Buencamino does foreign and political affairs analysis for Action for Economic Reforms. This piece was published in the newspaper Today, 25 July 2004 edition, page 11.
” Upside down, boy, you turn me, inside out, and ‘round and ‘round…” – DIANA ROSS
Blood rushes to the head when one tries to follow the American line onIraq, the war on terror, and President Arroyo’s decision to pull out ofBush’s posse. High-blood pressure is not to blame because the conditionis caused by the accumulation of blood in the brain from standing onone’s head. It is Newton’s law.
Once upon a time, George W. Bush and Tony Blair said Saddam hadchemical and biological weapons, a missile delivery system, areactivated nuclear weapons program and operational links to al-Qaeda.Then one day, the world discovered that they were just shovelinghorseshit.
Despite all that, Bush and Blair insist that the unprovoked and illegalinvasion of Iraq was OK because Saddam was “evil” anyway. The problemwith their argument is it requires one to believe that there are “good”guys and “bad” guys in the game of nations, where each player pursuesand is guided by his national interest. The truth is, there are no“good” guys or “bad” guys in that selfish game. There are only nationswith more power than others and they decide and dictate, based on theirnational interest of the moment, who is “good” and who is “evil.”
Does anyone believe that Bush or Blair will ever admit that theyknowingly shoveled horseshit so they could invade Iraq? A war ofaggression is a serious crime with serious penalties attached. Thosewho engage in it are war criminals under international law. So you canbet all your shrinking pesos that the two will never admit to it. Whentheir case of preemptive self-defense lost its legs, the criminal duodecided that their only option was to stand on their heads and ordereveryone else to do the same.
Here’s the first stage to a headstand: “We’re the ‘good’ guys and youare either with us or against us. Forget the illegal nature of theinvasion, the lies, the occupation, the oil, the no-bid contracts, thetortures, and the bloodbath.”
From the upside down position you will agree with these: “Saddam is thepersonification of evil. He attacked Kuwait. He is a threat to Israeland regional stability. He tyrannized and gassed his own people.” Wethought he had weapons of mass destruction and terrorist links so weattacked him. We led a war to rid the world of an evil man and made theworld a safer place for democracy and freedom. We freed the Iraqis,handpicked their new leaders and gave them sovereignty. We were askedto stay.”
And you will conclude the following: “Those who are unhappy about ourpresence in their homeland must hate democracy and freedom. Those whodon’t like our hand-picked government are either Saddam sympathizers orradical Muslims. Iraqis who resist us and don’t agree to being killedand bombed by us [are] terrorists. Those who use terror in the struggleto throw us out are enemies of all civilized people. Those whocapitulate to Iraqi insurgents are endangering the rest of thecoalition and world.”
Those who want to keep their feet on the ground should not start with“good guys-bad guys.” It is safer, and one can see through thepropaganda and horseshit better, if one starts by looking at what eachside is doing, how it is doing it, and, if it can be discerned, what isits motive. Only after assessing the “what”, “how” and “why” can onesafely decide on the “who.”
If one begins with the “who” and works backward, then one will end updoing a headstand. And standing on one’s head can cause arteries toburst and blood won’t reach the brain. Now that’s just like beingdecapitated.
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