"We are oft to blame in this, 'tis too much proved that with devotion's visage and pious
action we do sugar o'er the devil himself."
-Polonius, while talking to Hamlet.
"Does the ore admire the flames that transform it? Forced good or forced evil, for whatever
purpose, will cause a people to cry out in pain"
-Feisal Hussein bin Ali (King of Iraq, 1919 - 1933)
So another Thanksgiving finds the Townleys with an ocean betwixt us. And for what? Life hasn't been as rough out here as the last time around, yet this time it would seem much more about the nature of this confict of ours has been made obvious to me since I arrived. In short, there is nothing here worth another American life. The Iraqi social heirarchy has re-established itself to the point where economic interests (read: which family in Iraq can control the most oil?) once again drive on the violent, historic land disputes that made this cradle of civilization such a desolate bassinet thousands of years before America was even a country. Wether with intent or not, our hubris in presuming that a prolonged occupation of this place could control the Djinn's we have invoked in militant Islam has only gift wrapped an excuse for our leaders to keep us scared and obedient to "the greater national security." Make no mistake, we are no safer now than we were when Danielle and I
were children. Freedom is not on the march. Freedom is sitting in a corner office, to
cowardly to take decisive, uncompromising action to rectify the self-imposed state of
paranoia in which we find ourselves. There is nothing in this country worth another American life, save perhaps correcting the disregard for human dignity rampant in this part of the world which we have, in effect, fostered. There is no war here between demarcated sides. There are only personal, emotional vendettas between humans, melded into the guise of a larger conflict by men (on both sides) who shrug the responsibility of the lives their self serving decisions have cost. Ahmed the bomb maker (forgive the racially charged sobriquet) doesn't have grand intentions of toppling Western civilization. He's angry that foreign troops control his back yard, and that their presence here has drawn from all corners of the world violent zealots who have nothing to do with his former profession as a cabbage farmer.
Hence, he takes what action he can to kick the foreigners out. Think what would happen if a foreign army occupied say, Alabama? Good ol' boys from every volunteer fire department and Rotary Club would be lining up to take a shot at the invaders. On the other hand, Johhny GI over here only knows that there are a lot of Arabs with names that all sound alike trying to kill him and his buddies from home, and he has to do whatever he can to bring himself and his friends home safely.
Ideologically, the west will never understand the culture we so avidly seek to subjugate here in the desert. The Brits tried it and failed not 90 years ago. The Russians tried and failed in both Africa and Afghanistan, and managed to leave behind naught but rusted oil
derricks, horrible architectural taste, and a ubiquitous supply of weaponry. We cannot lay down borders and impose rules on a civilization that, out of necessity to survive, built it's stability around family ties, regardless of economic status. These people don't care about our borders or our curfews. Their families and tribes have been torn asunder repeatedly by western governments for the last 150 years; it's no wonder they have an innate, often violent distrust of Americans and our kind. We do not belong here, and we never did, save to buy some good coffee and hummus and go home. What need has there ever been to conquer a culture in order to reap the advantages its civilization (or lack thereof) can teach us? There are enough conflicts simmering here without our intervention, and they
will sort themselves out for good or ill without our prejudicial say-so. It's time for us all to come home, ladies and gentlemen. We aren't even fighting a battle anymore, we are only creating more work for ourselves at the cost of our own lives. And all for want of what? The statesmen who built the freedoms we so flippantly impose on others would be embarrassed to see what our leaders have become: graceless.
And now that I've become your ray of sunshine for the day...a happier note: My best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving to you all...may your bellies be filled with turkey and stuffing and your day's countenance be of good cheer and fellowship. No doubt I'll find some turkey of sorts over here...however your cheer and fellowship will be sorely missed.
-Rob
