, “babies starving in Biafra” (where the hell was Biafra?), R&R, China, African famine, Cuba, Space travel,

70s: The fall of Saigon, Water gate, Disco, Star Wars, Jimmy Carter, first oil panick following fall of Shaw of Iran, first real showing of islamic fundamentalism in Iran, China, African famine, IRA in London, Red brigade in Europe, economic crisis in 1st fuel panick, Space travel,

80s: The guy who was co-starred to Bonzo the Chimp in a series of famous hollywood productions becomes president, The iron maiden rules the UK, A different star wars, China, African famine, Pope gets shot, The guy with the chimp gets shot by a lunatic and very sadly survives, John Lennon gets shot by a lunatic and very sadly dies, the “generation of greed” graduate from university,economic disaster republican excess leads to democrat prudence, personal computing becomes a reality,

90s:The decade of Oil wars, China, Osama Bin Ladin & his quite ept cohorts, African famine, economic disaster Asian banking collapse, Democrat excess leads to republican prudence, An independent almost gets in… Ross for Bosss…

First decade of 21st century: Oil wars continue, World trade Centre and other attacks on 9/11, George W defines his administration through “a war on terror”, Arab Spring surprises everyone (or does it?), China is a concern, Barak Obama and his inept cohorts, African famine, economic disaster GFC,

… it is interesting, in a socio-economic sence, to study events that define…

Events that define a generation,

Events that define a Nation,

Events that define a global mentality…

September 11 is one of those days. For the sake of clarity I wish to review the matter, albeit superficially, from more than one view-point:

From the fundamental islamic mind-set we can see 9/11 as a day of victory and success. The evil oppressor as personified by the United States of America, got kicked fair and hard in the crotch.

The average western mind-set sees 9/11 as a time of change. Where the freedoms and the comfort zone enjoyed so long and so completely was irrevocably lost.

Thus, I feel we can agree, 9/11 is one of the amazing occurrences that shapes a planet.

Now, from the outside looking, I wish to point out that there are many reasons why the “western-world” is so terribly hated, despised and admired.

Remember, this is a socio-economic discussion:

Basic stats give us that 20% of the world consumes 80% of the resources. Now this is dandy if you be part of the 20% but there is a huge % of the planet that is saying, “… hey, wait a minute…”

Go to any Iowa High School and you’ll see why the western-world is so despised… How many of the high school kids hop in a car and drive away from school? To consider that a child, a youth of lets say 17 years, has the luxury of a car to go to school… well, hell… when I am hungry, my world is unstable, and I just buried another child… you can see where a certain jealous anger can set in.

The western-mind can often salve their buried but active conscience by making donations and such. But the fact that more people go without than have, on a planet of plenty, is a recipe for disaster. It boils quickly down to the old “have verses have-not” game.

If one travels and actually seeks an undertsanding of “difference” there can be a gaining of an insight, no matter how dim, of the way others exist.

It has been said that an existence is not a life.

I watched a late movie a few nights ago… “The Book of Eli”… 1) I do like D. Washington and 2) post- apocalypse tales have always been a favourite of mine… One line sticks out for me here… D. is rejecting the babe’s offer of sex… and he starts taking… ” … there was a time when people had too much. Where people threw away what you’d kill for today.”

This I feel is the foundation of the modern, post 9/11, world we live in.

A side thought… Parents and grandparents… consider being in a position where you are fleeing certain death. Could be famine or war, but you are fleeing. Your baby is ill. You realise that to survive you are going to have to leave the infant behind. Do you put the child “out of it’s misery” before you leave it or do you simply walk away and close your ears to its crying?

Such a choice is not unknown to a huge population of our planet.

Events that define…

I have always felt a certain fortuosity in that I have lived trough such interesting times. A “product of the 60s” I can only thank my lucky stars that I got to be a passenger in that “magic bus” ride that so, so defined the rest of my generation’s life.  I have been privileged to be a part of the development of a new, young country. I have traveled extensively and interacted with may cultures and peoples. I have been bruised, battered, beaten but not K.O.’d. And now have my next generation of players I get to lay my hands on and assist in their forward progress.

And 9/11 will forever be an event we “recognise” as important.

I teach the pups that 9/11 is the day the western-world got woken up…

More later