Posted 4:30 PM by Paul
The Day the World Changed Forever - Err Not Exactly

For perhaps two or three days after September the 11th I walked around in a daze. Like millions of people around the world who had visited New York and had been dazzled by it from afar, I could not really take in what had happened. I spent two days on phone and e-mail trying to trace a good friend from Baltimore who worked in the wine trade in New York and did business in the World Trade Centre. He was a regular at the Windows of the World and knew many of the waiters and someliers. As luck would have it he had just left on a luxury cruise selling fine Bordeaux wines to millionaires. I shouted with exhultation when I heard the news, but immediately felt guility for all the thousands who would not be traced. Obviously our distress was only a tiny fraction of the pain felt by Americans and particularly New Yorkers.

The UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw seemed to sum up the mood when he said "the world has changed forever". We all nodded sagely at his comment, but only a day or so later I began to question it. 20 million pople died in the Soviet Union during World War II. Perhaps as many as 400,000 Russians and Germans in the battle for Stalingrad alone. But amazingly Germany and Russia recovered as did the East End of London where thousands were crushed and burned in the air raids between 1940 - 1944. The wounds healed remarkably quickly. That is perhaps the beauty of the human spirit. It's ability ot transcend chaos and hatred.

My opinion that the appalling events in New York had not changed society was confirmed today when it was revealed that the stunning designs for a new tower to replace the World Trade Centre may be watered down. Apparently the owners of the lease want more space for shopping. Will the hauntng empy vault of commemoration be sacrificed to a Wal-Mart or a string of fashion concessions? Possibly. It's not an American thing. I am sure it would be the same if London had been attacked on September the 11th. The accountants would have wheeled out the equations showing desired ratio of turnover per square foot. I suppose that's capitalism and New York is its most perfect expression. Business as usual.

It make's you wonder how we got around to building the great cathedrals of the Middle Ages.

Oiii! Can't you shorten that trancept. I wanna get a cattle market, two ale houses and a brothel in 'ere!