It's not a bad dream. The World Trade Center and the west side of the Pentagon are as destroyed as they were yesterday. This is a watershed event in U.S. and world history.

For those of us who want that better, more just world, the terrain on which our effort must be fought has shifted dramatically with one bold act. We have an enormous amount of work to do, and a lot of work that needs to be done right now, today, immediately, before the United States government makes a bad situation much, much worse.

This tragedy affects so many different things that it's impossible to summarize briefly--or even focus adequately. Rather than go into them all, here are some quick talking points to help provide clarity as to how we should respond.

Immediate Issues:

* Two wrongs don't make a right, no matter how big the first wrong. The United States and its allies must be certain of the perpetrators' identity before responding. (Remember the last time the U.S. went after Osama bin Laden by destroying half of the Sudan's pharmaceutical supply on "compelling evidence" that turned out to be absurd?) Since the response will clearly be military, the U.S. must not use the deaths of innocent civilians to justify killing other innocent civilians. Every possible effort must be made to avoid either intentionally or accidentally killing civilians (a.k.a. "collateral damage"). "Opposing terrorism" means opposing anybody who would use the intentional, premeditated mass killing of innocent people as a way to bend or break the will of their leaders--even if that means opposing our own government. Especially if that means opposing our own government.

* This was not an act of war. It was a crime--just as hijacking one jet plane has always been a crime--even though the consequences were horrific. Wars are fought by nation-states, or groups that want to control nation-states, against other such armies or groups, for control of a defined geographic area. The Bush Administration may once again flout international convention and law by using its military to retaliate, without working through the legal system to bring the surviving perpetrators to justice. There is, as yet, no evidence that any nation-state was responsible for, or gave assistance to or even knowingly sheltered those responsible for the attacks. If, in fact, Osama bin Laden's group was responsible, the proper comparison is to fighting a lethal, well-organized gang--Capone, or the Crips. That's a law enforcement issue.

* An extended campaign or ground war in Afghanistan--reportedly a Pentagon option at this writing--is unthinkable and unwinnable. (See next article.)

* Targetting countries who "harbor terrorists" is unjustifiable. Unless those terrorists have been there since last Tuesday or have committed prior crimes, whole countries are at risk of being punished for "permitting terrorism" before a crime was committed.

* Islam is no more responsible for this tragedy than Christianity was for Hitler. In Seattle and across the country, Moslems, Arabs and Arab-Americans, and Palestinians, and all non-whites (who are being mistaken for Moslems) must be supported and protected against the death threats, attacks, hatred, and bigotry that have already begun.

* Nationalism is the conviction that one's compatriots are uniquely virtuous--almost certainly the same attitude that fueled last Tuesday's attack.

* Our civil liberties are at great risk--especially, but not limited to, freedom of speech, assembly, our right to dissent, and our physical and on-line privacy. When freedoms are taken away in time of "emergency," they are never returned later. If we sacrifice our constitution for safety, terror has won.

* Media outlets must be forced to cover this story in a reasonably fair and complete manner, without jingoism, nationalism, sensationalism, or prejudice. Already, by moving directly from shock (the breaking news) to rage (who did it? how shall "we" retaliate?) without allowing for grieving, sorrow, or any of the other emotions most people also felt, media has encouraged numb support for violent retribution. Already, men like Henry Kissinger, Al Haig, and Norman Schwarzkopf--not to mention Colin Powell--have been trotted out as "experts" for context and insight, when their past, murderous actions may well have helped inspire the attack. Beware of reporters using the term "we" when reporting the actions of the U.S. government. In past recent U.S. wars, major media went along happily with U.S. censorship and deception. Demand that it not happen again.

Long-Term Issues:

* This attack must mark the end of America's cultural isolationism. While the government, military, and corporations that act in our name commit horrors abroad, most of us have remained willfully oblivious. While the world has gotten smaller, ordinary Americans have ignored it. Now that the world's grimmer realities have come home, everyone, regardless of ideology, must start paying closer attention to what is done in our name overseas, and demanding that those acting in our name do so in a way consistent with our ideals of freedom, self-determination, and democracy.

* National Missile Defense ("Star Wars") must die. It is now breathtakingly obvious that its premise is preposterous, far down the list of possible threats to the U.S. Mythical intercontinental missiles from some country unable to repair its typewriters isn't how we're at risk.

* Our military failed to prevent this attack because for years, national defense hasn't been the purpose of our national defense. Terrorism cannot be fully prevented, but the Department of Defense needs to stop conquering the world and start defending us. Every other country in the world manages to promote its "economic interests" without trying to run the world. And the money saved could then be used to strengthen and promote opportunity and justice in our own society--a far more effective form of national security.

* The list of initial suspects is as long as a U.N. membership list, because around the world, the U.S. has directly or indirectly committed atrocities that are as bad or worse than those of Sept. 11. This must stop. The best way to help prevent terrorism against us is to not commit it ourselves or otherwise give people reasons to despise America. When the U.S. tries to control the world, its peoples' only option for fighting back is through terrorism, putting us all at risk. This country was founded by people who didn't like being controlled by foreigners halfway around the world. The rest of the world feels the same way.

* The coming "War on Terrorism" is likely to be at least as dangerous a pretext for abuse of power, at home and abroad, as the "War on Drugs" has been. It will almost certainly be used as a pretext to demand additional U.S. control of other countries' sovereignty.

* We must combat the inevitable backlash against immigration. Terrorism is committed by people because they are murderers--not because they are foreigners. Ask Timothy McVeigh's victims.

* The blank check being written in response to this attack--when Bush's tax cut for the rich, military spending, and an economic downturn had already eliminated the federal budget surplus--is likely to mean raiding (and privatizing) Medicare and Social Security; further draconian cuts in social spending; and wasteful, unnecessary new Pentagon toys. If the government claims it doesn't have enough money, here's an idea: tax the rich and big corporations fairly.

* It's more important than ever that alternative energy and conservation be promoted to reduce our dependence upon foreign oil, and that Alaskan oil be reserved for domestic use. Republicans are pushing for quick passage of not only the Cheney/Bush energy plan, but unrelated issues like fast track authority, in the name of "uniting behind the President."

There's plenty more. The important thing is to Act Now--through protest, lobbying, letters, e-mails, talk shows, public education--before political elites use our panic and rage to win outrages they've dreamed of for years.

Over 20 minutes of last Saturday's edition of Eat the Airwaves! on KEXP-90.3 was devoted to discussing these issues. To hear that program, go to www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=3648.