ABSTRACT
The Twin Towers are also a metaphor for the attack on America. They were built with great engineering skill. They were supposed to be impervious to every conceivable kind of accidental or deliberate destruction. To be sure, bin Laden was scarcely the first person to make this kind of verbal attack, but he is the first person who has been able to translate that verbal attack into a physical attack on US soil, one that caught America by surprise and, momentarily at least, helpless. The story of US and world power can be resumed quite simply at this moment. Americans, especially American politicians and publicists, like to speak about our ideals. In such cases, most people place privilege ahead of ideals. President Bush has been offering the American people certainty about their future. Certainty may seem desirable if one reflects on one’s privileges.
