Step Aside
Many still believe in the premise that because we are already in Iraq that we cannot immediately leave without having achieved at least a resemblance of stability in that country. Some others see it differently.
"What, then, should Washington and London do? Knock heads until the Iraqis see the light? Or, get out and let them find their own way?
Neither course of action will produce anything resembling Jeffersonian democracy. Bush, Blair, and the neoconservative ideologues who cheer them on should have realized this before they set out to run someone else's country, let alone the entire Middle East. But, in their arrogant, faith-based rejection of reality, they fell victim to their own lofty rhetoric and the lure of Iraqi oil.
To temper any lingering missionary zeal, consider a few facts. Not all Iraqis, and not all Shiites, share the primitive and puritanical notions of Moqtada al-Sadr. Many Iraqis, Iranians, and others in the region seek to find their own compromise between tradition and the modern world, while others - mainly among the more educated - are openly secular. Freedom and human rights have strong supporters throughout the Middle East.
But how many? And for how long? Every reputable poll shows that a growing majority of Iraqis oppose foreign occupation and demand their national freedom. Very much like the rest of us, they also want to control their own culture and their own natural resources.
Al-Sadr and his Mehdi Army embodied these nationalistic feelings when they held off U.S. troops in the Shiite holy cities last year, and they continue to lead Shiite opposition to the continued presence of British and American forces in Iraq. The longer these outside forces remain, whether to knock heads or otherwise 'create security,' the more Shiites will support al-Sadr. And, sadly, growing numbers will do it even at the cost of their individual freedom.
So, the choice for Bush and Blair comes down to this: Get out of Iraq now, and risk another Iran. Stay, and make an even more repressive Islamic Republic almost inevitable.
When the deadly double bind plays out, please remember all the fine words about freedom and democracy. The ideals are certainly worth promoting, but not by self-interested outsiders with a gun in one hand, a cross in the other, and their eye on someone else's oil."
If You Believe in Freedom, Step Aside
"What, then, should Washington and London do? Knock heads until the Iraqis see the light? Or, get out and let them find their own way?
Neither course of action will produce anything resembling Jeffersonian democracy. Bush, Blair, and the neoconservative ideologues who cheer them on should have realized this before they set out to run someone else's country, let alone the entire Middle East. But, in their arrogant, faith-based rejection of reality, they fell victim to their own lofty rhetoric and the lure of Iraqi oil.
To temper any lingering missionary zeal, consider a few facts. Not all Iraqis, and not all Shiites, share the primitive and puritanical notions of Moqtada al-Sadr. Many Iraqis, Iranians, and others in the region seek to find their own compromise between tradition and the modern world, while others - mainly among the more educated - are openly secular. Freedom and human rights have strong supporters throughout the Middle East.
But how many? And for how long? Every reputable poll shows that a growing majority of Iraqis oppose foreign occupation and demand their national freedom. Very much like the rest of us, they also want to control their own culture and their own natural resources.
Al-Sadr and his Mehdi Army embodied these nationalistic feelings when they held off U.S. troops in the Shiite holy cities last year, and they continue to lead Shiite opposition to the continued presence of British and American forces in Iraq. The longer these outside forces remain, whether to knock heads or otherwise 'create security,' the more Shiites will support al-Sadr. And, sadly, growing numbers will do it even at the cost of their individual freedom.
So, the choice for Bush and Blair comes down to this: Get out of Iraq now, and risk another Iran. Stay, and make an even more repressive Islamic Republic almost inevitable.
When the deadly double bind plays out, please remember all the fine words about freedom and democracy. The ideals are certainly worth promoting, but not by self-interested outsiders with a gun in one hand, a cross in the other, and their eye on someone else's oil."
If You Believe in Freedom, Step Aside
posted by NBT at 21:02
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home