War on Terror: False Metaphor
October 28th 2006 08:43
Heavy Hitting Billionaire
Regarding two rich recent releases for rabid readers about Iraq which are not to be rejected. There is the view from the top, Soros and the view from the bottom, Rory Stewart. What do I mean? Soros is a Billionaire investor and castigator of the Bush Republican Government. He quite rightly illustrates in his book, The Age of Fallibility: The Consequences of the War on Terror that “war on terror” is a false Metaphor and is not really a war at all but simply a means to prosecute a bankrupt conservative ideology. While he does not say it, this has much to do with the cerebral material in and around the White House. In short, when the dogs are out hunting the Owls are hiding. And from the bottom there is the view of the man on the ground, Rory Stewart who was for a time the Governor of Maysan and Dhi Qar, sourthern provinces in Iraq.
The use of the term “War on Terror” is characteristic of a regime with its own kind of “newspeak”. It should not be forgotten that from those same lips came promises of bringing home Bin Laden dead or alive (unfulfilled) and the promise of a Crusade (fulfilled but with bloody consequences).
It does not stretch the intellect too much to realize that we are being conned by our Governments about what is going on in Iraq. We have become bloated and acquiescent. We are like the child in the secure compound who asks about the noise outside and is told that there is a lot of rape and pillage going on but it’s alright because, “We are safe inside.”
Here, in short, is what Soros is saying. The US is led by extremists like Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld who believe that the truth can be cynically and successfully manipulated. Though regarded as a legitimate response to the events that happened on 9-11, it is in fact destroying the open society that is supposed to be America. He believes that a world that continues to allow itself to be led by the US is on the brink of destruction. After the ill-conceived and foolish war on Iraq he says, “the main obstacle to a stable and just world is the United States of America.” He believes that American policy is being framed in theological terms. This leads to the religious newspeak that has characterized the mutterings of George Bush who is far too influenced by the Israelis and by the religious right in America. Soros believes that it is almost as if the people of America are clamoring to be deceived.
Sadist?
Rory Stewart was sent as a government official to govern two unruly provinces in Southern Iraq by the coalition forces. He does with sensitivity and imagination and this is illustrated in his book, The Prince of the Marshes and other Occupational Hazards of a Year in Iraq. During this time there he developed a close relationship with one of the tribal leaders, Abu Hatim who was described as “The Prince of the Marshes”. The marsh Arabs were a unique community of Shias that were persecuted by Sadam Hussain who destroyed their way of life by having their marshes drained. But Abu Hatim is not a prince nor even a tribal leader but only someone who believes that he should be fully armed so that he can shoot dissenters. Stewart’s work as governor, during which he managed to secure the release of a British hostage depended on his special way of dealing with the people but he was always undermined by the coalition forces who had the bizarre ideal that they were bringing democracy with all its ‘benefits’ to the people of Iraq. In the process of refusing to deal with tribal leaders who the US saw a politically incorrect, they are really destroying the place. Later Stewart was to come back after his term of duty to review the province and see what had happened to it. He found that despite the best efforts of the Americans it had degenerated in a Moslem Sadrist state. “reactionary, violent and intolerant to women,” the very thing they hoped to avoid.” The book has amusing anecdotes such as when one of the coalition workers started drawing figures on a white board and the tribal leaders stormed out declaring, "He is drawing a dog!." Many of his descriptions of the coalition leaders trying to change the tribal structures in Iraq would be amusing if they were not so pathetic.
These works are not to be missed. Bloggers should be reaching for Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com buttons and ordering copies when they leave this posting.
Adios.
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Comment by Damo
I have always been critical of the Bush et al. War on Terror. It is not that I believe that terrorism should be left alone but I there are ways to make a problem better or and ways to make it worse.
Terrorism is violence against the defenseless.
Yet the bombing of cities is also violence against the defenseless. Now we have the problem of trying to claim that our mindless violence is better than our enemies mindless violence.
Or to draw an analogy: Oedipus Rex tore out his own eyes rather than look upon results of his sin. Is the West metophorically tearing out its own eyes rather than see the terrible things it has done? Denial is bliss.
Comment by spain01
Juan Carlos
spain again
While your'e about it
Viva l'difference
Fire News Blog
Cities dying of thirst.
Comment by Big Cat
Chatterpillar
You mention similar suppression of information about the 1960s/70s American-led War in Vietnam. My dad, a radio ham, used to tell us about reports being heavily edited or omitted in newspapers by taping the news-wire transmissions then in Morse code.
Comment by Damo
Comment by spain01
Juan Carlos
spain again
While your'e about it
Viva l'difference
Fire News Blog
Cities dying of thirst.
Bulletin does not review these books is that they assume Australians are stupid and don't read
widely, which is rubbish. The suppression of information is correct but Stewart was English and they
have a better record than the Yanks.
Comment by spain01
Juan Carlos
spain again
While your'e about it
Viva l'difference
Fire News Blog
Cities dying of thirst.
I have no doubt about how you would be writing because cant was as evident then as now and you
would have seen through it.
Comment by Anonymous
As i was reading this blog i suddenly had a vision of that new movie "Borat" the man from kazakhstan ,where in a scene from a movie trailer i viewed he addresses an American crowd at a rodeo
and says " We support your war of terror"
Comment by spain01
Juan Carlos
spain again
While your'e about it
Viva l'difference
Fire News Blog
Cities dying of thirst.