A Tale of Two Beasts
It was a clear morning on August 6, 1945. The doom and gloom of World War II changed its course when Harry S Truman dropped the first atomic bomb, nicknamed as “Little boy” on Hiroshima killing tens of thousands of innocent people instantaneously. As if the “little boy” was not devastating enough, it was followed by the “Fat man” on Nagasaki three days later! Half way around the globe Adolph Hitler was defeated. Make Believers in Democracy were jubilant because human sacrifice to the almighty paid off as it always does.
To the dismay of Japanese, it was simply their bad luck that Truman got his hand on the atomic devil first. Since both Hitler and Truman were elected leaders of two democratic nations, it is safe to draw the conclusion that had it been Hitler, Britons would’ve been chosen for the sacred ritual of human sacrifice in Manchester, Glasgow or other cities.
The vast land of the U.S. would’ve become just what it was: A great land like that of Australia. The Europe of Hitler would’ve become the center of the universe to sanctify Nazism as brain drain of less developed countries fueled the needed intelligentsia. Racist nationalism as one of the many dark sides of Nazism would’ve been polished nicely as a charismatic Polish leader would’ve marched to Berlin instead of Martin Luther King to Washington. It is safe to believe a refined Nazism would’ve become the core ideology of democracy as the Europe of Hitler would’ve become the Mecca of freedom!
The only major effect to the rest of the world would’ve been learning Dutch instead of English as the required second language. Jews would’ve lived in a semi peace environment with Palestinians because the troubled spot in the world affair would’ve become the island of United Kingdom instead of Middle East. Since Anti Irish sentiment, instead of Anti Semitism, would’ve become the crime of the civilized world, the Germany of Hitler would’ve backed an Irish political group to suppress Britons instead of Zionists doing it to Palestinians.
History has experienced the rise of little or unknown nations to great empires only to witness them falling when every one of them seemed immortal. The great Persian, Roman, Greek and so many other empires were doomed to fall off the pinnacle of their position in the history of mankind, not because they became the center of the universe for knowledge, technology, economic and military might, let alone great civilizations, but because emperors lost their vision of reality. In its very recent 20th century, the great empire of United Kingdom was gradually reduced to a boss boy for its former colony. Strikingly enough both the rise and fall of great empires were at the expense of oppressed people becoming even more devastated.
The dream for peace and harmony within and without all empires was always shattered when an arrogant power wielder took a great civilization for granted to proclaim: either my way or highway. Fortunately, the diligent and natural process of cross cultural understanding amongst different peoples supported our civilizations to not only carry on its fundamental principles for human rights, whether declared or implied, but also to preserve such rights, at least as dreams, despite all kinds of abuses to this date.
It was a sweet moment in the modern history when an evil empire, Soviet Union, collapsed and the world took a deep breath to experience the first instance of global economy in socio political peace where no major conflict presented an obstacle in the world affair. The only superpower left in tact was to create a huge national surplus for “not to worry”, at least on economic front, for years, if not generations, to come. Then again, maybe that was the real problem. Yes, how could greedy and blood thirsty warmongers take a back seat to a prosperous world in peace?
No, I am not going to fall for the conspiracy theory at all. It was just a pure coincidence that five members of the high court of the greatest nation on earth selected a new born Christian over an elected candidate to become the first appointed president of the United States of America in the new millennium. It was just another twist of fate when a former CIA operative mistook World Trade Center for an apartment complex in the Middle East. How about the worst of bad lucks for warmongers when virtually all peoples around the globe expressed their sympathy over the tragedy instead of cheering up! It was obvious. People were not going to shoot the little pigeon of peace over an isolated but devastating terrorist act that so many of which has happened all over the places including the USA.
Not too long before, the pacifist Carter broke the old tradition of the western imperialism to let an old ally, Shah of Iran, fall instead of engineering a coup against lawful leaders of the less developed countries. That was indeed a new era in imperialism. We saw so many of old beloved allies “recycled” for nothing short of American justice. That is for the so called world peace, so generously offered to third world people in about a quarter of a century. Too bad, no Arab country was astute as Israel to surreptitiously develop its own atomic bomb.
While almost all Middle Eastern countries were in line to be liberated, warmongers had no other choice but to take priority over which one to be sacrificed for the idol of peace first! They tested Afghanistan, but wasted no time to pronounce the next lucky candidate. Yes, all of a sudden a badly crippled and defeated despotic puppet was declared the most dangerous monster against the world peace. He was shocked, of course, because his use of WMD was not possible without their tacit approval. He was already punished for his misreading the signal to invade Kuwait. Maybe not, he might have lost his own vision of reality misreading all the signals coming from his master ever since. Just as easy as I fell for the conspiracy theory in three short paragraphs!
As most Iraqis under occupation are confused for not feeling jubilant over his capture, so is Cardinal Renato Martino who expressed his resentment that Saddam was treated like a beast! I am impressed with his kind and divine gesture. Furthermore, I, now, realize why western media are so selective in what to report. It is just their good intention not to hurt this kind of feelings! That is why they selected Saddam’s well dressed smiling posture shaking hands with his master’s ambassador when he was truly a beast. It would’ve served no purpose to link it to the devastating pictures of thousands of dead villagers when he served his master using WMD against Iranians and his own people. Yes, your honor, a destroyed and coward puppet in captivity is no longer a beast to be treated like one.
