April 12, 2004
It's a tragedy
I've posted this image because it captures the religious (messianic) fervour of the whole US enterprise in the Middle East.
Spooner
When you listen to President Bush and the US military you hear resonances of the mediaeval Christian crusaders attacking the infidels. (subhumans).
So what are the Iraqi's seeing?
Baghdad Burning says:
"They say around 600 Iraqis were killed in Falloojeh- 120 children and 200 women... it's an atrocity and horribly sad. They have let one or two convoys in and the rest were sent back. The refugees from the area are flowing into Baghdad and it's horrible to see them. Women and children with tear-stained faces, mostly in black, carrying bundles of clothes and bottles of water. The mosques are gathering food and clothes for them... one of the storage areas for the refugee stuff was hit by an American tank today in A'adhamiya and the scene is chaotic... scattered food, medication, bandages, blankets, etc."
What a mess. Dead kids. See the picture file on the Falluja seige at Aljazerra net. It is what we don't see in our media. We see this
Posted by Gary Sauer-Thompson at April 12, 2004 01:17 PM | TrackBack
All due respect, but if the rubrick of proper military engagements is decided by a minority of stuffy British men, then we're farked. The reason American military force acts the way it does might have something to do with 3,000 dead on 9/11. Not that we've been brutal - on the contrary, our restraint and self-control is renowned.
Nevertheless, forceful responses to forceful acts of terror do not imply callousness or irregard to innocent human life.
Speaking of pictures of Fallujah, did you happen to see this?
Posted by: Jeremiah on April 13, 2004 12:18 AMJeremiah,
thanks for the info. Very interesting.
This was a quick post based on an image rather than the rights and wrongs of the war. The image attracted me because it expressed the religious dimension of Western culture in its conflict with Islam. That dimension is rarely talked about in Australia.
(For the record I'm opposed to Australia's military intervention in Iraq without the UN, though not the US as it is a global power. I also accept the clash of civilizations thesis.)
If there is a politics on this post it is the politics of the media in Australia not the war per se. We get shocking images of charred American bodies on the media but none of Iraqi kids.We should be getting both.
My perspective on junk for code is not a religious one. I see the Iraqi war as a tragedy (in the classical Greek sense). Things are spiralling out of control and civilised people (both Americans & Iraqi's) are doing horrible things to one another.
Tragedies have devastating consequences for all concerned. Few escape the destructiveness that is wrought.
Posted by: Gary Sauer-Thompson on April 13, 2004 01:04 AMGary, good points. I agree that there is a religious aspect to the war not often discussed. I can imagine how it is being played in the Australian media.
I'm not sure I agree with your assessment of Bush as a crusader-like figure, especially when it comes to his perception of Middle Eastern peoples. Nevertheless, it's an interesting perspective.
Thanks for the clarification on your post.
Posted by: Jeremiah on April 13, 2004 02:17 AMDespite the religious resonances in his speeches I wasn't thinking of Bush actually.I had Anne Coulter in mind.
Posted by: Gary Sauer-Thompson on April 13, 2004 10:07 AM