forstier
Posts: 65
Score: 3
Joined: 2/18/2008
Status: offline
|
Three years ago I completed a family history from current back to Adam. Even though it included Babylonian ancestors, it proved a surprising means of engaging my interest in Iraq.
The family history in the end proved a frustrating project. Much of what is known about my ancestors is due to their involvement in conflict. Ancestors are remembered for their involvement in great wars. When great wars were not present during a generation, the lesser wars proved the identity of these ancestor. When war itself was not present, the record of conquest of other tribes proved the action worthy of record.
And in the absence of even that, family strife, intrigue patricide and fratricide became the marks of identity.
How depressing.
Because I had lived through Quebecois separation fights of the 1990’s, I knew something of tribal conflict. I was struck by the actions of a Quebec farmer who inspired his neighbors, all French, to call and communicate with others in Canada having the same phone number excepting for the area code. It was not the thing that resolved the French Separation conflict – but it spoke to me that politicians may strive mightily to find peace, but until the people themselves act and are of a mind to draw together, the most well crafted treaty is still nothing but a piece of paper with colorful stains.
I tried the phone business – at that time Iraq did not have much of a phone system. I tried pen-pal sites – and received 72 marriage proposals. I tried jumping into Iraqii blog streams. I tried contacting journalists at Iraqii media in the Detroit area, remembered from my time there.
I do not so much mind that in most cases I was rebuffed – the Iraqii cause has certainly attracted enough loop headed psychopaths and who was to know whether that included me.
At Iraq4u I did find a way to converse with Iraqii’s. And so I did. Sometimes I commented. Sometimes I probed, sometimes I pushed, but always it felt as if though I had to pull just in order to be able to listen. I had no other agenda – except perhaps a strong desire to see that the sacrifice we as a county were making was for a good cause {particularly so with my son in the US Army}.
Of course it hurt when based on mere speculation uninformed by fact or reason, the motives of my countrymen and myself were suspect. It’s OK to challenge, but to posit a conclusion based on interpretation of anecdote, or worse, projection of one’s own sense of values onto another – c’mon we need more adults at the table and fewer children.The problem is not what we think it is - it becomes the lack of adults to solve the problem.
Here’s what I think I’ve learned. The only image I have heard of what Iraqii’s want their country to be is rooted in nostalgia. It does not speak of what Iraq could offer to the world, particularly given the experience of the past 10 years. There is no vision of what life in a peaceful Iraq would be like, and on a rather frightening level, there is a perception that the occurrence of peace will allow all past injustices to be redressed.
What I hear about the desire for a future Iraq seems to lack empathy for the less fortunate. And again on a frightening level, the less fortunate seem to be viewed as deserving their misfortune and the rightful targets of scorn and contempt. And even worse, it seems there is an underlying effort to populate the category with an ever enlarging number of human categories – Kurds, Turkmen, criminals, Christians, Hindus, lawyers, etc. You will certainly find it more difficult to govern if your actions reduce an ever growing number of classes into burdens on society.
Without a common vision you will be subject to the vicissitudes of others whose vision is not beneficial to Iraq. You can bemoan the influence of foreigners but until you form a stronger vision for yourself than that imposed by others, you can complain about military occupation, foreign intrigue, and everything else – but it will be like trying to boil water in an empty bucket – all heat, no steam.
The adults are there for Iraq – even though they appear despondent and act as though helpless at times and encourage childlike behavior in others. But I do not see sufficient signs to say that the sacrifice of Iraqii’s and foreigners has been worth it. Iraq appears to be ungovernable at the National level. I don’t mind the sacrifice’s we {the world, and Iraqii’s} have made if we see something come of it. The amount of contribution to Iraq has been enormous, and in spite of the cynicism, the best wishes of the rest of the world has been the driving force. I fear though that it is not a matter of lack of resolve or willingness to sacrifice on the part of the rest of the world as it is a lack of stewardship over what has been contributed – money, knowledge, and our blood on foreign soil for the benefit of it’s citizens.
I wish I could say I have gained an affection for the Iraqii peoples but I cannot. Your hospitality has not been available to me even though your tolerance of my presence has. I appreciate that tolerance though, and the insights I have gained. I sense that Iraq is not only capable of governing itself justly, but of contributing to the welfare of the region about it. But as this phase draws to an end, I confess the best I can muster is hope in the face of fear. Iraq, rise up beyond your affliction. We, the rest of the world need your contribution.
May the days of your labors in benevolence be as summer days, long in the light, darkening only for respite. May your lapses into recrimination be short and swiftly passing acting only to high light moments of benevolence. May your children quickly shed the trauma of war and raise their children to be beyond its bounds.
May your eyes be open to see where fortune lies May your hearts have courage to turn and seek it.
Forstier
|
Main Page
Log In
Register
Help/FAQ
Ticket List
Printable Version
To the future - for all our children - 
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread