The Heartbeat of Hatred

David Anderson has written quite a bit lately about the outpouring of hate speak found around the 'net right now with the recent horrific spate of abductions and beheadings.

David's right. It is scary. People are willing to lose their humanity (assuming some had a shred to start) to avenge unnecessary deaths... on both sides of this issue. The Iraqi militants are avenging what they see as unnecessary deaths and takeover of their country (true), and those so angry here want to do the very same thing again because of unnecessary deaths.

But some of the outrage on our part, so to speak, always strikes me as a bit strange given that Iraq did not come here and attack us. We are there in that country uninvited. We've basically told them that even with the supposed handover of the country in less than 10 days, we will continue to do what we want within Iraq and even if the new Iraqi government (such as it is) asks us to leave, we don't have to do so. We decided who will be in their interim government. We decide the terms of engagement. We decide who can go to Iraq. We decide who can leave. We decide who will live and who will die there.

Yet so many Americans, in particular, are acting like Iraq is causing the problems. I've heard anger directed at them for the inability to bring US troops home. I suspect most Iraqis would be glad to give the servicemen a safe ride to the airport for the flight back to the U.S.

Occasionally, we must think (I know, that sounds painful to some) about how we would respond were WE the invaded country. If our government had been destroyed and replaced with nothing but quasi-empire and chaos. If our homes kept getting leveled "by mistake". If our precious resource (oil) was taken from us and sold out from under us. If our women, who had enjoyed more equality under Saddam than in most of the Arab world, were suddenly forced into birkas and threatened and murdered for trying to hold a place in power or business. If our children were killed under the excuse of "trying to destroy terrorists."