Martin Amis writes:

September 18, 2001 7:56 AM

Martin Amis writes: 'Our best destiny, as planetary cohabitants, is the development of what has been called "species consciousness" - something over and above nationalisms, blocs, religions, ethnicities.' Naively idealistic or something to hope for?
posted by normy (12 comments total)

Very level headed piece with what stirkes me as perceptive and sensitive...not self laceration (we brought this on ourselves) though some of this; but also the enemy is real and out to contest us on the world scene. Thanks for the post
posted by Postroad at 8:05 AM on September 18, 2001

Why does he call "treating people on the basis of merit, regardless of their national, block, religion or ethnic background" for "species consciousness"? What happened to good ol' individualism?
posted by dagny at 8:09 AM on September 18, 2001

I agree with this in part. While we work to vanquish our foes we should also work to enhance the ability of those under control of these fanatics to live their lives peacefully.

There is absolutely no excuse for paying our farmers not to grow food when we could instead feed the world.
posted by revbrian at 8:20 AM on September 18, 2001

Uh - revbrian, there is the issue of environmental sustainability.
posted by Wulfgar! at 8:30 AM on September 18, 2001

This essay comes closer to expressing what I feel than anything that I have read so far . The final sentence rings true. Thank you, Martin Amis. You are an incredible human being and a gifted writer.
posted by jeffvc at 8:39 AM on September 18, 2001

The Four Loves, by C.S. Lewis, has this to say: [think of it in terms of enforcing the "conscience" of the species]

Patriotism has, then, many faces. Those who would reject it entirely do not seem to have considered what will certainly step -- has already begun to step -- into it's place.

For a long time yet, or perhaps forever, nations will live in danger. Rulers must somehow nerve their subjects to defend them or at least to prepare for their defense. Where the sentiment of patriotism has been destroyed this can be done only by presenting every international conflict in a purely ethical light. If people will spend neither sweat nor blood for "their country" they must be made to feel that they are spending them for justice, or civilization, or humanity. This is a step down, not up. Patriotic sentiment did not of course need to disregard ethics. Good men needed to be convinced that their country's cause was just; but it was still their country's cause, not the cause of justice as such.

The difference seems to me important. I may without self-righteousness or hypocrisy think it just to defend my house by force against a burglar; but if I start pretending that I blacked his eye purely on moral grounds -- wholly indifferent to the fact that the house in question was mine -- I become insufferable. The pretence that when England's cause is just we are on England's side -- as some neutral Don Quixote might be -- for that reason alone, is equally spurious. And nonsense draws evil after it. If our country's cause is the cause of God, wars must be wars of annihilation. A false transcendence is given to things which are very much of this world.
posted by gd779 at 8:40 AM on September 18, 2001

This essay comes closer to expressing what I feel than anything that I have read so far . The final sentence rings true. Thank you, Martin Amis. You are an incredible human being and a gifted writer.
posted by jeffvc at 8:40 AM on September 18, 2001

This essay comes closer to expressing what I feel than anything that I have read so far . The final sentence rings true. Thank you, Martin Amis. You are an incredible human being and a gifted writer.
posted by jeffvc at 8:42 AM on September 18, 2001

jeffvc, please tell us how you really feel.
posted by mich9139 at 8:43 AM on September 18, 2001

Bombarding the people of our starving enemies with food instead of retaliating with fire and brimstone.

What a consciousness raising idea!
posted by LimpBizKid at 9:00 AM on September 18, 2001

What happened to good ol' individualism? Well, that gets lumped right in with the other national characteristics and widens the deficit of empathy for the sufferings of people further. Thank you, LimpBizKid and aaron, for providing such apposite proof of his point.
posted by RichLyon at 10:56 AM on September 18, 2001