Divide and Conquer
I wasn't going to comment on the bombing of the Muslim shrine in Samarra because it's very distressing to acknowledge that the world is swiftly reaching the point of no return as it barrels towards self-inflicted Armageddon. But, this account from Baghdad is worth sharing:
We woke up this morning to news that men wearing Iraqi security uniforms walked in and detonated explosives, damaging the mosque almost beyond repair. . . and several mosques in Baghdad were attacked. I think what has everyone most disturbed is the fact that the reaction was so swift, like it was just waiting to happen.It's not likely that we'll ever find out who planned and perpetrated this crime against Islamic culture - it seems no Mosque was spared. But, it's important to note that only people who want to be known would wear identifiable clothing and detonate explosives in broad daylight.
All morning we’ve been hearing/watching both Shia and Sunni religious figures speak out against the explosions and emphasise that this is what is wanted by the enemies of Iraq- this is what they would like to achieve- divide and conquer. Extreme Shia are blaming extreme Sunnis and Iraq seems to be falling apart at the seams under foreign occupiers and local fanatics.
No one went to work today as the streets were mostly closed. The situation isn’t good at all . . . There’s so much talk of civil war and yet, with the people I know- Sunnis and Shia alike- I can hardly believe it is a possibility. Educated, sophisticated Iraqis are horrified with the idea of turning against each other, and even not-so-educated Iraqis seem very aware that this is a small part of a bigger, more ominous plan…
In fact, in another report from Basra:
[P]olice said gunmen in police uniforms broke into a jail, seized 12 Sunni men and later killed them, according to the Reuters news agency.Whether or not these provocateurs were Iraqis, we may never know. But, that was the intended impression - all part of a broader plan.
The question is, whose plan? and how broad is it? In the meantime, as the world unravels before our eyes, we can only pray for an outcome that favors freedom from oppression. And, remember that Americans share the same fate as Iraqis if we allow the media to continue keeping us distracted and divided.
Thanks, Wampum, for the link.
posted by qrswave @ Thursday, February 23, 2006
7 Comments:
This world is getting dangerously far into the downward spiral...
The whole thing stinks. Clearly there are forces that want a clash of civilizations.
Hey wanna see some absolutely neat, even lurid, analysis for the "Arab port management" deal? Ck Judicial-inc.biz top of front page, "Chertoff okays Arab Port Deal," just put up since yest. Thor
RE: Divide and Conquer:
Does anyone really believe that democracy is really an answer for any society?
First of all, democracy was set up for the oligarchy in ancient Greece. Only the wealthy were allowed to participate. It couldn't have been such a great system back then either. Diogenes, the philosopher, use to go down to the Agora (market place) with a lantern and hold it up to the faces of the merchants and tried to see if he could find an honest face! He claimed he never had!
Now we have a Capitalist democratic economy that keeps on taking. The suits control the destiny of all our fates in the palm of their wallets flush with our tax dollars. The only thing that kept the mob from getting at the merchants in Diorgenes time was the elite control of their military. Today the only thing separating us from the modern merchant class is the police and military.
Now we're exporting the "merits" of this system to societies that don't want it. Like traditional cultures of the Middle east where usury is still technically forbidden and wealth is supposedly to be shared with the poor.
The apologist of modern day capitalism, Adam Smith, called the primary progenitors of this ideology a "nation of shop keepers." Perhaps it's time to check the wealth and intrigues of this imperial class?
Time for a new paradigm.
drac, anon, thanks for your comments. Yes, what's happening is insane.
Thor, thanks for the link.
tiger eye, an unprincipled democracy is no better than 'mob rules.' For those who don't know I am categorically against lending money at interest (aka usury).
I have no problem with merchants who earn their living by being productive PROVIDED it's without exploitation.
I have zero tolerance for monopolists and profiteers who do everything they can to maximize profit, even at the expense of others.
My rule of thumb is to condemn conduct that involves exploiting other human beings. If you would not want it for yourself, don't do it to someone else. It's as simple as that.
Greed, selfishness, and arrogance is the undoing of every civilization. Our economy is a parasitic one, no doubt. And it can't last.
What is happening in Iraq right now is a civil war, and our troops are only furthering the violence, not lessening it. It's time to pull out. Democracy at gun point clearly is not the wisest option.
I do want to add that much of what Tiger Eye has to say about democracy is true. We don't have a real democracy when only power elites get elected and lobbyist groups hold the real power. We have an oligarchy disguised as democracy.
I want to further add that no one knows who is bombing the mosques or why, but it pains my heart to see such beautiful, historic sites that are held dear to billions of people across the world...destroyed forever.
Whoever bombed those mosques are absolute monsters. They may say they did it for religious reasons (and they may consider themselves religious), but no religion advocates such horrible actions.
It seems that the monsters have accomplished their goal - it seems a civil war is all but inevitable in Iraq. All this could have been avoided, and that's the greatest tragedy.
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