It is amazing the various things that can alleviate the undercurrent of pent up frustration, and thus distract from the necessary angst to supply the information provided on this site. Meeting an interesting Chick, finding all of the hidden skulls on HALO 3, killing Arabs/Russians on Call of Duty 4 and Army of Two. A sense of serenity takes hold and the world doesn’t seem as stupid and pointless - then of course one hears about the ultimatum set by the Iraqi “government” and it all comes crashing down.
The interesting chick turns out to be, not all that interested- the quest to find all terminal locations on HALO 3 needs to be started, and eventually killing Arabs/Russians becomes not entertainment or self preservation, but more of a muddle some task- I was as surprised as Israel at this revelation.
To fully understand the futility of the meaningless …or else statement issued by Washington- I mean Baghdad to the Shia’ militias is to gain insight into the stereotypical views of Middle Eastern culture. Arabic culture takes on the premise that if you talk a good game and look tough, you will avoid the inevitable ass whipping they will receive.
To prove this point, as it is still the Easter season, a parable is in order, possibly even two. In the waining days of the ‘91 Persian Gulf War, which is to say a couple days after it started, their were pockets of Iraqi forces that were camped out - and were told by their US counter parts to “Leave the area without your weapons by 9am or at 9:05 we will come in there and kill you.”
The Arab generals of course puffed their chest and replied with great zeal, “We will leave when we are prepared no earlier than noon, with all of our equipment and at a pace of our choosing.” This made the US officials smile and gently laugh among one another. The US general then reiterated, “No, you will leave by 9 or we will come in there and kill all of you by 9:30.”
The Arabs then looked at one another, conversed, and replied, “In that case we will be gone by 7.”
This is the major culture clash that exists between the Middle East and Western civilizations. By and large when Western Nations speak about invasions, military actions they follow through. Arabic governments do not. The reason for this in my mind, is that Western nations can afford to have a functioning, equipped, and competent military without fear of them taking over the country in a coup. Arab nations do not have that luxury- and thus have the most dysfunctional, underfunded, group of muppets as there armed services.
To demonstrate this let us examine the Israeli experience. Jews that had migrated before WWII, or had survived the Holocaust, were defend not even half of the land they currently posses, against the combined forces of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, as well as a presence from Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. To survive against such an alliance is to be impressed, but for the Israeli military to EXPAND the territory that would fly the star of David against such a force is a true accomplishment.
Surely the questions in your minds go something like this, “Oh great disperser of the true knowledge if this is the case - why are groups like Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, or Hamas so hard for Western Powers such as Israel and the United States to stamp out. The answer is that these organizations are run like Western Armies, only the fanaticism in their cause is notched up a bit, and the moral qualms are diluted.
For example, the leadership of Al Qaeda is not worried that the fighters they train to become martyrs will take part in an insurrection against them and take over their positions by execution. There is a hierarchy within these organizations, as well as an indoctrination program to get these people all thinking of the cause, and not the actual planning of these events.
These men fight for a cause greater than themselves, and are willing to sacrifice their lives in order to see that the job is done, and seek to destroy as much of the enemy as they can- such a definition could refer to any number of Hollywood action movie protagonists. In a moral vacuum it could refer to the enemy that we fight so valiantly today.
The greatest failing of the Bush Administration and the likely McCain Administration, is the inability either by desire, understanding, arrogance, or contempt, of making the Islamic world know- and believe that this fight is not in a moral vacuum. Killing civilians by design is not the moral equivalent of killing civilians through collateral damage. That merely saying one is following the “words” of Allah does not make it so. To challenge the Islamic world to truly define the Nature of Allah as best as mere mortals can, whether it would be a being of understanding or hate. To put the terrorists on the defensive not only on the battlefield, but ideologically as well.
Republicans often bemoan the fact that Reagan the God-King is no longer present in their party. Perhaps they are lucky, for the inevitable question would be asked of the Iraqi’s “Are you better off now than you were five years ago?” When the violence of Saddam Hussein was at least predictable and avoidable, as opposed to now, when the violence is unavoidable and unpredictable, and a proud people must look to an occupying force for safety. I for one would think Reagan would be ashamed…
