为什么9-15带来的改变比9-11多
这个月，美国度过了两个痛苦的纪念日：9·11和9·15。9年前的9月11日，两架被劫持的飞机撞向双子大厦，近3000人罹难，美国与世界的关系因此而改变。两年前的9月15日，雷曼兄弟的倒闭引发了全球金融危机，带来对第二次大萧条的恐慌。
两起事件都发生在纽约曼哈顿，地点相距不过数英里。它们都给世界带来了深刻的变化，但当它们被载入史册的时候，哪一个看起来意义会更重大？
我猜，是最终蔓延开来的金融危机。这看起来或许是个奇怪的判断，因为在许多美国人眼中，9·11清楚地标志着一个时代的终结。苏联解体后、美国遇袭前长达十年的盖茨比式的美好时光以恐慌收场，由此还诞生了两场战争，一场在阿富汗，一场在伊拉克。美国向恐怖主义宣战，这场斗争一直持续到了今天。
相反，雷曼兄弟破产引起的最大恐慌却从未成真，新的大萧条不曾到来。经济反而再次出现增长，30年来的全球化浪潮没有逆转。但即使这样，我依然认为金融危机将被证明是更大的转折点——不仅就经济而言，就地缘政治而言同样如此。因为是9·15，而不是9·11，真正标志着“单极时刻”的终结。
尽管2001年纽约和华盛顿遭到袭击令人震惊，但它没有动摇美国在全球政治和经济体系中的统治地位，相反，美国的势力得到了莫大的重申。世界另一端，两个政府很快被颠覆，两场战争让小布什政府及其支持者对美国实力的自信空前高涨。创造“单极时刻”一词的保守主义专栏作家查尔斯·克劳萨默称颂道：“一个超级大国主宰着世界，不受任何竞争对手限制。”以庆祝美国在伊拉克的胜利。
到了2008年，美国在伊拉克和阿富汗的军事胜利很明显被一种不确定且令人沮丧的形势取代。但美国的经济实力似乎仍可以为自己的全球政治地位提供可靠的支持。
但金融危机几乎毫无疑问地打破了这一假设。结果，美国对自身实力的局限有了更清醒的认知。甚至当美国总统奥巴马在宣布向阿富汗增派部队时，也曾忧虑地说：“我们根本不能忽视这些战争的代价。”国防开支也被不断削减。
美国对潜在竞争对手的实力也有了更清醒的认识。经济危机爆发之初，很多人以为整个世界会同步陷入衰退。结果，中国和新兴中的亚洲比美国及其它西方国家更快地走出了困境。
金融危机让美国人意识到，来自中国的挑战不在遥远的未来，而是近在眼前。尽管中国的经济规模仍需至少15年才能赶超美国，但在某些重要方面，中国已经处于世界领先地位：它拥有世界上最大的外汇储备；是全球最大的贸易出口国；也是最大的钢铁和温室气体制造者；它还拥有最大的汽车市场；现在还成为印度、巴西等重要新兴经济体最大的贸易伙伴。
虽然眼下美国依然占有主导地位，包括中国在太平洋(601099,股吧)上的“后院”，但中国对美国在这一地区的霸权有可能在未来几年形成挑战。这种新的竞争感增加了两国之间的紧张，目前美国国会正努力推进保护主义立法正是一例。
9·11和9·15事件揭示了美国实力遭受的多种挑战。暴力仍有可能造成巨大破坏，但很难想象有哪种哲学比本·拉登的原教旨主义更不适合应对现代性。确实，9·11的一个讽刺性后果是，它可能已成功地说服美国将关键的10年用于调动大量资源对抗一个错误的威胁。
相反，21世纪将成为亚洲的世纪，这一点似乎十分可能。支持这种实力消长的经济转型早在全球金融危机前就已开始。但由于这个时刻揭示并加速削弱了西方的统治地位，因此危机可能会持续下去。这就是为什么，9·15可能比9·11的意义更重大。
Stories, such as this, are most inspiring and thought provoking. I read Watching America with much interest. My first comment is on the menace of Osama’s Al Qaida terrorist outfit. It could have been nipped in the bud if America, in its own larger and prolonged interests had a better understanding of Islam and in not so blatantly neglecting to foster its relations with it. Frankly speaking it was Israel that became an obstacle simply to attain its limited doubtful and dubious designs. I have laid facts bare in respect of the fraud that Zionists made in creating Israel as a secular entity. In so doing its founder, Ben Gurion, went too far by throwing the Hebrew God out in the cold and that too contemptuously and with disdain. “God,” he said, “had done too little for Jews.” So the oath was taken at the founding ceremony minus God. It is an iniquity bordering on the worshipping of the Golden Calf. America has paid a very heavy price in blindly supporting an entity that is now under a predictable threat from the heavens that might drag America in the fallout. Israel committed far too greater crimes than 9/11 in retaliation of stone throwing urchins in the West Bank with tanks and artillery. One wonders how Bush allowed Sheron to let loose a wave of terror in the whole region to establish Israeli hegemony little knowing that the Hebrew God was watching. The Diaspora Jews know that Israel is doomed and Israeli Jews are full of apprehensions. Shimon Peres knows this. I am a true and admiring friend of Jews. I have offered alternative options to both Shimon Peres and Obama. This said; let us come back to the threat of Al Qaeda. America needs a catalyst by mounting a propaganda machine for reaching out to the Muslim world. The Muslim world is ripe for a change; a change from the autocratic rule to embracing democracy. This would bring the Muslims in the global mainstream. The interaction with the democratic world would open up windows of fostering trade and commerce relations, which depend entirely on peace and stability. Bill Clinton rightly sounded to Americans that their future jobs lie overseas. Does it lie in a shaky Israel? There is still time for America with a better and more enticing appeal to the wide Muslim world for promoting the free enterprise experiment. Look at what the famous five footer Deng Xiaoping did in China. Chinese are more prone to fan out in the world than are Americans. This answers the concern of the story writer about aptly. One needs to make amends, mend fences and reach out to people sharing their values. There is no place of terrorism in Islam. Real “Jihad” ended after the last expedition of the Prophet. He is reported to have said: “We are now entering into a greater Jihad.” The “Jihad” in Afghanistan would be replaced with nation building activities and establishing a democratic set up. Drop the combated foolhardiness. Apologise to Muslims for the wrongs done to them in the past. Portray a larger vision to Americans of the territorial vastness of Islam stretching from Morocco to Indonesia and extending from Pakistan and Afghanistan into Central Asia. American economy is likely to get a boost never imagined before in the developmental framework of untapped resources in Muslim world.. Israeli s would be treated y the Arabs with same hospitality as Ottoman extended to them. Jews firmly believe in the coming of the Messiah to redeem them. They have been blatantly cheated by Zionists, who styled them as the secular Messiah. Jews, too, have a beginning of a new era with Islam in the Middle East.