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May 14, 2004 Yes, here's the European guy again with another critical look at American politics. The situation in Iraq gives me all reason to be critical once again, unfortunately. You always tell us Europeans we should know our past better, but what your own historical knowledge? It looks to consist of short term memory. Let me take you back to Vietnam first, the still open wound in American history after WOII. Why and how the USA got involved into Vietnam is a different story. What I want to stress is this: was the Vietnam war successful from a military point of view? No, it wasn´t, was it? Not only because of the great loss of American soldiers, but also because at a certain moment the whole world was against the way America was handling this war. Do you remember that picture of the little Vietnam girl running in tears after a Napalm attack? Not good publicity, was it? Saying you´re trying to establish democracy while using methods that go into all military and human rights conventions. We make a big jump in time. The war in Iraq 2004. Yes, in my eyes it´s still war. Pictures are published of American soldiers torturing and humiliating Iraqi prisoners. World wide protest. Is this the way to bring democracy? Reports of the International Red Cross and Amnesty International show these practices are not just individual cases, but structural. Congress members are shocked. The torture seems to be done because of orders by highly placed persons in the army and the security services. Meanwhile, what does the American government do? Not much. Bush says sorry, Rumsfeld stays at his post and that´s it. Do they really believe people in Iraq are still content with the American presence in their country? The Iraqis are not. They´ve never been, only tolerated the American presence for the time being. Of course, most people are glad they got rid off Saddam. And of course, Saddam was a cruel man. But are the Americans behaving better now? When will you learn that the wish of bringing democracy may be a noble cause, but that it is not good to impose it by force to every country on earth and that it is simply not always possible because of cultural differences. Vietnam and Iraq are no Western countries. Have never known something like democracy. And then the Americans will teach them how to in no time? Come on, the USA may be ´God´s country´, but George Bush and his ministers are not God and his angels in person on earth (thank God). Today, Friday May 14th, Paul Bremer said the Americans will leave Iraq when the provisional government asks for it after June 30th. In a sense, this statement is an acknowledgement of the fact the USA have again lost a war they´ve never been able to win from the start. Any person with common sense could have told Iraq would become a big mess. George Bush and Donald Rumsfeld thought differently. They were wrong. As so many times before. What makes it worst, not only the image of democracy has deteriorated. The war on terrorism has come to a stand still as well. Osama Bin Laden and all the other fundamentalist terrorists are the laughing third parties with all cruel plans they may still have in mind. It´s terrifying. ------------ About the author: Johan Peters is a freelance journalist from Rotterdam, The Netherlands. He has a great interest in international politics, is not anti- American, but has the meaning things are going totally wrong since the Bush administration has entered the White House. He's glad he can state this meaning in all freedom, also with thanks to the Americans of long ago. See for more information about me my site www.johanpeters.net (partly in English). Email Johan Peters: johan.peters@johanpeters.net Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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