Aishwarya Hariharan - Week 9 : Watching Power Fall Into the Wrong Hands
Watching Power Fall Into the Wrong Hands
Power. Isn’t it insane how power can so easily fall into the wrong hands? How if it falls into the wrong hands that it can destroy a lot for us? It could possibly hurt millions of people in life changing ways, and yet people are handed power like it’s ice cream.
One of the most heartbreaking times where I believe power fell into the wrong hands and nothing could have been done about it was on 9/11. 9/11 is a date remembered globally as the attack known as ‘911’ was a planned terrorist attack on the United States as 4 coordinated planes struck the Twin Towers and watched it collapse, unfortunately several workers going down with it. This entire disaster happened under the nose of George W. Bush, the president at the time. George W. Bush was sitting in an elementary school in Florida when he heard about not the first, but a second attack that had taken place on top of the first and struck both the twin towers. It’s incredibly sad and scary that terrorists were just able to take that power and continue with 3 successful attacks on the United States.
We would think that it isn’t that easy to take control of a plane, to take power away from everyone around you and do something as massive and destructive as what happened on 9/11. 9/11 is a classic example of power falling into the wrong hands. That being said, it was something I’m sure no one could have stopped due to the well planned and crafted plan made and thought out by the terrorists. That being said, Bush did take action and use his power to help push the country through this devastating loss. As a president, no matter where he was, he rushed down on Air Force One to the site and immediately began to implement consequences for this attack. Within the first 100 days of this attack, Bush had used his power to “disrupt al-Qaeda’s global operations and terrorist financing networks, destroy al-Qaeda terrorist training camps, help the innocent people of Afghanistan recover from the Taliban’s reign of terror, and help Afghans put aside long-standing differences to form a new interim government that represents all Afghans – including women.”
Although we would wish Bush was able to stop the terrorists for claiming that ‘power’ and being able to stop them from destroying important monuments and taking the lives of millions, in the buildings and the surrounding areas, it wasn’t in Bush’s control or something he was able to do. That being said, I think Bush used his power wisely after the attack and not only punished the terrorists and their people but also used his power to implement a recovery plan for the United States and those affected by this unfortunate event. As we’ve seen, having power can be positive and negative, it just depends on how an individual decides to use their power. Bush used it in a positive way, which the Taliban’s who weren’t being stopped or gaining consequences, went all the way to taking the lives of millions.
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| picture credits : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11_attacks |
Along with power falling into the wrong hands, another big thing is making the wrong decisions. Good people with good intentions can always end up making bad decisions--although not so much the other way around. This goes to show that we need to consider who we are voting in to have power, and looking at a trend of their previous decisions to judge whether or not they would be a good fit to hold power over the decisions of our country. This of course relates to more than politics, but I guess the implications are the greatest when basically one person is the face of who makes all the decisions, and their decisions can cost millions of lives like in the case of 9/11.
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ReplyDeleteThe 9/11 attacks are a terrible tragedy in American history but could have been prevented if TSA had been established early. Before November 2001 there was minimal security which baffles me as airplanes could be used as a powerful weapon. Although people with power can create massive change globally, they cannot prevent all catastrophes. That being said, their job is to prevent disasters from happening and take actions to reduce damages after one happens. Although it looks like Bush did a good job with his attacks on Al Qaeda, he ultimately failed when he invaded Iraq. Bush convicted Iraq of having nuclear weapons without proof which caused further tensions in the Middle East and added more fuel to the fire.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do think that certain measures like increased airport security could have prevented or at least deterred some of the Taliban's attacks, I do agree with you on how power is not inherently good or bad. It is all dependent on the person who actually has that power and on how they choose to use it, and power falling into the wrong hands can have devastating effects. At least the tragic incident with 9/11 highlighted the importance of the many new airplane security measures now in place to ensure that America regains some of that power in ensuring its own security. I also think that the irony of the situation should be noted. In your blog, you discuss some of the nuances of power and how its implementer makes the biggest difference. However, regardless of how Bush used his power after 9/11, the attack was made in the first place because the Taliban was angered by the US hegemony and the sheer amount of power that one country has. In addition to power simply falling into the wrong hands, it should also be considered that too much power in anyone's hands, regardless of their intentions, can be catastrophic and should be limited.
ReplyDeleteWhen big attacks like 9/11 happen it's also important that we have people in power that are willing to separate emotions and decision making. Restraint is especially important, because its very easy for retaliation to turn into purposeful attack used for a reason unrelated to the first attack against the home country. 9/11 will not be the only time the US will be attacked by foreign bodies, and even though some people may argue that the Bush administration went over the top in responding, the people in power did what was needed to quell the American public and remove American adversaries. Ultimately, the Bush administration's actions stopped further attack but also gave seed to future attack, through ISIS and other organizations.
ReplyDeleteHi Aishwarya! Your blog post really makes me think of how sometimes, power is not acquired through just and moral ways, instead it is forcefully stolen others. Though it is frustrating to just watch other take power (such as the airplanes the terrorists used for the attack) away from those in power (such as George W. Bush), the way Bush responded to the attacks and the temporary seizure of power was quite satisfactory.
ReplyDeleteHi Aishwarya! 9/11 so incredibly sad, especially since many innocent humans lost their lives due to the improper use of power. If I think about it, there is always someone holding power, and the slightest tip of that could create massive destruction or ruin lives. In this case, the pilot was threatened and lost control to the Taliban, tipping the scale. I also think it is interesting how measures were taken to prevent the malicious use of power. Immediately, heavy security lines and guards became the norm in American airports. And about Bush, I respect his immediate reaction and calm but strong response to the attack. And while I don't think his actions were wholeheartedly correct or lead to great consequences today, at the time, I feel some sympathy for people of immense power who need to act rational in order to counteract this sort of imbalance in power.
ReplyDeleteHi Aishwarya! I like how you described handing people power as something like ice cream.
ReplyDeleteWe've definitely seen power fall into the wrong hands several times in history. 9/11 was truly a devastating event. No matter how much power Bush had during the time, it was still not in his power to stop the attack once it happened, given its unpredictability and spontaneity. I agree that the decisions people make with their power are a determining factor of whether having power is a good or bad thing.
Hey Aishwarya,
ReplyDeleteIt is not fair that violence and suicide attacks give people so much power over so many lives. Hearing about 9/11 was the first time I realized that humans were not a peaceful species. There were people out there with the intent to kill and the desire to control others. Power feeds into people's ego and simply encourages them to strive for more power. There is no way to reason with someone who values control over their own life. I find it difficult even to remind myself of such people; however, with them comes the hundreds of civilians who choose to fight back rather than let the power fall into the wrong hands. They were fighting an invisible devil who could not even be destroyed in death.
Hi Aishwarya, I think this perspective is very interesting since many people did not like how Bush handled this tragedy, and some even blame his administration for not being proactive and taking threats seriously. But I do agree that Bush used his immediate power wisely considering the unprecedented times. He had to project strength and anger towards the terrorists and at the same time provide an outlet of tenderness and healing for the American people. So, the idea of power can cover a wide spectrum as you point out. It was Bush’s first term in office when 9/11 happened. Some people even reflected on the very close 2000 election between Bush and Al Gore, where Al Gore lost by only a few votes, and wondered if 9/11 would have still happened with Gore in office.
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