By Dwight Swanson

Many Americans asked this question after ‘9/11’. The President of the US was among them. Within weeks the President , at least, decided he knew the answer: ‘They hate our freedom and our democracy’. (We knew who ‘we’ were; but, who were ‘they’?) The answer to such hatred was…bomb them out of existence or stick them in a prison from which they will never see the light of day. If they hate freedom and democracy, well then, we just won’t give it to them!

Few people seem to have asked the source of the President’s new certainty. Did he have the CIA phone Bin Laden, posing as Gallup pollsters?

This is the scene, deep in his cave in the mountains of Pakistan. Bin Laden answers his mobile phone: ‘This is the a global poll on the reasons for the destruction of the World Trade Center. Is this Mr Been Laid? Would you mind responding to a few (well, at least one) questions for us? Here is the first (only) one: Why do you think they hate us? Because of our democracy? Because of our freedom? Please answer yes or yes.’ Thinking it must be an Indian call centre (the giveaway is the inability to pronounce his name), Bin Laden hangs up just before a cruise missile hits the cave next door. The CIA agent shrugs his shoulders, and tells his line-manager, ‘I take that as a yes’.

No, this seems a bit far-fetched even for the CIA.

But, that answer continues to be accepted by a large portion of the American public. Now, however, for those who would like to hear a suggested reason from a real, live Muslim (not a member or affiliate of Al Qaeda, thus offering a quiet and calm case) in the shape of a short but powerful little novel, The Reluctant Fundamentalist,link by Mohsin Hamid. The Editor took this along for holiday reading, and would have finished it the first day if not for the desire to spread it out longer.

This is recommended reading for anyone who wants an insight into what the response to ‘9/11’ did to many Muslims who were previously favourable to the US and its values. Of significance is that religion is not even a factor in this book. What is a factor is…well, read it and find out.

It is interesting to consider, on reflection, that ‘we’ managed to do in these past two weeks what the ‘they’, the ‘9/11’ terrorists, hoped but failed to do.

By Dwight Swanson

Amazing Colour

This lovely couple got together on the morning of my daughter's wedding. Love was in the air.

Normally when I find a snail in my garden I either step on it, or throw to the next-door neighbour's garden. These were saved through the fact that they seemed to be joining in the joy of the love in the air. It was only after looking at the picture that I discovered the remarkable beauty of their shells, and the stark diversity of their design.

By Dwight Swanson

As the ordinary taxpayer sits on the sidelines and watches the economic collapse with trepidation, Gazelle readers help maintain a sense of perspective.

The article ‘The Rise of American Socialism’ has attracted a record number of readers, and a number of responses came by means other than the ‘comment’ section. For the edification of all readers, the Gazelle offers a glimpse of these responses.

A Russian reader points out another link between the US Republicans and socialism Russian style:

Corporate America on a mission! Interesting times to have money in property.

Another reader responded (rather tardily) to the article ‘The Management Delusion’ (See January 3, 2008) to observe that a Christian denomination of his acquaintance has completed construction of its new world headquarters, now called ‘Global Mission Center’. Hmmm. That rings a bell.

Corporate Christian America on a mission! Great time to get into the property market...

By Dwight Swanson

There was a man in the first church of which I was pastor who liked to cite the proverb, ‘The Lord helps those who help themselves’. This was in the sparsely populated part of the state of Colorado known as the ‘Western Slope’, in a small town in which its every inhabitant defined the term ‘rugged American individualism’. I hadn’t been there very long, and was trying to adjust to the great distances we had to travel to find basic amenities, when I met an ancient cowboy during a hospital visit who told me he thought it was time to be moving on. ‘Its getting too crowded around here’, he said. Freedom, for him, was large open spaces between him and other people. That’s the West.

And, that proverb epitomises the creed of the West. Most who cite it undoubtedly think it can be found in the Bible. (Which, in case you are wondering, it cannot.)

Westerners also know that socialism is bad. It is difficult to find a dirtier word in the vocabulary than ‘socialism’, other than ‘communism’. But, since they both stand for the same thing, they are about equally egregiously nasty (sorry, I just like the word and have to find ways to use it). Whenever my wife and I mention how glad we are for the National Health Service in Britain, even with its difficulties, the response is, ‘But socialised medicine is…’, and they go into the horror stories of waiting lines that they are fed by the American media and politicians. A relative of ours has no health insurance for his family, because it would take over half his salary, and he would still have to pay $1000 deductible. But, he was horrified at the thought of ‘socialised medicine’. So, his family lives in fear of a medical emergency, whereas when our daughter needed an important heart procedure we had no worries. (more)