Well ... I don't know.
With the world literally becoming more disjointed than that kid's thumb in elementary school, some have turned to less conventional coping methods -- I turn to the Tao Te Ching.
Lao Tzu, the wise sage credited for writing the Tao Te Ching, offers insight into a way of being. Through his maxims one can put conflict in perspective without every fully understanding it -- such is the way of the Tao.
If you want to grab the world and run it/I can see that you will not succeed./The world is a spiritual vessel, which can't be controlled./Manipulators mess things up./Grabbers lose it.
This appears to speak both to the Western coalition and to the complex network of terrorism throughout the world -- given America's need for a target, this network is symbolized by Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda.
If one reads Lao Tzu, he can see that neither side will succeed in its quest to rule the world. The world is more complicated than our simple social institutions or theirs. I'd consider both sides manipulators and grabbers in their own special way. The West influences the world through capitalism and democracy and also pilfers resources from across the world to secure its dynasty. Al-Qaeda and the Taliban manipulate young, eager and impoverished people and try to grab what they can to stay afloat.
Handle things before they arise./Manage affairs before they are in a mess.
This sounds like something your mother would tell you, but it's true.
One certainly cannot hold the U.S. government entirely responsible for the events of Sept. 11, but it let a few things spin out of control.
