Response to the Media

媒體回應

'Death of Osama Bin Laden'

奧薩瑪．賓拉登之死

On May 1, 2011

在2011年5月1日

Pres. Barack Obama appeared on national television

巴拉克．歐巴馬總統出現在國家電視台上

with the spontaneous announcement that Osama bin Laden,

並自發性地宣佈奧薩瑪．賓拉登

the purported organizer of the tragic events of September 11th 2001,

－－據稱是2001年9月11日悲劇事件的主導組織者－－

was killed by military forces in Pakistan.

在巴基斯坦被軍隊殺死

Within moments, a media blitz ran across virtually all

轉瞬之間 一股媒體狂潮實際上襲捲了

television networks, in what could only be described

所有電視台 可以說只能被形容為

as a grotesque celebratory display,

一種怪誕的慶祝表現

reflective of a level of emotional immaturity

反映出情緒上不成熟的水準

that borders on cultural psychosis.

與文化上的精神病相差無幾

Depictions of people running through the streets of New York

人們到處奔跑 穿越紐約和華盛頓街道的情景

and Washington, chanting jingoistic American slogans,

一面反覆歌誦著美式狂熱的愛國主義口號

waving their flags like the members of some cult,

揮舞著他們的旗幟 像是某種異教團體的成員

praising the death of another human being,

讚頌著另位一名人類的死亡

reveals yet another layer of this sickness we call modern society.

只不過又揭示出了 我們稱為現代社會的另一個病態層面

It is not the scope of this response to address the political usage

這份回應的意旨不是去處理這種事件的政治用途

of such an event, or to illuminate the staged orchestration

或是去說明公眾意識

of how public perception was to be controlled by the mainstream media

如何被主流媒體和美國政府控制

and the United States Government.

而照其劇本演出

Rather the point of this article is to express

反之 這段回應的論點是去表達

the gross irrationality apparent,

這種完全明顯的不理性

and how our culture becomes so easily fixed and emotionally charged

和我們的文化是如何能如此輕易被定型 並受到情緒煽動

with respect to surface symbology rather than true root problems,

只是關於表面上的象徵 而不是對真正的根本問題

solutions, or rational considerations of circumstance.

解決方案 或是對狀況的理智考慮

The first and most obvious point

第一個且最明顯的論點

is that the death of Osama bin Laden means nothing

是奧薩瑪．賓拉登的死亡不代表什麼

when it comes to the problem of international terrorism.

當涉及到國際間恐怖主義的問題時

His death simply serves as a catharsis

他的死亡僅僅作為情感的宣洩淨化

for a culture that has a neurotic fixation on revenge and retribution.

對於有神經質癖報復和報應的文化而言

The very fact that the government which,

真正的事實是政府

from a psychological standpoint, has always served

從心理上的立場來看

as a paternal figure for its citizens, reinforces the idea

總是作為對民眾潛在的一種父權象徵

that murdering people is a solution to anything

強化殺人是解決任何事情的辦法這種概念

should be enough for most of us to take pause and consider

對大多數人來說 這應足以讓我們暫停並思考

the quality of the values coming out of the zeitgeist itself.

從目前的時代精神本身衍生而出的價值品質

However, beyond the emotional distortions and tragic,

然而 除了情緒上的扭曲

vindictive pattern of rewarding the continuation of human division

和悲劇性、報復性的模式鼓勵著 持續分化著人類

and violence comes a more practical consideration

並帶來暴力以外 更實質的考量

regarding what the problem really is

是關於真正的問題是什麼

and the importance of that problem with respect to priority.

及問題的重要性和優先順序

The death of any human being is of an immeasurable consequence

任何一位人類的死亡 在社會中皆有無可測量的影響

in society. It is never just the death of the individual.

從不只是個體的死亡而已

It is the death of relationships, companionships, support

而是關係 交誼 支持

and the integrity of familial and communal environments.

和家庭和社群環境整體性的死亡

The unnecessary death of 3000 people on September 11th, 2001

2001年9月11日三千位人們的無辜死亡

is no more or no less important than the deaths of those during

與那些在世界大戰中由於癌症 疾病 意外或其它因素

the World Wars via cancer and disease, accidents or anything else.

