<his leg was actually taken off by a bus.>
If A causes B, and B causes C, then (as I said), A causes C.
The proximate cause of the Iraq policeman's leg becoming separated from the balance of his body, was the ragged pieces of metal flying through the air. But what caused that? Did the pilgrims dismantle their own bus, and throw it at the policeman?
No, the leg separation happened because:
1. Checkpoint soldiers have a hard time telling the difference between a car bomb and a pilgrim bus with brake trouble.
2. The young men with guns in hand at the checkpoint, have done their own cost/benefit analysis, and decided that their Rules of Engagement are: Anything that, even remotely, looks like a car bomb, shoot it up.
3. Those young men will follow those Rules, no matter what their official Rules are. Self-preservation (usually) trumps other motivations.
4. Those Polish soldiers are in Iraq, shooting pilgrims, because their government wants close military relations with the U.S.
5. That, in turn, is because Poland feels a need for powerful friends, given its unfortunate history.
6. So, ultimately, the leg got separated because of Poland's position between Russia and Germany, and the lack of natural frontiers. Geography did it. |
