by Jorg Mutz

I don’t remember how many times I saw the same fragment: A man who suddenly looks up and says the memorable four-letter word which should be the only comment on what happened. Dead or alive, the man became a vital part of a new era. Conspiracy of evil surfaced and declared open war against “the bold and beautiful” (“cowardly and ugly,” in Muslims’ eyes).

Rags
Is it our fault that we are rich and you live in poverty, ask Americans. You are lazy, vicious, and corrupt, sputter an old man passing by. American dream is over. No one doubts. “From rags to riches and backwards” – it seems to be the name of the game, a heart of the enlightened darkness, the real core of the message to the World.

Craving for revenge is still stronger than any other “human” feeling. “They were overjoyed when the first plane hit the building, so I said to them: be patient.” Everybody recognizes these horrible words of the horrible man. He also mentions (on the same tape) his dream – a football match between Americans and Arabs. “All our players were pilots and we won the match.”

Logic
It illustrates the logic of terrorists.

Each attempt is like a match.

Death toll is its score.

“Ben has had such a tiring day that he’s out for the count.” reads Cambridge International Dictionary of English. I saw the quotation on the wall of one of squalid buildings which have to be demolished. There are a lot of dilapidated areas in the vicinity of my place. The message is clear: Ben is sleeping in a big cave. Clear and misleading. The real message is: do not ignore premonitions – fiction books (e.g. “The Zero Hour” by Joseph Finder) – thrillers – theater plays – or even covers of music albums… Who planned the attack – who was its author?

Who came up with the suggestion and presented many suggestive versions how to carry it out?

Tragedy of many individuals soon became a food not for thoughts but thoughtless jokes, computer games, and, of course, a source of making money.

Sale
Death sells well.

But Ben is not a puppet or effigy carried through the streets during Halloween parades. We can’t shoot him, but we can shoot his effigy. Is it enough? Enough is enough. Who is right or wrong – Oriana Falacci or Susan Sonntag? Or maybe N.A.Chomsky?

One of eminent European composers – let’s forget his name – claimed that Sept 11th was “a masterpiece.”

At the most important art festival “Documenta” in Kassel, we could walk around sparkling twin towers of WTC. Was it meant as a memorial for the victims? Definitely, not.

Conclusion
Being a playwright and visual artist and seeing all those absurdities, I can’t keep silent. It is no use reconstructing or projecting events. We (artists) should enter or embrace the chaos around. Some of us seem to be “lost in a fun house,” groping in the dark. Some of us should read again “Desiderata” and think over its message.