By Alex Farber
Last weekend, I saw Ben Affleck’s new film, “Argo.” The movie tells the story of the CIA operation behind the capture and rescue of the six American diplomats rescued from Iran during the hostage crisis in 1980. The first scenes of the movie detail the modern-day history of the Iranian region – the rise and eventual fall of a series of governments, the United State’s offer of asylum to the Shah, and the subsequent backlash in Iran over the refusal of the United States to return the leader to his home country for trial and justice. Iranian protestors take to the streets in protest and, eventually, break through the barriers to the American embassy and seize control of the building and the American diplomats inside, in what would go down in history as the Iran Hostage Crisis. All together, it is a rather terrifying scene – chaos and panic take over as the angry mob breaks through the doors to the American embassy and the diplomats bravely attempt to incinerate and smash all of the sensitive material in the embassy, knowing all too well that they will not be able to escape themselves. As I watched the events unfold, it struck me as remarkable that almost thirty-three years later, not much has changed. The protests and political unrest continues in the Middle East. On September 11, 2012 – just over two months ago – Al Qaeda orchestrated a terrorist attack on the American embassy in Libya, and the murder of Ambassador John Christopher Stevens and three other American diplomats in Benghazi. Yet, there is one startling difference between the 1980 attack on the Iranian embassy and the 2012 attack on the Libyan embassy– the reaction of the American people. Following the chaotic seizure of the Iranian embassy in “Argo,” the film fasts forward to depict daily life in the United States, sixty-nine days later. Yellow ribbons are everywhere – on front doors of homes and offices, on the backs of cars, tied to trees – as a showing of support for the hostages and a reminder that some justice must be served. Television news programs and newspapers are filled with non-stop, up-to-date information about the crisis and the government’s attempts to bring the hostages home. Overall, there is a feeling of anger and outrage surrounding the attacks, and a nationwide sense of pride and unity in the American people with the common goal to bring the hostages home. Notably, the sense of passion that existed in 1980 does not seem to exist in the United States today. How is it that we, as Americans, are not more outraged by the slaughter of American diplomats on the 11th anniversary of the greatest terrorist attack in our nation’s history? Where are our yellow ribbons? Where are the headlines detailing the US attempts to hunt down our attackers and bring them to justice? Where is our anger? Where is our desire for retaliation? If anything, the most significant chatter about the events in Libya have been politicized attempts, in the wake of the presidential election, to attribute blame to the American administration. Perhaps, we have grown accustomed to images of constant turmoil in the Middle East. Perhaps, we are just sick of seeing it, hearing about it, talking about it. Still, this seems to be no excuse for the absence of any real national fury over the deaths of our country’s diplomatic leaders.
I agree with you, it seems that Americans have become desensitized to the state of affairs in the Middle East. Because of images of US soldiers returning in coffins in a steady numbers, many feel as though the attack in Benghazi is just another consequence in this war and feel for the lost diplomats with the same reverence and respect they do for lost soldiers. I think that’s why there aren’t headlines about the US hunting down those responsible for the attack. They are the same people that this country has been fighting the War on Terror against for the past 11 years.
What I would have liked to see was some more celebration and appreciation on Veterans day. This year the day seemed to pass with little fanfare and nothing more free dinners at chain restaurants for veterans. Veterans as well as international diplomats risk their lives to protect this country and yes, it would be nice to have ribboned lawns in honor of them and their sacrifice.
Great post. Argo was an incredible film, and I, too, could not help but think about the September 11th Embassy attack in Libya.
I do disagree with you on one point, however. You say talks about the attack are merely politicized attempts to attribute blame to the Administration. While there is absolutely credit to this statement, I do believe conversations about the attack are our also attempts to discover the truth, once and for all. This attack on our Embassy was a tragic one, and the fact that this Administration continues to coverup the truth is a grave moral wrong. Truth is what will bring justice to the victims who died during the attack. We as a nation must continue to fight for the truth, for it will be the ultimate moral remedy.
I also agree with you. I was shocked at how much our nation seemed to gloss over the Embassy attack. Even though “gloss over” might seem like an exaggeration, I do not believe it is, considering the gravity and meaning of the attack. The event was not arbitrary, it was a blatant attack on our country, and everything we stand for.
