Death in the family

Whenever a country goes to war, their propaganda machine requires that they convince their public that those they are killing, whether soldiers or civilians, are somehow different and less worthy than they are. This makes it easier for the general public to accept the deaths of thousands of children, women and elders.

Think of Dresden or Japan where America and England deliberately targeted the non-military populace.

Think today of the human shields from America, England, Australia and elsewhere who have gone to Iraq to try and prevent their countries from bombing innocent civilians.

Although I admire their bravery and understand their motives, it is still an indication that western lives are more important than those people of Iraq who live, work, pray, celebrate life’s passages, mourn the loss of loved ones, marry and die within the cultural, religious and ethnic circles of Iraq.

Although not complicit with the demonizing of the world into “them versus us”, the human shields highlight this separation.

Look at the two photos of Roaring Beach. They are untouched and taken from the same vantage point. Seemingly different, yet undeniably the same. So too, are the peoples of the world.

Will the leaders of America, England and Australia ever come to the understanding that the killing of civilians in Iraq is, in effect, the killing of people of their own family?

Am I pulling too long a bow in suggesting that their war is a form of human familocide? To storm the family house to get at the one crazy brother requires that the utmost care be exercised to protect the lives of all the other family members within that house.

Force, if used, is only done after every other means of dialogue has “totally” failed. Every police chief in every city knows the importance of this in handling a hostage situation. The death of one Iraq civilian should be as horrific a loss as the death of one Australian. How can the potential loss of a hundred thousand human beings in Iraq ever justify the “revenge” of New York or Bali?

We are destroying our family. And we will pay the price of this for a long time to come.