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believes there is a God up there who is happy with what he is doing？〃
I told him I just didn't know。 What I do know is this： There are two ways to flatten
the world。 One is to use your imagination to bring everyone up to the same level；
and the other is to use your imagination to bring everyone down to the same level。
David Neeleman used his optimistic imagination and the easily available technologies
of the flat world to lift people up。 He launched a surprising and successful new
airline； some profits of which he turns over to a catastrophe relief fund for his
employees。 Osama bin Laden and his disciples used their twisted imagination； and many
of the same tools； to launch a surprise attack； which brought two enormous symbols
of American power down to their level。 Worse； they raised their money and created
this massive human catastrophe under the guise of religion。
〃From the primordial swamps of globalization have emerged two genetic variants；〃
observed Infosys CEO Nandan Nilekani…one is al…Qaeda and the other are companies like
Infosys or JetBlue。 〃Our focus therefore has to be how we can encourage more of the
good mutations and keep out the bad。〃
I could not agree more。 Indeed； that effort may be the most important thing we learn
to do in order to keep this planet in one piece。
I have no doubt that advances in technology…from iris scans to X…ray machines…will
help us to identify； expose； and capture those who are trying to use the easily
available tools of the flat world to destroy it。 But in the end； technology alone
cannot keep us safe。 We really do have to find ways to affect the imagination of those
who would use the tools of collaboration to destroy the world that has invented those
tools。 But how does one go about nurturing a more hopeful； life…affirming； and
tolerant
imagination in others？ Everyone has to ask himself or herself this question。 I ask
it as an American。 I stress this last point because I think itstarts first and foremost
by America setting an example。 Those of us who are fortunate to live in free and
progressive societies have to set an example。 We have to be the best global citizens
we can be。 We cannot retreat from the world。 We have to make sure that we get the
best of our own imaginations…and never let our imaginations get the best of us。
It is always hard to know when we have crossed the line between justified safety
measures and letting our imaginations get the best of us and thereby paralyzing
ourselves with precautions。 Iargued right after 9/11 thatthe reason our intelligence
did not pick up the 9/11 plotters was 〃a failure of imagination。〃 We just did not
have enough people within our intelligence community with a sick enough imagination
to match that of bin Laden and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed。 We do need some people like
that within our intelligence services。 But we all don't need to go down that route。
We all don't need to become so gripped by imagining the worst in everyone around us
that we shrink into ourselves。
In 2003； my older daughter； Orly； was in her high school's symphonic orchestra。 They
spent all year practicing to take part in the national high school orchestra
competition in New Orleans that March。 When March rolled around； it appeared that
we were heading for war in Iraq； so the Montgomery County School Board canceled all
out…of…town trips by school groups…including the orchestra's attendance at New
Orleans… fearing an outbreak of terrorism。 I thought this was absolutely nuts。 Even
the evil imagination of 9/11 has its limits。 At some point you do have to ask yourself
whether Osama bin Laden and Ayman al…Zawahiri were really sitting around a cave in
Afghanistan； with Ayman saying to Osama； 〃Say； Osama； d'you remember that annual high
school orchestra competition in New Orleans？ Well； it's coming up again next week。
Let's really make a splash and go after it。〃
No； I don't think so。 Let's leave the cave dwelling to bin Laden。 We have to be the
masters of our imaginations； not the prisoners。 I had a friend in Beirut who used
to joke that every time she flew on an airplane she packed a bomb in her suitcase；
because the odds of two people car
rying a bomb on the same plane were so much higher。 Do whatever it takes； but get
out the door。
Apropos of that； let me share the 9/11 story that touched me most from the New York
Times series 〃Portraits of Grief；〃 the little biographies of those who were killed。
It was the story of Candace Lee Williams； the twenty…year…old business student at
Northeastern University； who had worked from January to June of 2001 as a work…study
intern at the Merrill Lynch office on the fourteenth floor of 1 World Trade Center。
Both Candace's mother and colleagues described her to The New York Times as a young
woman full of energy and ambition； who loved her internship。 Indeed； Candace's
colleagues at Merrill Lynch liked her so much they took her to dinner on her last
day of work； sent her home in a limousine； and later wrote Northeastern to say； 〃Send
us five more like Candace。〃 A few weeks after finishing midterm exams…she was on a
June…December academic schedule…Candace Lee Williams decided to meet her roommate
at her home in California。 Candace had recently made the dean's list。 〃They'd rented
a convertible preparing for the occasion； and Candace wanted her picture taken with
that Hollywood sign；〃 her mother； Sherri； told the Times。
Unfortunately； Candace took the American Airlines Flight 11 that departed from
Boston's Logan Airport on the morning of September 11； 2001； at 8：02 a。m。 The plane
was hijacked at 8：14 a。m。 by five men； including Mohammed Atta； who was in seat 8D。
With Atta at the controls； the Boeing 767…223ER was diverted to Manhattan and slammed
Candace Lee Williams right back into the very same World Trade Center tower…between
floors 94 and 98…where she had worked as an intern。
Airline records show that she was seated next to an eighty…year…old grandmother…two
people at opposites ends of life： one full of memories； one full of dreams。
What does this story say to me？ It says this： When Candace Lee Williams boarded Flight
11 she could not have imagined how it would end。 But in the wake of 9/11； none of
us can now board an airplane without imagining how it could end…that what happened
to Candace Lee
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Williams could also happen to us。 We all are now so much more conscious that a person's
life can be wiped out by the arbitrary will of a madman in a cave in Afghanistan。
But the fact is； the chances of our plane being hijacked by terrorists today are still
infinitesimal。 We are more likely to be killed hitting a deer with our car or being
struck by lightning。 So even though we can now imagine what could happen when we get
on an airplane； we have to get on the plane anyway。 Because the alternative to not
getting on that plane is putting ourselves in our own cave。 Imagination can't just
be about reruns。 It also has to be about writing our own new script。 From what I read
about Candace Lee Williams； she was an optimist。 I'd bet anything she'd still be
getting on pla