SEUMAS MILNE writes in the British daily The Guardian:

“[Americans] can’t see why they are hated… Already, the Bush administration is assembling an international coalition for an Israeli-style war against terrorism, as if such counter-productive acts of outrage had an existence separate from the social conditions out of which they arise. But for every ‘terror network’ that is rooted out, another will emerge – until the injustices and inequalities that produce them are addressed.”

EVEN THE NAKED NEWS anchorladies are being serious. Chief MC Victoria Sinclair wears a plain black dress (and keeps it on) while reading her summary of the eastern U.S. grimness. Only after moving on to other topics do she and her Toronto-based colleagues return to celebrating the flesh (in their standing-up-straight, plain-speaking, non-lurid way).

CAPITOL HILL began to return to its normal rituals Thursday. The coffeehouse and bar chatter was again about interpersonal issues, money worries, and least-favorite bands, as well as that one overriding topic.

At Six Arms last night, a young woman came up to me bearing a big smile and intense blue eyes. She held my hand, looked compassionately into my eyes, and told me she could see that I, like a lot of people these past few days, are doing far too much worrying for our own good. She said we all need to stop fretting and replaying old fears; and to start giving love instead.

Then she tried to sell me on the Landmark Forum, the self-improvement course derived from Werner Erhard’s old “est.”

But even if her primary purpose with me was solicitacious, not altruistic, the first part of her message still holds. As some ’70s self-help book said, “Love is letting go of fear.”

Spread the love to all around you on these days of sorrow and remembrance, freely and unconditionally, without asking for anything back (including self-improvement-course signups).