I would probably have done the same thing.
If you can put yourself in his shoes and say you would do the same thing why can't you put yourself in the shoes of all the disenfranchised, disadvantaged, and struggling people in this world too?
In nearly every country or nation on the globe, you can find a history that includes the West "colonizing" countries economically and aligning itself with dictators and individuals that were desirable for facilitating big biz but not for acting to further the well-being of the people of those countries, first and foremost. We have fed off this corruption and given it life. We've allowed big biz to run the friggin' world. Consequences be damned. And, they've built a world in which there are billionaires and jacked up millionaires on one hand, but also many millions that live in absolute poverty, under wretched conditions, with little hope.
That we are or have been the beneficiaries of the current system or status quo (or at least we've been on a great ride as a result of participating in the 2nd WW victory and putting our stamp on middle eastern oil among other places as the spoils of war) doesn't make it good or right unless all people on this planet are treated equitably. We just need to walk in their shoes. Right? But, we look at other countries with a jaundiced eye and ignorance of history. Maybe that's because the winner usually writes history and doesn't write what is unflattering to say the least. You see the shit that goes down with corruption today. From priests to bankers, man. Why would anyone conclude it was any less "evil" in the past? Big biz has torn the resources from the weaker countries. It has supported those individuals that would help it gain entry and influenced our gov policy to knock down barriers by threat or by war if they couldn't find an agreeable party. The elitist financial community have muscled and manipulated countries' financial conditions. The great success of our country has also been built off the backs of the rest of the world. No one is alone here.
And, our war machine sure doesn't sell cap guns. The "good people" we sell weapons to aren't buying them to put in their military museums. Let's put ourselves in everyone's shoes not merely the young soldiers sent as invaders or crusaders by our leaders. Wonder how it feels to be vaporized by a two-thousand pound bomb? Or to have your wife and kids disintegrated as "collateral damage". American troops wouldn't be in this situation if they hadn't been sent to invade another nation or country. There would be no wounded or unwounded "insurgents", lying and waiting to explode a device and take out American troops if we weren't even there.
The issue is not the self-serving nature of the news as you're implying (i.e., the media is "against us" in their reporting - you posted a letter to give the "other side"), and it's not about the self-defense or foolish actions of a single soldier either. It is a willingness to grasp at anything that might provide publicity to garner opinion in a way that leads to a stoppage of the actions of our gov. Should invaders, crusaders, or imperialist pigs be held to a higher standard? Who TF cares? We shouldn't be there at all.
The important thing is not the uproar about what any soldier did but that Americans stop and think to themselves, "Shit, this sucks. We've got the highest tech level in human history and we're dropping bombs on people and vaporizing them. Our soldiers are fighting in friggin' Iraq. Look at the stuff going on. Soldiers under horrible pressure. To survive they have to think "kill or be killed". But in so doing they are going to make mistakes. A lot of them are just kids. The majority are far from brilliant to say the least. Why TF is this continuing? There are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Let's get the hell out of there. We are certainly not wanted. What's up with this policy of hegemony? Who gave us the right to control other nations anyway?"
Personally, I think blood for oil, blood for anything, needs to be addressed by the nation. Not by or through the modulation of our beholden media giants either. I would never support a war by our country unless the scion of the elite are out there holding guns too. Preferably in the very front.
It is pretty clear that there were no flowers of welcome waiting for us in Iraq. It shouldn't be impossible to build a puppet army. It is one of the few jobs available. If we are having this much trouble, only a fool would think we are anything but in the minority. So, it must be real important to some to have Iraq (and control their oil). Is there any limit to the audacity of the elite/big biz? I think not. In the end, this pyramid produces angry people who lose their grip and strike back. Whether it is blowing up postal-like or building an explosive device, our actions are going to undermine everything in time. We're the world's target now. Complaining about the bad press on Fallujah is like complaining about slippery floors at the bank you're trying to rob. |
