Bush's War: Orwellian Symmetryopinion by Donald TorrenceIn the first Gulf War, much Iraqi infrastructure was destroyed, andafter the war the bombing of northern Iraq never actually stopped.Economic sanctions prevented shipment to Iraq of adequate medicalsupplies as well as materials to rebuild power plants and restockwater treatment facilities. The resulting poor living conditions,including inadequate and contaminated water supplies, caused the deathof more than a half million children, chiefly from dysentery,dehydration, and diarrhea, according to UN information. Now Bush, Perle, Cheney, Wolfowitz, and Rumsfeld have fought Gulf WarII in order to gain control of Iraqi oil and to usher in a PaxAmericana. We, the American people, will pay a heavy price for thisfolly. The war and its aftermath will cost billions and deficits willsoar. Bush and his cohorts from the military-industrial complex, suchas the Carlyle Group, and his oil buddies, will make billions whilesubjecting the rest of us to cuts in Medicare, social security,education and other social services. Observe the draconian symmetry of this administration's strategy--theyget their war which they assume will perpetuate their power, they andtheir supporters get Iraqi oil and the rest of us get subjected totighter surveillance and diminished civil liberties. The ultimateOrwellian triumph is that they have persuaded a large segment of theAmerican public to support the transformation of our youth intogladiators, dogs of war indoctrinated to kill or be killed for reasonsthat could have easily been avoided. Imagine the rage and the desire for revenge that will result from thearrogant insensibility of our policies. Shock and Awe will create anumb incomprehension as survivors witness the grotesque images ofdeath all around them. Imagine a child with a body full of shrapnelor burned beyond recognition begging for relief from the excruciatingpain. Imagine holding in your arms a son or daughter dying frominternal injuries. These are the real images of war, which the American people will notbe allowed to see. Instead, in the comfort of our living rooms, weget from the well-groomed talking heads and so-called experts asanitized version of the war interspersed with jingoistic verbiageabout American power, honor and altruism. The propaganda machine cannot sustain for long this virtual realitythat minimizes and dehumanizes our experience. The reality of theeffects of wartime practices, such as the use of Depleted Uranium andcluster bombs, will surface, and many voices will cry for justice. Asin the case of Augusto Pinochet, George Bush and company will beviewed by millions in the world community as war criminals responsiblefor crimes against humanity.
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