My first diary in DailyKos was about American Nationalism and its effect on the world. The post was titled - "World cannot afford American patriotism".
Barack Obama to the Chicago Council on Globl Affairs:
Only through this phased redeployment can we send a clear message to the Iraqi factions that the U.S. is not going to hold together this country indefinitely -- that it will be up to them to form a viable government that can effectively run and secure Iraq.
I am not American; I am an East Indian who had lived in America. I was in America during the September 11 attacks; during the attack on Iraq; during the Kerry challenge to Bush. I have been a member in Daily Kos for some time, and this is my first post.
When the attack on Iraq was being planned, I was talking with a friend, an American, member of the Democratic party. I said atrocities WILL be committed by American troops in Iraq. He laughed me off - he claimed the American army was far too disciplined for that.
Another friend claimed that Iraqis who were bombed to death during the war and subsequently, deserved it - his argument was that America had declared war on Iraq and whoever remained should have been prepared to be bombed. I argued that America actually never declared war and that by the same logic, the 9/11 attacks could be justified (Osama had declared war on America).
I noticed that Americans had a very narrow view of the world and its history - including the Leftists. For example, the guy above thought all the Iraqis should have left for Jordan when the Americans started bombing; no idea about the size of Iraq or its population (let alone the unfairness of requiring that people leave when America decides to bomb).
The American character, I have found, has a very strong belief in their government system and its capabilities. An indomitable conviction that their military is different from everyone else in the world (inspite of every evidence to the contrary). Americans appeared convinced that their democratic legacy traces from the "origin of democracy" Athens. A lot of historic revisionism has established to the average American that their system is the best that could have evolved.
But, the battle for morality has already been lost by America - even the America of liberals such as Obama.
Obama, Clinton and many Democratic public figures keep complaining about Iraqi leaders not being good enough. The debate in public space in America is suddenly about how bad the Iraqis are - the Bush camp asks for a little more time with them and Democrats want to give the Iraqis an "ultimatum". The MSM reports these worthies' statements religiously with no challenge.
Americans have succesfully taken the death of a hundred thousand Iraqis and made it a domestic campaign issue about liberalism and conservatism - without any analysis of their culpability in these deaths. Most of America is discussing the deaths of their beloved Marines, the debate is about "our sons and daughters" - not about the innocents slaughtered by their own military. Human interest stories abound in WaPo and the NYT about the Marines' families and their morale.
Now all the blame for this slaughter has been posted over the wall to the bloody Iraqi militias and their not-so-civil war. The whole world is supposed to be in thrall over the opinion polls of this great country - about how many points this president's approval rating went up or down.
Actually the world has moved on; most people around the world realise that the moral war is lost.
America has no hope unless its politicians and citizens realise their country is no more unique, no more greater than any other nation - They are no different from any other coloniser in history. Their war-time idol cannot be Winston Churchill, seriously - the Churchill who presided over the war-time famine in Bengal that killed a million Indians? The Churchill who called Palestinians a Mongrel race?
The world cannot afford this continuing expression of American patriotism now in the bloody streets of Fallujah, Ramadi, Baghdad or Kabul, previously in Vietnam.
How about apologising to the Iraqis, promising a percentage of American GDP to Iraq for the next 50 years, and pay compensation to every killed Iraqi's family?
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