I just received an Internet story celebrating the excesses of Gen. Pershing in Philippines. This info-treat named many of his accomplishments, concluding with the shooting of 49 of 50 "terrorists" (freedom fighters?) who didn't agree with the unlawful occupation of the Philippine Islands.
Apparent Pershing shot the terrorists with pig-blood soaked bullets and pushed the corpses into a big hole, filled with pig feces and entrails. The last remaining terrorist was set free to spread the word. The forwarded item claimed that for 42 years there was no further Muslim terror attacks. Presumably this rather dubious claim meant "against the U.S." because as any person with half-a-wit knows the British were, at nearly the very moment, trying like hell to hold onto Iraq - and finally left due to their unwillingness to kill massive numbers of non-combatants in order to fight terrorist attacks.
The upshot of the snippet was how great Pershing was, that we needed someone like him now, and that maybe we need to let "this segment of history repeat itself, maybe in Iraq".
To rebut this, I merely reference a more balanced view of actual events. This is one of several that pretty much tell the same story, but with fewer facts missing.
wordiq.com
When people found out about the excesses (1 MILLION Filipinos taking the toll for our liberating acts) their support waned for this war of one-sided aggression. Andrew Carnegie was a strong critic of the U.S. presence and many, including Mark Twain, felt that America had forsaken its origin by becoming a holder of colonies. It was ironic, to say the least.
Many people were under the mistaken belief that most Filipinos wanted to join the United States (and probably encouraged to think that by those with the agenda), just like many people think that Iraq has some connection to the 9/11 attack on America (and are allowed to continue to think that because it fits with Neocon agenda). Both beliefs are factually wrong.
The unlawful taking of the Philippine Islands was a follow-on of another unlawful act - the declaration of war against Spain. We wouldn't accept their acquiesence any more than we answered Saddam's requests at the last moment. Before the Philippines became part of the U.S., they belonged to Spain (which was also having trouble holding it as a colonial possession). The whole basis of the Spanish American War (by which we came into possession of several colonies, including PI ) has been questioned with many naval experts attributing the destruction of the U.S.S. Maine, not to Hearst's terrorist agent provocateurs, but to a design defect which allowed the powder magazine to get too hot due to its proximity to the boiler. A sister ship of the Maine also exploded from a powder magazine explosion.
Factually incorrect information for political impact has been part of the American foreign policy landscape since we started becoming an Imperialist power. But even before that we were a nation that harbored terrorists like Walker even as he undermined the legitimate government in Nicaragua.
It should not come as a surprise that people today will just as vehemently defend wrong actions, based upon factually incorrect assertions, and call those who have the facts on their side "un-American" or otherwise denigrate their contribution to the country. In war, the first casualty is the truth. Anyone who wishes to look up my facts will find that they are true. But I doubt mere facts will change anyone's mind. Good luck on your mission. |
