Chris' Lounge

It’s really a shame that the essay I wrote, a summary about the Iraq war and thoughts about the “culture of death” that was exported to the Iraqi people after the ousting Saddam Hussein, was lost as I tried to post it, due to technical failure. At least some goals were achieved in Iraq, at tremendous lasting cost. Did the Iraqi’s pay unwillingly for liberation from Saddam with their lives? Yes. And now, 400.000 of them are dead. One good outcome of ouster (from US perspective), was the prevention of oil business ties between Europe and a dictator, but, look at the result in the middle east now- the killing of 400,000 Iraqis, the spread of “nettles” rather than “roses” in the “Arab spring” of North Africa, and a pulverized Iraq in shambles now (which Britain, under then prime minister Tony Blair provided the endorsement for). The US acted with tremendous speed; most of Europe pulling away from two potential sovereign outcomes of their own prior choosing: one, purchasing oil from Saddam, and two, standing in the US super power’s way. The US achieved ouster in Iraq, and with the help of satellite imagery, the then general (Powel) made a case for Bush to proceed with those plans. With such fervor, the US acted quicker than anyone else in getting to the region, while a nervous Europe feared Iran perhaps more than Iraq. Other countries would be part of a coalition. Is it all now that it was meant to be? Or, was a culture of death, propagated by racism, cultivated by US elders, brothers, sisters, and leaders, used so that men and women who were just taking orders and not questioning authority, could brutalize men women and children and simply unleash?

Unfortunately, while saving and publishing my essay, the first text, which explored the phrase “culture of death”, which I’ve contemplated the last several years after hearing it from friends and strangers alike, in the years that soldiers were in Iraq, was better analyzed. Such an associative term makes one think about what kind of brutality exist in the hearts and minds of US citizens, otherwise thought of as the best educated, most generous people of the world. My original essay was lost in transmission. Also discussed in the essay, was an analysis of the sociopath tendency of talks against Iran now.

I reminded readers that Germany engaged in direct negotiations with Iran a couple of times roughly in 2004 and then again in 2010. At a time when seemingly no one else was looking at such need. It’s a fantasy now, to believe that provocation, continued sanctions by the West, and instability in the regional neighboring areas of Iran, will somehow make the Iranians abandon their nuclear counterweight against Israel or the US. I believe there were weapons inspections, but the priority at the time, was ousting the Iraqi leader and choosing the front there, against terrorists. Iran won’t abandon its power until it chooses non-proliferation, as did Russia, long after the cold war.  While non-proliferation is a nice goal, would the US, Israel, or Iran fire a weapon, knowing that the third will/may fire back at them? I don’t think so. So don’t deceive us. And lastly, I discussed brutality at great length. What we see in Syria, a region that never showed signs of the optimism elsewhere coined by the terms “Arab spring”, is brutality of the likes that we’ve never seen before. And apparently the North African regions are now descending in the same direction, as oppression and brutality are taking over there. Is the American speed of globalization and American led war, causing unattainable expectation for internal change, in a region that cannot possibly keep up at the speeds set by the USA? And finally, in wake of brutality, we should see it as gender blind. Does one woman equal the lives of 100 men? No. Should we not see that torture and brutality, whether against women (who should be revered), against men, against child, and brutality against animals, are all wrong in the eyes of our God? We should pray to the mother of God, to teach us every day, how to live peace, without enforcing it through killing. That is our biggest challenge I think.