The US Continues to Repeat the Mistakes of the Past in Middle East

I am long past the point of believing that the US government, and the elite power class that supports it, have any interest in making a more peaceful world. Like the re-arming of Japan that is underway today (see previous posting) the US is repeating an action which brought about terrible consequesnces for the world, this time again in the Middle East.

The US government has forced an exemption from criminal prosecution for US forces and corporations in Iraq. This will only further alienate the Iraqi people, and the rest of the Islamic world, from whatever vision of "Democracy" the US has.

Don't think so? See below from the Christian Science Monitor.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0624/dailyUpdate.html
The Washington Post reports that the US will unilaterally grant immunity from Iraqi law to its soldiers and private contractors beyond the June 30th transfer of power date. The Post also reports that Iraqi officials do not support the US move, and that the issue of US immunity has become an extremely contentious one in the region, with an already long history in the matter.

A similar grant of immunity to US troops in Iran during the Johnson administration in the 1960s led to the rise of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who used the issue to charge that the shah had sold out the Iranian people. 'Our honor has been trampled underfoot; the dignity of Iran has been destroyed,' Khomeini said in a famous 1964 speech that led to his detention and then expulsion from Iran."


When leaders, who are in their positions supposedly because of their ability to lead, continue to pursue policies proven to be worthless, one can only conclude that they are pursuing these policies for reasons other than avoiding the kind of conflict that occured previously.

There seems to be no real interest in creating a world with less conflict. Actions such as this repeating of a major mistake, which brought about the Iranian Revolution and the Hostage Crisis, is being done by people who know better, but choose this path regardless.

Both Cheney and Rumsfeld were part of the Reagan/Bush political apparatus that organized the "October Surprise" which kept the hostages in Iraq until the day Reagan was inaugurated. They should know the effects of this kind of policy.

A better electoral system, with the ability to hear from a greater diversity of citizens, would help create a politcal challenge to this Machiavellian power structure that continues to pursue conflict-causing policies.

This is a systemic problem, which requires that we create Something Better, for our future, and the future of those to come.

Keep those messages coming.

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