"If one child dies, of course they are sad, but they have others"

[Rose Siding]

The Perilous Ins and Outs of Travel in Iraq
From arrival to takeoff, a trip to Baghdad is an eye-opener to insecurity, struggles of a nation. by Marjorie Miller

snip>
"If we're willing to stay the course here, we can do it here," enthused a senior U.S. official who, like most Americans in the Green Zone, spoke on the condition that he would not be identified....
...
Meanwhile, a senior military officer explained with unblinking earnestness his belief that Iraqis were different from us. They tell him so. Iraqis have more children than Americans do, he said. If one child dies, of course they are sad, but they have others. They can even take a second wife to have more children.

A look of horror washed briefly across my face. Bombs explode nearly every day, sometimes several times a day in Baghdad and around the country. From what I have seen, when an Iraqi dies, mothers, fathers and children cry in grief. More than 450 Iraqi civilians have died in May alone.
...
At the airport, I tell them about the optimism I encountered in the Green Zone over the formation of a new government, and the new Sunni defense minister, Saadoun Dulaimi. The Sunni coughs out a laugh. The interior minister is a Shiite, he says. That's where the power lies.

"The interior minister is an Iranian agent," he says. The Americans just don't get it.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-airport28may28,0,1702042.story?coll=la-home-world

[Benhurst]

1. We have met the fascists and

they are us.

[CornField]

2. I haven't read the whole article yet

(bookmarking for later - thanks Rose!)

When our son was stillborn, the phrase that hurt me the most was: "You're young. You can have another child." First, I didn't want another child -- I was in love with that one.

Could you imagine some attending a funeral for one of the US Soldiers killed in Iraq and telling the wife and children not to be upset because they are young and can find another father?!?

[Wapsie B]

3. And we create a whole new generation of people

who hate the US.

[merh]

4. Holy shit! You think you have read it all with this bunch

that they can't say anything that could shock or appall you again. Then this, that this man can say and mean: "If one child dies, of course they are sad, but they have others. They can even take a second wife to have more children."

How I hate these people, for what they do to these citizens, for their cavalier disregard for life, for what they are doing to my nation and for making me hate them so much. :argh:

:cry: NOT IN MY NAME :cry:

[oblivious]

14. "They" can even take a second wife to have more children.

Women are mere tools to this disgusting piece of shit. Only men's emotions are worth considering. No consideration of the feelings or situation of the women.

Does he even realise what he is? What he is saying? God, this is what power does. No one can stop these maniacs. They are Americans and they have the military power so everyone else is untermenchen.

[merh]

17. It's not just women as tools

It is an entire class of people. Anyone that is not part of the military elite or the American elite are expendable, tools to be used to make their money and fight their wars.

They are evil personified. :scared:

I want my nation back and I want them tried for their war crimes! :mad:

[UncleSepp]

24. Good catch!

The shit is multilayered here. :-(

[Submariner]

19. I would guess he's a product of the Citadel and West Point

or VMI to have such a warped thought process. If that's the world view Bush wants to project for this nation, then stop the world I want to get off.

[merh]

21. "then stop the world, I want to get off"

You and me both. That person does not represent me or my views. He should face a war crimes tribunal for that statement alone. :argh:

[Bluerthanblue]

26. me too... and unless...

... America 'wakes up' it is going to take stopping the world-
Cause that is what we are about the business of- knowingly or not-

And bush has the balls to say they hate us for our 'freedom'- and 'goodness'- they hate 'us' because we are despicible- when 'we' speak this kind of crap- and our 'fearless leader' spews his own lies and hatred for all the world to hear-

i am so incredibly ashamed- and feel so inadequate and frustrated at what LITTLE can be done to reverse this curse- that has become 'U.S.'

(i'm begining to understand why the Buddhist Monks set themseves aflame, to express the abomination that has become human'kind')

[soleft]

5. "Iraqis are different from us"

Different from us is the phrase that has led to most of the world's atrocities.

[alphafemale]

6. exactly. It reminded me of a "Grapes of Wrath" quote "They ain't human"

"Them Okies got no sense and no feeling. They ain't human. Human being wouldn't live the way they do. Human being couldn't stand to be so miserable."

[bloom]

7. Good article

"his belief that Iraqis were different from us" - how people justify it all. :cry:

----

"Did I tell you they tried to kill me with a suicide bomber?" the Iraqi asks his American friend.

