It's Not Primarily About Us
Photo by BENJAMIN LOWY/Corbis: The unattended bodies of unclaimed Iraqi dead, killed as violence and insecurity lay siege to Baghdad, lie on the floor of a Baghdad hospital morgue The Iraqis had no choice about the unending death and destruction the United States government has unleashed in what was once a recognizable country, a country that never represented any serious threat to us at all. The United States government and its lethal military did have a choice, and they do today. - Arthur Silber is right. It is not about Americans. Americans are going there by choice, so if they die or get their brains half blown out and still live, it's their choice. The Iraqis never invaded America, were NEVER a threat to America. Yet today one million of them are dead at the hands of the US military. They never had a choice. They never chose this filthy war. Iraqis represent the powerless people of this world - powerless against capitalist empire. And think about it. In four years we hardly ever saw the photo of a dead woman in Iraq. But, if one million Iraqis are slaughtered so far by the American invaders, we can surmise that 20 percent were men, 20 percent were women and 60 percent were children. Because it is well documented that 60 percent of the Iraqi population are children - mere babes. The reason is that the people of Iraq love children, and so we find five-ten children in every family. We do see many photos of dead children - all blown to bits. But where are the photos of the women? One can only imagine what the bodies of the Iraqi women look like. They are dying without any record, they are dying completely unknown to the world. Their story will never be told. - WPA
Arthur Silber, Once Upon a Time...
June 2, 2007
It's not about us.
It's about the Iraqis:
A U.S.-led security crackdown in Greater Baghdad and Anbar province west of the capital began Feb. 14.
The count of violent deaths includes Iraqi civilians, government officials, and police and security forces.
The number is likely higher because many killings go unreported.
Deaths by month: May was the third-deadliest month for Iraqis since The Associated Press began tracking civilian casualties in April 2005, with at least 2,077 killed as of Wednesday. The deadliest months in the past two years were November and December 2006, when at least 2,250 and 2,309 were killed, respectively.
Inside Baghdad: At least 1,125 violent deaths, down 23 percent from 1,453 in January before the security crackdown began.
Outside Baghdad: Violent deaths totaled at least 952 in May, more than double the 458 in January.
Bodies found: Sectarian death squads are usually blamed for bodies that are found. No data for May. Since April 1, almost 1,900 bodies have been found across Iraq, including 1,157 in Baghdad.
Security personnel: At least 237 security personnel, including soldiers and police, have been reported killed in May, up from 90 in January. The number is the most for any month since July 2005.
The Iraqis had no choice about the unending death and destruction the United States government has unleashed in what was once a recognizable country, a country that never represented any serious threat to us at all.
The United States government and its lethal military did have a choice, and they do today.
IT IS NOT ABOUT US.
