What bothers me most about 9/11

Each anniversary of 9/11 we watch the news footage of the towers' collapse, Pentagon strike, and utter chaos in New York City on that day. We watch with profound awe, fear, sadness, and anger.

What bothers me most is when airplanes hit the towers, Pentagon, and a remote Pennsylvania field striking fear and confusion into America hearts and minds, millions of people in the Mideast and Southeast Asia were joyously celebrating the horrific event. Arabs served each other tea, danced in the streets, embraced each other, and stomped on the red, white, and blue flag they believe symbolizes "The Great Satan." Our day of tragedy was like Christmas morning for over a billion people who worship a polished black meteor from outer space.

We are their enemy. It is what it is. Our lives mean nothing to them.

But when you think about it a bit deeper and allow yourself to be a bit open minded about the event, their lives mean nothing to us either. Would you really care if we destroyed an entire Mideast city if it meant killing a few known terrorists? I wouldn't.

For example, not long after 9/11 President Bush organized a military campaign in Afghanistan and later in Iraq. Americans cheered images of cluster bombs lighting up entire mountainsides. I bet more than a few innocent goat herding sheep frickers were obliterated in the Afghanistan military campaign. We didn't care. I know I didn't care. I still don't care.

Their lives mean nothing to me.

And when Bush decided to invade Iraq, he warned of the exact moment that "Shock & Awe" would begin. I remember sitting with friends in a college apartment with beer and nachos watching CNN eagerly awaiting the start of "Shock & Awe" we hoped would destroy Baghdad. We were jovial, anxious, and without question bloodthirsty for what we hoped would be extreme destruction. The moment the first explosion occurred, we cheered, high fived, bonged a few beers, and celebrated the death of those evil Iraqi frickers we didn't give two shits about.

I'm sure innocent lives were lost during the shock and awe campaign we celebrated that night. I bet more than a few children lost mothers and fathers that night no differently than American children lost mothers and fathers on 9/11. But we didn't care...it was like the Super Bowl! Exciting stuff!

We celebrated death and vengeance no differently than the sand worms celebrated American death and destruction on 9/11.

Events like 9/11 are like college football for the world's ruling elite. 9/11 was like the unforgettable Alabama/Auburn kick-6. It was unbelievable, devastating, and final. One side was awestruck and defeated, the other side was awestruck with frenzied celebration. Regardless, both sides walked away eagerly anticipating next year's game.

It's the real life version of Game of Thrones. 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, the Crimea, South China Sea, North Korea...these conflicted regions are just Monday night football for the ruling elite. We, the average human citizen, are just the blades of grass the ruling elite run over during their "football games."

The average human life is utterly meaningless in scope of the ruling elite's agenda, no differently than an American life is meaningless to the average Arab and vice versa.

Human life is meaningless because our ruling elite fail us. They sacrifice peace for personal gain. Human life pays the price.

No one wins the Game of Thrones. That's what bothers me most.