| Subject: A political and social tragedy |
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Date Posted: 00:26:37 06/15/05 Wed
A political and social tragedy
By Jean York
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
The invasion of Iraq was a political and social tragedy for the American people and especially for those soldiers who lost their lives. There were 1,685 casualties as of June 10, and over 12,000 have been wounded. No one has bothered to consider how many innocent Iraqis have been killed and maimed as well.
Is this the culture of life espoused by George W. Bush? The hawks in Washington are treating this invasion as a guide to better living for the Iraqis. Has the shift to militarism in the United States hardened the country to the horrors of killing?
"War is hell," and the maker of that observation apparently made no exceptions. President Bush describes himself as a wartime president. This is probably true, since he initiated the war in Iraq.
The invasion of Iraq unleashed a type of barbaric warfare that was completely unexpected by the architects of the war.
Looking back at it now, the "Mission Accomplished" speech showed the world how badly this administration misunderstood the victory.
As it turned out, the weapons of mass destruction belonged to the United States in the form of bunker buster bombs and other exotic weapons involved in the "shock and awe" episode since the aim was to obliterate the enemy. It also obliterated thousands of everyday citizens.
A great many Americans blame Saddam Hussein for 9-11, which was proven untrue. After that horrific day at the World Trade Center, Osama bin Laden was quick to claim responsibility for it. In addition, most of the perpetrators were Saudi Arabians.
President Bush, at the time, publicly stated that he wanted bin Laden dead or alive, which was a step in the right direction. Instead, he invaded Iraq and for a very long time, bin Laden's name was never mentioned. Unfortunately, America's concentration on Iraq gave bin Laden a golden opportunity to disappear.
Recently, Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on national TV, "9-11 happened and the nation went to war," but there was no specificity to his remarks.
Vice President Cheney claims the insurgency in Iraq is in its "last throes." What he won't admit to the American public is that the invasion produced the insurgency.
In the midst of all this war mongering, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is closing scores of U.S. bases, including Walter Reed Hospital. It's called the Base Re-Alignment and Closure process, otherwise known as BRAC.
According to President Bush, the savings from BRAC will pay for the war. The closings will also cause economic havoc for those civilians dependant on the bases for a living. So why is this administration opening bases in other countries? Governmental outsourcing comes to mind. Is there no end to the defense department's war games?
There are political and cultural issues when a country is invaded. The following was written long ago:
"But what not abstract war is horrid,
I sign to thet with all my heart,
But civilization doos git forrid
Sometimes upon a powder cart."
What the author of the above was saying is that sometimes war advances civilization, but sadly, there is historical evidence that occupiers tend to fashion their conquests in the image and likeness of themselves, and therein lies the problem.
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