“What are we supposed to do with our Dead”: Odds n’ Ends in the War on Terror

(Observations on unrelated facts from the weekly news)

Mike Whitney

...Iraqi blogger and poet Layla Anwar manages to express what many of us feel about this ghastly war, but are unable to state in words. Here is a short passage from a recent piece called "ome Thoughts on Forgiveness" : "What are we supposed to do with our dead ones, our injured ones, our memories, our lost hopes, our vanished dreams? What are we supposed to do with our exile, our losses, our uprootedness? Christ was crucified once. He was able to forgive.But you are crucifying us daily. So how do I forgive?" God help us for what we have done to the Iraqi people...

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Some thoughts on Forgiveness...

I receive several comments and mails urging me to forgive.I have nothing against forgiveness. Forgiveness frees.However I do have a problem and am stuck...so maybe you can help me.

How on earth does one forgive when the slight, abuse, humiliation, cruelty, destruction, annihilation is ongoing....Day in, day out. How?

Forgiveness necessitates truce, a time out, a moment of peace...Forgiveness necessitates distance from the predator, from the abuser.It also needs a time of healing. It needs amends, corrections, rectifications, for all the damage.How on earth can you expect anyone to forgive when none of the above conditions are there?

And moreover, why do you expect me, us, Iraqis to forgive you when there is no intention or change of course on your part?What are we supposed to do with our dead ones, our injured ones, our memories, our lost hopes, our vanished dreams?

What are we supposed to do with our exile, our losses, our uprootedness?

And even if we suddenly metamorphose into sainthood, what do we do with your presence in our faces?

Christ was crucified once. He was able to forgive. It was a one time affair.But you are crucifying us daily. Daily, since your Desert Storm. And ever since you have done nothing but blow more sand in our eyes.

So how do I forgive? You tell me...

An Arab Woman Blues - Reflections in a sealed bottle...

Part 1; Bush to Putin: "Let them eat cake"Much has been made of the chummy relationship between George Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin. An incident, which was reported last week in the "UK Spectator", shows that this so-called "man-to-man" friendship is a complete fraud created by the Washington press corps to conceal the real issues and to perpetuate the illusion that Bush is a normal guy. You be the judge:
"Six years ago, when George W. Bush first hosted Mr Putin at his ranch in Texas, he famously claimed to have seen into his soul. At the time he phrased it slightly differently to an adviser, unaware that his microphone was still live and his remarks were being broadcast over the speaker system in the next room. 'I’ve got him eating out of my hand,’ the President whispered. 'You give these Russkies some cake and they’ll give you their souls.’ (Fraser Nelson "The Cold War is back" UK Spectator)Spoken like a true friend, eh?continua / continued