Apparently we need a fixed point in the world to which we may cling. And now, suddenly, this symbolic axis of our world faltered and a fearful vacuum emerged, even if only for some weeks or months, at the center of the world. Beyond being the center of power, wealth, information, it was also the source of a score of fundamental values: freedom, entrepreneurial spirit, the apotheosis of the human personality, new ideas and concepts, new movements, lifestyles, hope. Hollywood suddenly lost its self-confidence and was not sure if it could go on broadcasting the same illusions, myths, and pictures of virtual terror as before.Īmerica had become a conscious and unconscious, emotional and cognitive reference point for most of the people living in the western world. Anxiety crept into the joy of life of California. The colors of the “flower power” grew pale. CNN faltered, it lost-even if only for a few days or weeks-its grip on events, and suddenly the pictures of a new television company, al-Jazira, emerging from nowhere, filled the screens around the world. The Pentagon was seriously hit, and the symbolic invincibility of America’s military power has had to be quickly reinforced by a blazing victory in Afghanistan. The World Trade Center physically collapsed and its symbolic message, the triumph of the western world, has been impaired. September 11 has shattered almost all of these symbols. One might list some of these centers in the following way. This rich and positive symbolism has been daily reinforced by the media broadcasting throughout the world pictures of this resplendent mansion, the opulent elegance of the Oval Room, the amazing professionalism and impeccable white shirts of the president’s men, the beautiful green lawns with a cheerful and self-confident president and his playful dog nimbly stepping out of the helicopter as if he were a Greek God alighting from Olympus.Īnd the White House has been only one of these real-world plus symbolic centers of the world in America. But, at the same time, the building itself-with its white walls, serene proportions, classical Greek tympanum, and colonnade-has become the symbol of a power that radiates not only strength but also peace, freedom, and harmony. The most important political decisions are being made inside its walls. It has become physically the center of world political power. Let’s take the White House as an example. In the last few decades America has undoubtedly become the center of the world both in the literal and the symbolic sense of the word. ![]() The question is: Why? There are a few obvious, and some less obvious answers. Beyond the deep-felt sorrow for those innocent people who lost their lives, and the indignation over the brutality of the attack, people were shaken in their very existence and uncertainty and fear filled their hearts. But, on the other hand, the intensity of the shock outside the US is something that is worth a closer scrutiny. We are citizens of the same world, heirs of the same civilization, and myriad human relations, institutional contacts, common values and interests, ventures and projects bind us closely and inseparably together. ![]() Since the assassination of President Kennedy nothing has shocked the western world, and not only the USA, more than the terror attack of 11 September.
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