Proportional response

My Internet deprivation at home may be coming to an end. The guys from Telefonica came today and fixed the phone, and they expect the modem to be delievered tomorrow - which means I might be back in business in a question of hours. I certainly hope that is the case.

I watched the first three episodes of "The West Wing" yesterday night, and although the compression is downright unprofessional, I was reminded of all the qualities I love about that show.

There is a monologue in the end of the third episode, though, that really got me thinking. President Bartlet is about to announce his first military attack on a foreign country - his decision is heavily influenced by the fact his favorite doctor (who just had a kid) was killed in this terrorist attack... when first confronted with option, he is disgusted with his military advisor's plan of "proportional response". He argues that Americans were killed and the enemy expects the exact attack they would inflict - and should probably recover in a matter of months. He demands an alternative plan... and the one craft would result in hundreds of casualties, including civilians.

At the moment of this monologue (well, actually a dialogue between Bartlet and Leo, his Chief of Staff), Bartlet argues something along the lines of "what is the point of being the world's only superpower if you can´t right wrongs?". What follows is one of the rare instances in which Leo actually shows anger towards the president - it´s the age-old question of power and responsability we all know... but it takes a whole new dimension in this conversation. The president of the United States is, in some ways, what we could call "the most powerful person in the world", and when he conjures biblical images of vengeance to describe his plans, it doesn´t fail to ring a fear in our hearts when we realize that a personal issue is behind it.

It is always sad when human lives are equated as numbers, of course - but I don´t think that´s even the point here. The simple existance of such a destructive power... and how it changes hands... well, I think you get the picture.

Mind you, this all was originally aired back in 1999, predating the terrorist attack against the Twin Towers, the White House, as well as George Bush's invasion of Iraq. Of course, these issues are not new (and haven´t been for decades - you could argue it dates back all the way to World War II), but raises serious issues about the role of the United States in the new world order.

Questions, I´m afraid, step on so many toes that will probably never be answered. But it saddens me that this will probably just make people all over the globe resent the United States for many years to come. Not that I don´t think that the aura of self-importance that it carries isn´t a terrible thing... but it has simply created a snowball effect that makes it necessary to insure survival of the American values.

Man, the Earth is screwed up.

Lighthearted Link of the Day: New Oval Office