I have noticed a very disturbing pattern -- I've been just as guilty of it too. Whether from the left or the right, people who are opposed to the imperialistic wars launched by the US tend to focus, not only on all the wasted money, but on the wasted lives of soldiers and civilians alike. In voicing our opposition to the carnage, we point out the x number of American (or NATO) service men and women have been killed...plus thousands, tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of innocents in the nations being attacked.
It is the way we phrase these assertions that should cause all of us to take pause. If truth be known, as far as modern warfare is concerned, US and NATO forces have suffered minimal fatalities and casualties. In most months, the death toll "our side" suffers numbers less than 100. While each of those deaths is felt deeply by the individual's family and community, the sheer numbers are a drop in the bucket compared to what the Iraqi, Afghan or Libyan people must deal with.
The way we address this issue smacks of American exceptionalism, even from those of us who oppose this mindset. By starting off each critique with the number of American dead, I can certainly understand why people around the world believe that we believe that American lives are more important than the lives of anyone else.
Life is precious. It doesn't matter who a person is or where they live. It doesn't matter what they do for a living or what belief system they call their own. These evils wars literally are killing people who don't deserve to die in this way. As sorrowful as any American war death is, WE ARE THE AGGRESSORS. We are the ones attacking. When a nation attacks another, it is understood that some of your soldiers will die.
The innocent lives being snuffed out -- some very cavalierly -- in the nations we have chosen to attack deserve our sympathy. The weight of death and injury weighs on them far more than it weighs on us. While most American families have not suffered through the death of a relative who died in combat, I don't think that can be said of most Iraqi families.
When we object to these horrible wars, we should acknowledge the death toll of the people our nation wantonly is victimizing and then, and only then, should we also include the number of dead American or NATO soldiers.
It is the way we phrase these assertions that should cause all of us to take pause. If truth be known, as far as modern warfare is concerned, US and NATO forces have suffered minimal fatalities and casualties. In most months, the death toll "our side" suffers numbers less than 100. While each of those deaths is felt deeply by the individual's family and community, the sheer numbers are a drop in the bucket compared to what the Iraqi, Afghan or Libyan people must deal with.
The way we address this issue smacks of American exceptionalism, even from those of us who oppose this mindset. By starting off each critique with the number of American dead, I can certainly understand why people around the world believe that we believe that American lives are more important than the lives of anyone else.
Life is precious. It doesn't matter who a person is or where they live. It doesn't matter what they do for a living or what belief system they call their own. These evils wars literally are killing people who don't deserve to die in this way. As sorrowful as any American war death is, WE ARE THE AGGRESSORS. We are the ones attacking. When a nation attacks another, it is understood that some of your soldiers will die.
The innocent lives being snuffed out -- some very cavalierly -- in the nations we have chosen to attack deserve our sympathy. The weight of death and injury weighs on them far more than it weighs on us. While most American families have not suffered through the death of a relative who died in combat, I don't think that can be said of most Iraqi families.
When we object to these horrible wars, we should acknowledge the death toll of the people our nation wantonly is victimizing and then, and only then, should we also include the number of dead American or NATO soldiers.
I agree.
ReplyDeleteI second that. The oil is the most important thing really. And the level of denial in this country is staggering
ReplyDeleteScrap
What We Need - David Budbill
ReplyDeleteThe Emperor,
his bullies
and henchmen
terrorize the world
every day,
which is why
every day
we need
a little poem
of kindness,
a small song
of peace
a brief moment
of joy.
All you folks here check out David's poetry. "Moment to Moment" And "while we still got feet. As Taoist and recluses this is something you will enjoy.
Scrap
George Bush and Tony Blair are guilty as mass murders beyond the scale of Hitler.
ReplyDeleteI always remind people of the "other side" as even recently a work friend was saying how "Muslim Extremists are bad for bla bla bla" reasons and I retorted with..
Look at what we did in their land, a land we have no right being in. Wouldn't you be angry if that happened to you?
How many of "us" have they killed compared to "them" killed by us?
I reminded him how he was probably spouting learned propaganda and not really thinking things through. There is no mention of virgins in exchange for blowing yourself up in the Koran, Jesus is the most mentioned profit in the Koran and if anything. "Blow up" and get virgins was probably a mistranslation of "Blow Job".