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Recent
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April
10, 2003
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April 11,
2003
Greed
Is Rewarded
Bush
and Rummy's Drunken Drive-by
by
RON JACOBS
I'm a bit depressed. CNN is showing another bunch
of Iraqis who seem to be cheering the arrival of the invading
troops in their neighborhood. Of course, this bastion of the
free press did not show the dead and wounded that came before
the occupiers' entrance. Nor have they shown the destruction
the US troops are leaving in their wake. Don't get me wrong.
I'm not depressed because the regime of Saddam Hussein is apparently
collapsing. Neither am I depressed that this most murderous phase
of the illegal war on the Iraqi people seems to be over. After
all, this should slow down the killing. After thousands of deaths
and maimings, the Iraqi people may finally be able to sleep without
the fear of explosives raining down on them
Are the Iraqis actually cheering the
arrival of the invaders? Or are they just cheering what they
hope is the end of the effect of war, Saddam, and the sanctions
in their neighborhood? What about the looting and score-settling
that is going on? How long will the invaders (now occupiers)
allow this? What will they replace it with? If one looks at the
most obvious model for the US occupation-Israel in the Palestinian
Territories-those Iraqis better grab stuff while they can. In
addition, they should keep their faces away from the camera lenses
unless they want the new police forces to come looking for them
after the films are confiscated and reviewed by the occupying
authorities. After all, if the Israeli occupation of the West
Bank and Gaza is the US model (and most indications are that
this is the case), then the Iraqi people have a future that doesn't
include a lot of democracy or freedom. Indeed, if that is the
case, Iraq's people will continue to see bloodshed, repression,
and hopelessness. Unless, of course, they happen to be part of
the new regime composed of white collar criminals, Shi'a clerics,
Kurdish warlords, and others currently on the good side of Washington,
DC.
It's too bad the Iraqis won't get the
democracy Messrs. Bush and Blair have been promising them. They
certainly have shed enough blood for it. The way I see it, the
average Iraqi will be lucky if s/he even gets enough food to
feed their family in the months and years ahead, much less a
vote in who will run the country. One should look at media reports
(other than CNN or MSNBC) on the current situation in Afghanistan
to see why I say this. As for the profits from the oil under
their sands, good luck. History tells us repeatedly that the
only time the common people reap any those profits is when that
oil is nationalized and the proceeds from its sales distributed
by the local regime as in Nasser's Egypt, Saddam's Iraq, Assad's
Syria, or the sheikdoms of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Notably,
none of these regimes are what one would call democratic.
But, say those who support the war and
occupation, that's going to change. The US troops will leave
and Iraqis will finally get their democratic government that
will serve as an example for the rest of the Arab world. Democracy
will flourish throughout the Middle East and the will of the
people will be represented. A simple response to this muddleheaded
thinking is: read your history. In those texts you will discover
that invasions do not bring democracy, corporations do not share
their profits, and occupying armies do not usually leave on their
own volition. If you read even closer, you will discover that
oil companies are not interested in helping out the common people
in Iraq or anywhere else in the world. If they were, why would
they have encouraged the British occupation of Iraq in the 1920s
and the CIA coup in Iraq in 1953? Or the first Gulf War or the
overthrow of Saddam? Further reading of your history text will
lead to another discovery: the United States army has invaded
tens of countries in the name of democracy and not one of those
invasions resulted in a democratic government. What in God's
name would lead you to think that this invasion and occupation
of Iraq will be different?
I could go on and on but I won't. However,
here's a couple more thoughts specifically related to Iraq and
the current administration in Washington: why would the US government
want democracy in Iraq? After all, if there were true democracy
in that country, it is very likely that the legislature would
consist mostly of Shi'a Iraqis whose allegiance to their religion
is greater than any feelings they may have for the infidels in
D.C.. In addition, if history is truly a guide to the future,
then it would only make sense that the popular sentiment of Iraq
would certainly include a desire to get the occupiers out of
their country immediately. I find it difficult to believe that
the US would go along with such a desire, even if it was voted
on. Not that popular sentiment matters to this administration
anyhow-didn't Bush's opponent in the 2000 election actually get
500,000 more votes than him?
Anyhow, back to my feeling depressed.
I'm depressed because of the lessons our children may be learning
from Bush and Rumsfeld's power-drunk drive-by. What depresses
me is that all the wrong lessons have been taught. Might does
make right. Lying and deceit are the best ways to get what one
wants. Greed is rewarded. Murder is okay. As a parent and some
time youth worker, I am wondering why I bother trying to teach
young people that there is value in values such as honesty, cooperation,
truth, and compassion. After all, Mr. Bush and his media machine
are telling them that the opposite is true. Since he stole the
election in 2002, there has been one victory after another for
the liar and thief in the White House. This isn't an accident.
If you have bigger guns and sticks, you can usually win the battle.
Only time will tell if they have won anything more than that.
In Iraq or anywhere else.
Ron Jacobs
is author of The
Way the Wind Blew: a history of the Weather Underground.
He can be reached at: rjacobs@zoo.uvm.edu
Today's
Features
Zoltan
Grossman
The Perils of Occupation: the Easier
the Victory, the Harder the Peace
Uri
Avnery
The Night After
Wayne Madsen
The Telltale Signs of Empire
David Krieger
Before You Become Too Flushed with Victory, Think of Ali Ismaeel
Abbas
Jeremy
Brecher
What Can the World Do Now That Tanks Prowl Baghdad?
Robert
Jensen
The Unseen War
Geoffrey
Neale
Ashcroft's War on the Constitution:
A Patriot Attack on America
Jeffrey
St. Clair
Last Tango in Baghdad
Hammond
Guthrie
Rumors of War
Joseph
Heller
Nately's Old Man
Steve
Perry
War Web Log 4/10
Website
of the Day
The
Third Page
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