On naked Iraqis and headless Americanis...

I figured it's about time I commented on this. Everyone else has.

Just so you know, this all started because I went back to the gym. Think about it!

So, it was just over a week ago. I was at the gym and I started seeing pictures on the news... blurred pictures. Seems some Americans felt it would be fun to goof around with the Iraqi prisoners. Then, a couple days ago, some Iraqis thought it would be fun to behead an American.

Immediately, the outrage began. Everywhere I went, I heard the same thing. "Damn them barbarians! What right do they have to kill one of our people?!"

What right, indeed.

Before I address this, a few facts. We invaded Iraq. Almost the entire world suggested that we shouldn't, we had no reason to, it would be a bad thing but we didn't listen. We (and the "Coalition of the Willing", joke that they are) invaded because, as Shrub said, they had WMDs, were responsible for 9/11, were a threat to US security, and smelled bad.

1. There were NO WMDs. Shrub couldn't even lie about that one.
2. There's a mountain of proof now that Iraq had NO ROLE in 9/11.
3. As one of the poorest - thanks to decades of US bombs - nations on earth (per capita), they've never really been a threat to the US.
4. Okay, yes, they smell bad. BUT THAT'S HARDLY A REASON TO KILL THEM! The same goes with the old "Saddam's an evil man who treats his people poorly" argument. It isn't reason to go in and kill Iraqis!

So, we've occupied Iraq with no provocation, unless you count Shrub's temper, much like the Nazis did. Face it. We're the bad guys here. The sooner you admit it, the sooner you live in the real world. We've killed tens of thousands of Iraqis. The Iraqis have killed a few hundred Americans. (If all American deaths were inflicted by Iraqis.) This is known as a 100:1 ratio.

100:1

Are things clarifying, yet?

On top of that, we have stolen their resources and are imprisoning their people. Now, it turns out that we're not just imprisoning them - WE'RE TORTURING THEM! (How do you like how the media's been calling it "abuse"? Make no bones about it. It's torture.) Several days ago, nearly half a dozen officers from the US armed forces testified to Congress, stating that it was in violation of the Geneva convention. Then, the next day, Rumsfeld (nice German name, that) said he didn't see what the problem was.

So, we're killing them, stealing from them, imprisoning them, and torturing them - all in violation of international law.

And then they behead one of our guys. Now, as sorry as I feel for Mr. Berg, let's think about this. From all reports, he wasn't supposed to be there in the first place. It even looks like the US was telling him to leave. He's in a war zone - people are telling him to leave... sounds like he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.

I will say, however, that it was wrong to kill him. Absolutely. I think it is categorically wrong to kill. That said, when you're facing a 100:1 ratio and your people are being killed, robbed, imprisoned and tortured... you can almost see their point.

If you can't exchange Iraqi for American and see how you feel.

These are troubled times for the American Empire. I just read that the US is taking GreenPeace to court. (It's amazing what you learn from the New Zealand Herald...) My point is that we are, all of us, perpetuating terrible evils in the world, which will not be stopped until we stop them.

In the meantime, check your outrage over the death of one American at the door when we're killing in the tens of thousands and watch yourself when you snicker at prisoners being tortured. Remember, it is we who are doing the torturing.