Saving
Condi's Life
By Mickey Z.
18 November, 2006
Countercurrents.org
There's a disturbing dynamic
that occurs on every Manhattan street corner, every minute of every
day. By simply watching the typical New York City pedestrian when he
or she reaches the corner at a red light, you get a pretty good idea
of what it's like to deal with an overcrowded, rancorous metropolitan
area on a daily basis: No one waits on the sidewalk.
Even if a thousand cars are racing by, practically every single New
Yorker insists on stepping a few steps out into the street while waiting
for the light to change. They'll even go as far as squeezing themselves
past other impatient street-crossers just to get to the front of the
pack. We are so hyped up, so overstressed, so programmed to do everything
fast that we can't even endure waiting 30 seconds for a damn traffic
light. We'll risk death by stepping off the curb in order to get a head
start on the green light.
With this in mind, here's a little thought experiment: Let's say I'm
on such a corner as a pedestrian pushes past me-too harried to realize
that she is stepping directly into the path of an oncoming SUV. I reach
out, grab hold of her jacket, and yank her back to safety...only to
realize it was none other than Condoleezza Rice. I wonder: How might
that make me feel?
Initially, I hope I'd be gratified to have saved someone's life-even
if that someone is responsible, in part, for many thousands of deaths
(and counting). Given a few minutes to digest the scenario, I might
begin to feel strange. What if I would've known in advance it was Rice
whose life was in danger? Would I have risked bodily harm to save her?
Condi Rice, in my estimation, is a terrible destructive force, part
of the larger culture of destruction. I oppose the death penalty and
thus do not wish Rice and her ilk to be removed via state sponsored
murder, yet saving her life (or the life of any other major political/corporate
player) is, by definition, to doom countless others to misery and death.
If I didn't react swiftly to pull Condi to safety, surely her passing
would cause sadness. Friends and family would mourn. People would understandably
be devastated, heartbroken. However, Rice's efforts have spread sorrow
and mourning on a far greater scale. Has she ever considered the family
and friends whose lives have been shattered thanks to her handiwork?
Perhaps not, for it was Condoleezza Rice who once opined: "There
is nothing wrong with doing something that benefits all humanity, but
that is, in a sense, a second-order effect." It's not fantasy to
assume that, across the globe, more folks would be celebrating than
weeping if we lost the Secretary of State.
Still, of course, she's replaceable (just ask Rummy). There's always
another commissar ready to step in and keep the machine running...with
or without Condi. Thus, even those most vehemently opposed to American
imperialism and interventionism would theoretically not even notice
the change. I return to an earlier question: If I would've known in
advance it was Condoleezza Rice
whose life was in danger, would I have risked bodily harm to save her?
On purely human terms, I think I would.
What would you do?
Mickey Z. can be found on the Web at http://www.mickeyz.net.
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