I think the media is largely to blame, but only to a certain extent. The media’s agenda has always dictated what is “important” today, but it should be the duty of the American people to see past that. Just because another prominent news story or two happened to occur shortly after the embassy attack, we seemed to give ourselves a free pass to largely ignore it, or at least give it minimal attention.
I think that the tragedy in Benghazi, and the Obama administration’s not taking responsibility whatsoever for it, is a perfect example of the theme of our Law & Literature Class: The Political Trumping the Legal Trumping the Moral. In the midst of a presidential re-election campaign, the administration could not afford to refer to what happened in Libya as a “terrorist” attack, and instead brushed it under the rug by attributing blame to a YouTube video.
The American population’s seemingly cavalier response that you speak of, may be attributable to the media’s down-playing of the situation by pointing no fingers at the current administration for such. Whoever, and whatever is to blame for the attack, we must seek truth as to what happened, so that as a nation we can move forward. Exposing the truth and sealing it in history, will provide the victims’ families with the restorative justice they so need.
I think lack of outrage over the embassy attacks is a symptom of Americans’ larger indifference to the day-to-day goings on of our two wars over the last decade. And I think that indifference can be directly attributed to the fact that our military has become all-volunteer. I’m not suggesting that we should reinstate the draft, but I think it is easy for many of us to disengage from war and violence when few people we know are actually doing the fighting.
It’s funny how history tends to repeat itself. With so much news of violence coming from that
part of the world, Americans have become desensitized to the stories. The repetition of the
images we see on the news has made us less reactive then we were during the ‘Argo’ period.
The media probably did not make it mas much of a headline as they should have but even
if they did I’m not sure the response would be much different. We’ve come to accept that the
Middle East is just a violent region of the world.
I think the primary difference between the Iran Hostage situation and the embassy attacks in Libya is the response that was provided by our country’s Presidential candidates. Prior to Ronald Reagan’s election to the Presidency he informed the Iranians that on day one of a Reagan administration he would unleash the full-strength of the American military power against their nation if they chose to continue to hold American hostages. Many credit this bold statement for Reagan’s eventual victory because after it was made he quickly surpassed Carter in the polls; but more importantly the day that President Reagan was sworn in, the Iranians freed our hostages. In contrast due to a lack of swift action by both President Obama and Mitt Romney, nearly five other American embassies were attacked or nearly attacked following the Libya crisis. This lack of stern leadership and inability to provide a zero tolerance for the death of Americans, particularly on American sovereign soil; (even in a foreign) nation is why you see so much apathy in the United States today. Additionally Mitt Romney’s inability to provide clear guidance on what should have been done and what must be done in response to the attack in Libya is a strong reason why the wind left the sails of his campaign. Americans have given up on strong leadership, leadership that doesn’t care about polls; or political calculus; because that is all they had for the past 20 years. Furthermore, it is our weakness exhibited to the global terrorist community; by inaction and indecisiveness that sets the stage for future attacks and vulnerability.
I agree with the earlier comment attributing apathy concerning the Benghazi crisis to the fact that few people actually know people involved in the conflict. When 9-11 occurred, I was shocked because it involved my hometown, New York City. I luckily did not lose any family members on 9-11, though I had family who had worked in the World Trade Center over the years. Since then, two drawn out wars (not including the war against Al Quaeda and its affiliates) have indeed slowly desensitized us. This is most likely the new status quo. I also believe that its hard to develop a fury when you don’t exactly know who you are furious at. Sure, it seems like it was Al Quaeda behind the Benghazi attack. But what is surprising about that? Aren’t we currently engaged in daily battle with them in Afghanistan, North Africa, and wherever else they may draw Anti-American sympathy? In a state of constant warfare with an international enemy, for over ten years now, the Benghazi crisis, as brutal and disturbing as it was, did not seem any more outrageous than any other act in this age of unconvential warfare.
When you call for more public outrage, do not forget that scene in Argo where American protesters beat up an Iranian just because he is Iranian. While we must always condemn terrorist attacks, I think that blind rage, thoughts of revenge, bold statements and zero tolerance policies are not the right answer to complicated political issues and crises.
Maybe the American public is finally beginning to understands that some of today’s conflicts cannot be solved by black and white thinking or by seeing the world in clear cut categories of good and evil.