"No, you didn't mention it."


How nonchalant.... :(

[Fleshdancer]

8. how dehumanizing

what a horrible and disgusting way to rationalize the killing of innocent kids.

[DemBeans]

9. deja vu all over again...

"If we're willing to stay the course here, we can do it here," enthused a senior U.S. official.

I'm old enough to remember this is exactly what they told us about Vietnam.

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. I was just thinking the same thing

I got chills when I read that.

[Hamlette]

27. yes, and watch Hearts and Minds, which is about Vietnam,

it's chilling how similar the rhetoric is, including "they just don't value life the same way we do."

Disgusting.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

33. Oh, yeah, I remember that scene in Hearts and Minds

where some smug U.S. general says, "The Vietnamese don't value human life the same way we do," and then the camera cuts to a Vietnamese funeral where the dead man's widow is sobbing hysterically and trying to climb into the grave.

Right-wing critics at the time called that particular bit of editing "a cheap shot," which is what right wingers love to say when their hypocrisy is thrown into their faces.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

34. (dupe)

:shrug:

[Solly Mack]

10. that "senior military officer" is a craven piece of shit

[rodeodance]

13. "the americans just don't get it"--says it all

............At the airport, I tell them about the optimism I encountered in the Green Zone over the formation of a new government, and the new Sunni defense minister, Saadoun Dulaimi. The Sunni coughs out a laugh. The interior minister is a Shiite, he says. That's where the power lies.

"The interior minister is an Iranian agent," he says. The Americans just don't get it.

[Solly Mack]

15. Sad fact is, most Americans will never "get it" -it's not happening

in real life to their thinking...it's like a TV show to them. It's happening over there..far away....not touching them.....and those same Americans can't wrap their minds around the simple fact that their own government is corrupt and never plans to tell the truth about Iraq.

[w8liftinglady]

16. Agreed-just like the ones...

calling the shots for my son(a soldier)...but hey-I have two other sons-I'd get over it if he were killed so Bush/Cheney can feather their retirement funds a bit more.

[Solly Mack]

18. Exactly. I'm hoping your son a safe return.

My husband was in Iraq from 2003-2004.

[in_cog_ni_to]

12. I wonder if that son-of-a-bitch has more than one child

and would he like to sacrifice one for his cause? What an ARROGANT, SICK, VILE, DISGUSTING, DISTURBING thing to say.

[Bandit]

20. More than 450 Iraqi civilians have died in May alone.

Proud to be American with such numbers. That is just civilians, I bet we killed a whole bunch of them "insurgents" as well. I bet our body count ratio is at least twenty to one. Us Americans are good killers we are indeed..In fact we excell at it... Be Proud on this Memorial Day weekend America because we are the best at killing there is.

[leftchick]

32. It is actually more than 650 DEAD Iraqis

in the month of May. But not to worry, the US will reset this counter in June so the THOUSANDS that have died no longer exist. :grr:

~snip~

The latest attacks raised the total number of Iraqis killed this month to about 650, in addition to at least 63 American troops who have been killed, the highest American toll since January.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/29/international/middleeast/29iraq.html?hp&ex=1117339200&en=9adcc8725eb9d974&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[skygazer]

22. Same logic that used to be applied to black slaves in the US

People truly believed that they could separate families, sell off people's children and it didn't bother "them" as it would "us" because they were different and didn't have the same feelings about their families.

Worthless pieces of shit! How dare they make such fucking arrogant assumptions about these people! And how dare they take such a cavalier attitude to the loss of a child's life, ANY child's life! Even if it were true, it would in no way justify the deaths of innocent civilians.

:nuke:

[Coexist]

23. as a mother, I can't even form a coherent response to that

[dogday]

25. Americans Don't Get It

That is the problem. Unless it affects them personally they will continue being interested in American Idol and not American Ideals....

[Bluerthanblue]

28. he should speak on stem cell research...

.. if he can justify death of living breathing beloved children so blythely, he'd surely have alot to enlighten w about- with NO problems-

[MisterP]

29. British officers said that U.S. troops thought of Iraqis as "Untermenschen

(Brits' words)

[Straight Shooter]

30. I'm surprised he didn't say, "Well, they can always get a dog."

I mean, seriously, do these people even think for one second before they open their mouths and the garbage spills out?

[deadparrot]

31. Good lord.

If there's ever been a more glaringly obvious example of how out of touch we are, it's this.

:puke: