Yevhen HLIBOVYTSKY: “Nothing can convey the horror of the situation in the USA”
Ukraine watched the September 11 tragedy on home screens courtesy of television companies in other countries. Yevhen Hlibovytsky, a leading 1+1 television journalist, was among the first Ukrainian media people to visit the United States in September, cutting short his honeymoon. He sent regular reports for TSN [the 1+1 news service], constantly in eye contact with the epicenter. The journalistic profession requires maximum objectivity, and many of his personal impressions remained off screen.
The Day: Yevhen, how did you react when they told you about your trip?
Y. H.: Flying to the US was more horrifying than being there, at least that’s how I felt. Life goes on no matter what. People are trying to get back to normal. Even in the aftermath of the terrible September 11 shock they were resolved to overcome the crisis. The situation worsened after the biological attack. Now everybody realized that the passenger jets were only part of the terrorist scheme. What makes everything worse is the awareness that people living in America, this seemingly best protected country, are totally vulnerable. Most Americans live away from the big cities and skyscrapers. Planes seldom fly over their heads. Also, America has ceased to be a superpower. It is still the richest, most powerful, and influential country, but not the superpower.
The Day: What were your first impressions in the United States?
Y. H.: The hotel we registered in had been doing very good business before the terrorist attack; the influx of customers had been steady. And then it was cut short abruptly. Days before habitually filled by 95%, now barely 35% of the rooms were occupied. Of course, the restaurant was also practically empty. The bellhops, waiters, and doormen were idle. Several days later they started getting pink slips. The sad-eyed man fixing our lunch (we had no time for the restaurant) said there were only two left of eight on payroll, so he was acting as barman, waiter, cashier, dishwasher, and delivery man... For the American man in the street losing a job is a serious problem, because he has to pay monthly installments on his car and home, as everything is bought on credit, and this is a lot of money. After being jobless for a couple of months, one can find oneself in a kind of debtor’s prison.
The Day: Was what we watched on television close to what was actually happening?
Y. H.: No television program can convey all the horror of what is taking place in the USA. Imagine an area approximately the size of the central stadium in Kyiv and another, a giant dump strewn with debris, concrete fragments, metal structures, equipment, and human body parts... The fire raged for a long time, something was probably burning deep underground where the rescue teams couldn’t reach.
The Day: How does all this affect the American man in the street who keeps well away from politics?
Y. H.: What scares him most is the prospect of being stopped in the street by the police and asked to show his driver’s license or documents to confirm his identity. He regards this as a violation of his civil liberties, the very fact of being suspected for no obvious reason. But now he has to live with this. In addition, there are restricted areas, meaning one can’t walk inside just like that. Previously, the only restricted area for Americans was private property. So this is another shocking reality. They just can’t understand why. Besides, they are all scared of losing their jobs. Tensions are mounting month by month.
The Day: Could the situation be described as another American depression?
Y. H.: I don’t think so. The horror and fear, every negative factor are transformed not into depression but a desire to punish all those guilty; it is hatred and a desire of vengeance. This is probably why almost 90% Americans support the antiterrorist operation, the war in Afghanistan, even if they are not completely convinced of its effectiveness.