而死亡的人們別無二致

As a society, it is safe to say that we seek a world

作為一個社會 可以放心的說我們追求的世界

that strategically limits all such unnecessary consequences

是有策略地限制所有這種不必要的後果

through social approaches that allow for the greatest safety

透過社會性的方法 達到我們的智慧所能創造出的

our ingenuity can create.

最大安全性

It is in this context

正是在這種脈絡底下

that the neurotic obsession with the events of September 11th, 2001

對於2001年的911事件 神經質般的迷戀

become gravely insulting and detrimental to progress.

對進步是有害且嚴重冒犯的

An environment has now been created where

現在已創造出一種環境

outrageous amounts of money, resources and energy is spent

人們在裡面耗費了鉅額金錢 資源和能源

seeking and destroying very small subcultures of human beings

尋求摧毀人類中非常小部份的次文化

that pose ideological differences

這些文化呈現出不同意識型態

and act on those differences through violence.

並透過暴力對這些差異採取行動

Yet, in the United States alone, each year,

然而光是在美國 每年

roughly 30,000 people die from automobile accidents,

就有大約三萬名人們死於車禍

the majority of which could be stopped by very simple structural changes.

其絕大多數可以透過非常簡單的結構改變而避免

That’s ten 9/11′s each year,

這數字每年是911的十倍

yet no one seems to pine over this epidemic.

然而似乎無人悼念因這種"流行病"而死的人

Likewise, over 1 million Americans die from heart disease

同樣地 超過一百萬名美國人

and cancer annually, causes of which are now easily linked

死於心臟病和癌症 其病因現在大部份

to environmental influences in the majority.

都能輕易地與環境影響相連繫

Yet, regardless of the over 330 9/11′s

然而在這種脈絡之中 不去理會

occurring each year in this context,

每年超過911事件330倍的死亡人數

the governmental budget allocations for research

政府花在這些疾病上的

on these illnesses is only a small fraction

研究預算的分配 只佔花費於

of the money spent on “anti-terrorism” operations.

反恐怖主義行動上的一小部份

Such a list could go on and on with regard to

當涉及到真正拯救和保護人類生命的真義時

the perversion of priority when it comes to what it means

關於顛倒動作優先順序這樣的清單

to truly save and protect human life

可以列出一串又一串

and we hope there are many out there who can recognize

而我們希望有許多人能夠認知到

the severe imbalance we have at hand with respect to our values.

我們目前價值觀嚴重不平衡的狀態

So, coming back to the point of revenge and retribution,

因此 回到復仇和報應的論點上

this response will conclude with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King,

這份回應將以馬丁．路德．金恩博士的引言作結

likely the most brilliant intuitive mind when it came to conflict

當談到衝突和非暴力的力量時 他的思想可能是

and the power of non-violence.

最傑出和直觀的

On September 15th, 1963, a Birmingham Alabama church was bombed,

1963年9月15日 一座位於阿拉巴馬州伯明翰市的教堂受到轟炸

killing four small girls attending Sunday school.

殺死了四位參加主日學校的小女孩們

In a public address, Dr. King stated:

在一次公眾演說中 金恩博士說道:

“What murdered these four girls?

「什麼東西謀殺了這四位女孩們？

Look around. You will see that many people

看看四周 你將會看到你從未想到過的

that you never thought about participated in this evil act.

許多人參與了這項邪惡的行動

So tonight, all of us must leave here

所以今晚我們所有人一定要

with a new determination to struggle.

帶著奮戰的新決心而離開

God has a job for us to do.

神留給我們一項工作去完成

Maybe our mission is to save the soul of America.

或許我們的任務就是拯救美國的靈魂

We can’t save the soul of this nation throwing bricks.

我們不能拯救丟著磚瓦的這個國家的靈魂

We can’t save the soul of this nation getting our ammunitions

我們不能拯救拿著彈藥並出外發射

and going out shooting physical weapons.

有形武器的這個國家的靈魂

We must know that we have something much more powerful.

我們一定要了解 我們有遠遠更為強大的東西

Just take up the ammunition of love.”

就是去拾起愛之炮彈」

For more information, visit: www.thezeitgeistmovement.com

關於更多資訊請造訪 www.thezeitgeistmovement.com