The high priest is right. Saddam should not be treated like a beast in captivity as no ferocious animal is brutal in the zoo for kids’ amusement. And Iraqis have good reasons for not feeling joyous over his capture, because a native beast was more tolerable than an even more vicious one who does not let a day pass by without hunting civilians for guerrillas. They know it too well that this new beast is responsible for every single soul lost in this unjust war and occupation, but is accountable to no one. So do religious leaders in the corporate backbone of Halliburton and Bechtel who have no remorse for thousand Iraqis or hundreds of coalition forces who keep getting killed or crippled. And all media love to keep up their ratings while hurting no feelings for sanitizing the horrible reality of war making it look like a game. Again, to make it fair and balance, real people’s lives are reduced to keeping score of body counts. That is, of course, for the better ones because even other coalition casualties are not cumulatively reported, let alone Iraqi civilians.
Meanwhile the ultimate beast in the white house is well dressed to have his poster painted in Saddam’s cell. To add a spice of bitterness, he had to make sure his painting on the wall is accompanied by painting of dead bodies of Saddam’s sons. No torture is, of course, intended as it is just a 24 hour reminder to the crushed beast to not count on his sons for revenge. In a way it is like going back in time for centuries to witness a triumphant tyrant gloating over a defeated fool for not having killed the cub before plotting for his dad’s assassination! Yet, Saddam expresses his anger over the posters by cussing his sons. Something like I should’ve killed you dead myself as you were never of any use to me! Oh no, he would not offend the smiling presidential poster. He has a plan to save it for a show down in an international court of justice as if his master is a fool to allow such a tribunal. Even if he does, the real devil will survive in the maze of technical procedures as he has seen it happen in favor of so many criminals in the great land of justice.
And as the law of the jungle is rewritten for American occupation, once again a great civilization is falling apart. Liberty and justice for all is redefined to match those of medieval church for celestial scripture where only sacred authorities could tell who was considered people and who was not. No Christian of good heart could feel comfortable using blacks as slave or killing Indians if they were considered people! That is, as it was then, the fundamental question facing believers. It only takes a new form in our time.
The rest of the world is not yet ready for freedom and democracy (only people are!) as ifmalicious tyrants controlling the blood life of global economy and military might are.
What is more interesting is how the game of good cop versus bad cop is played out in the West. France opposed America for its invading Iraq. The main stream media was polarized. But was it? While Europe sided with Chirac as the champion of peace, America backed Bush for fighting terrorism. It was not Barahman versus Ahreman; it was not Zeus versus Ares; and it was not Jupiter versus Mars. It was simply two sides of the same coin. Yes, it was the oily coin that both Chirac and Bush were interested in. Chirac wanted to protect his interest in Iraq, and Bush could not let UN stop his imperialist expansionism.
How about Iraqis or the third world opinion? Well, when you milk a cow, you do not ask its opinion nor you would when leading her to the slaughter house. It is the milk and the flesh you are interested in, not the cow. That is why Bush administration took its first step to isolate the mad cow from the herd. Yes, Kurdish region of Iraq must be separated from the mainland. As New York Times observed “The issue of whether Iraq is to be divided into ethnic States in a federation-style government is of great significance both inside the country and throughout the Middle East, where fears are widespread that dividing Iraq along ethnic or sectarian lines could eventually break the country up and spread turmoil in the region.” That is not, of course, the issue for Bush. He is more concerned about the next region, a possible new mad cow I should say. Is it Falluja where Sunnis kill American soldiers or South where Shiites are backed by mullahs?
Like so many low profile observers, I also made a note of simple minded journalists falling in the trap in Wake up Mr. Journalist, several months ago. We are to bear in mind that as history repeats itself, it does not keep its pace. No longer would it take centuries, decades or even years for tyrants to change faces in changing places. Within months of invasion, France that was admired by virtually all Muslim media becomes the evil empire against Islam for its position on head scarves. America of Bush who thinks of Prophet Mohammad as a terrorist, sides with Muslim media in criticizing France for taking the separation of church and state too rigorous!
If you think Chirac was stupid to make it an issue, think again. A lot has changed and so many deals have been made to warrant changing roles in the infamous scenario. James Baker, who put his man in the White House, met Chirac in France. We are to believe he was on a mission asking France to help Iraqis. Chirac weighs his relation with the Muslim world. Especially, and thanks to arrogant Bush, when the whole world came to realize what America meant with WMD, and liberation. So Chirac finds a perfect political solution. As America blames Islamic Terrorism for invading a sovereign nation, France will use Islamic Fanaticism to enjoy the loot. Bingo! The main stream ordinary educated citizens of the Islamic world will have another religious aversion to alienate from. The main issue is head scarves now; and not Chirac joining Bush in the so called new world order!
Peace,
Mohamad Purqurian
December 28, 2003
