A decade later, the events and aftermath of September 11th, 2001 continue to define life and policy in our world just as they did in the months immediately following those attacks. The influence isn't as bluntly obvious as it was then, nor the wounds as raw, but the fact that we live in a “post 9/11” world – one with different expectations, ideals and aspirations than before – is undeniable. Despite this, the shape our world takes over the coming decades – the expectations we will allow, ideals we will uphold, and the aspirations we will strive to obtain – continues to rest, unformed and malleable, in our hands. As we look back on the past decade, the tragedy of the attacks of 9/11 is only upstaged by the tragedy of our responses to them. Disturbingly, and just as the perpetrators of those attacks wanted, the immediate legacy of that day has become one of violence, distrust and segregation along racial, religious and national lines. Rather than point fingers and place blame about what has already occurred, let's do something constructive today, on the tenth anniversary of those attacks. Let us ask ourselves how we can change our expectations, ideals and aspirations to assure that the coming decade doesn't reflect the last. As we do so, let's keep three fundamental and often neglected truths about human nature in mind: First and foremost, hate and violence are almost always the products of misunderstanding and naivety. Both of the latter force us to focus on minor differences and forget about overwhelming similarities, allowing petty emotions or mistaken first impressions to guide actions. Second, there will always be those who attempt to use misunderstanding and naivety, and the violence and hate they readily spawn, to their benefit and the benefit of a particular cause. Human manipulation of others is a reality in our world, one enhanced and made easier by ignorance. Finally, we must remember that hate and violence breed more of the same. Violence compounds upon violence, hate upon hate, and war upon war. None represent a sufficient long-term remedy to a situation infused with all. We should never let down our defenses, but must realize that combating violence and hate cannot be done only through force. The use of force can serve as a temporary and alluring defense, but never as a successful solution for long-term, universal peace. With these facts in mind, how do we critique and change our expectations, ideals and aspirations to assure that the next decade is better than the last, and that attacks such as those of September 11th, 2001 never happen again? The answer is simple in theory but difficult in practice. We must make the lessons learned from the past decade the drivers of our thoughts and actions, both as individuals and as nations with complex foreign policies. We must strive daily to appreciate the common humanity in one another despite racial, religious and national divides, and force our governments to do the same. Because it would be hypocritical to continue this argument by examining any other country while ignoring ones' own, we will use America as an example for our critique. Though many often dismiss the argument above as naïve, it is, at least in the American reality, the ultimate real-politik argument for long-term safety, stability and peace in the international arena. The Cold War is over, as is the time for attempted American leadership of every aspect of world affairs. Such leadership arguably had a place fifty years ago. If it did then, however, it no longer does today. It is time to pull American military action back within the bounds of the Constitution, and foreign policy back within the guidelines of the Founding Fathers. In striving to make the coming decade better than the last, American citizens should expect and demand a strong, militarily independent and economically engaged America, but recognize that the United States, both in ideology and reality, is not the British Empire of the 1800's. Furthermore, American leaders should remember that the US has no right to try to run the world as the former colonizing Empires once did, and indeed that the American people (and just as importantly, the people of the rest of the world) do not find such a role to be ideal. Americans should aspire for their country to serve as the “beacon on the hill” it once was, and nothing more. Rather than critique without making any sort of positive suggestions, let's examine a few potential American policy prescriptions that will help us alter expectations, ideals and aspirations and create a better post-9/11 world. Although we will continue with our American example, the suggestions below hold a universal truth about fixing the course the world community as a whole has traveled down in the past decade. Fundamentally, it is time to make the promotion of cultural understanding around the world the principle building block of foreign policy. In both America and any number of other countries, there remain serious problems in appreciating and understanding the diversity of the world outside ones' national borders. These problems and misunderstandings are often reflected in convoluted and hypocritical foreign policies, policies which only further the strain on international relations and cross-cultural understanding. Furthermore, those we trust to combat such misunderstandings, politicians, policy makers and advisors in our world governments, are all too often woefully uneducated about the world as a whole. Those leaders who make honest, unbiased attempts at learning about international issues are regularly inundated with the one-sided views of powerful lobbies and private interests that prevail in national capitals like Washington, DC. To correct this, both America and other countries of the world need future citizens, leaders and advisers who are educated in the world beyond their own borders, not simply educated about that world from within. Establishing and building these relationships with people around the world is the work of individuals. Individual relationships matter on the international stage just as in our respective home communities. Respect, admiration, and willingness to cooperate are things grown from quality personal relationships, and are more often gained through common courtesy, exemplary leadership, and respect for others' right to self-determination than through intimidation, coercion or awe. Increasing the number and quality of the relationships a county's citizens have with citizens of the rest of the world is of a fundamental importance to enhancing the quality of future international relations. The future success of American foreign policy, then, relies on its ability to identify and aid its citizens in building such relationships while young, before they've become America's leaders. Unfortunately, this future does not look particularly bright, at least in America. American youth rarely spend any significant period of time abroad, and it is strikingly rare to find those who do so studying anywhere other than Western Europe or Latin America. In a time when government spending, budget cuts and deficits are the most important issues in a complex and challenging domestic agenda, it is even more critical for Americans to remember the long-term value of education and outreach abroad. Despite financial challenges, Americans today should be pushing to extend their comfort zones to places they traditionally don't know well, such as the Middle East, Africa and Asia. To this end, organizations like the United States Institute of Peace, the Peace Corps and USAID, and study-abroad programs like the Fulbright Program and individual college exchanges must not only be protected in upcoming budget negotiations, but enhanced and encouraged. From the American perspective this must not be done only because it is the ‘right' thing to do, but because it is in America's best interest to do so. American citizens should recognize the vital necessity of such programs and call on their elected leaders to support them. Enhancing programs such as these today will help us avoid wars such as those we've been inundated with since 2001 in the future. Education combats ignorance, on both sides of any equation. Without ignorance, the travesties of attacks such as those of 9/11 and the problems caused by the responses taken will become nearly impossible to replicate. Concluding our example, let us consider that expectations, ideals, and aspirations are the building blocks of international relations world-wide. If we as a world community want to promote long-run peace and stability, we need to fundamentally change narrow-minded expectations which depict those of one race, religion or nationality as linear opposites of those of another. If we want to make the coming decade better than the last, we need to force our respective nations to do the same, remaining ready in defense if need be, but eagerly searching to proactively combat enemies and misunderstanding through dialogue, outreach and exchange. Increased cross-cultural exchange is the means to this end. Through such exchange, positive interactions and cooperation can alter fundamental expectations and assumptions. Altered expectations and assumptions, in turn, can change ideals. New ideals allow for new aspirations, and inspire new actions amongst both individuals and nations. On the tenth anniversary of the attacks which fundamentally changed our world, let us resolve to strive to change our expectations, ideals and aspirations to reflect this understanding. Let us push our personal boundaries and call on our national governments to do the same in foreign policy, forcing our respective nations to explore the world and peoples outside of normal comfort zones. As a colleague of mine at the American University in Cairo recently wrote, “If you find yourself in a place of comfort, I beckon you, take a step outside … if only for a second … see how it feels. Complacency is the enemy of progress in all the faculties it affords us. Fear not to know not. Dare to grow.” ** Thomas Plofchan is an American graduate student in the Middle East Studies program at the American University in Cairo. More of his work at www.afewdaysabroad.wordpress.com BM
