Security blanket

There are some things that are just too terrible to contemplate. We don't want to think that our fellow citizens could be capable of the things they are so clearly capable of. We don't want to know that our neighbor could beat his wife, or that our parish priest molested a child.

But these things happen. And we need to face up to them.

Until recently, I've been unwilling to acknowledge the love that right-wingers have for 9/11. It's an almost fetishistic obsession that allows them to indulge in all their worst impulses:

• foreigners are evil, especially if they don't look like me;
• everyone is against me;
• no one understands me;
• violence solves most problems;
• all my detractors are liars and traitors;
• my country is the only power that matters; and
  
• I am the most powerful person in the world, and no one can tell me what to do.

They cling to the tragedy of 9/11 like Linus with his blanket. And no wonder - no question can't be answered with "9/11 changed everything."

As I said, I don't like facing up to this. It's not fun. But then the horrifying Mrs. du Toit steps in and reminds me. (She said she was going to stop writing her weblog; tragically, she went back on that promise.)

Face it: the right loves 9/11. It validates them. It warms them. It shields them.

And that's the truth.

UPDATE: The Department of Defense (headed up by Donald "the weapons are in the area around Tikrit, and north, south, east and west somewhat" Rumsfeld) has announced plans to stage a massive rally, parade and (I'm not making this up) country music concert to "celebrate" 9/11 this year. This would be funny if it wasn't so sick and wrong. AMERICA! FUCK YEAH!

UPDATE II: Clint Black, who will be headlining the "A! FY!" Concert on 9/11 this year (sponsored, as I've said, by the DoD), will no doubt be performing his song "I Raq and Roll" (again, I'm not making this up), which includes lines like:

If they won't show us their weapons
We might have to show them ours

and

It might be a smart bomb - they find stupid people too
If you stand with the likes of Saddam
One just might find you

Toby Keith, call your office.