Wednesday, June 21, 2006

BAGHDAD E.R

Last night I finally composed myself and had guts to watch the HBO documentary called Baghdad E.R. I had to compose myself because I seriously don't fancy to see blood,dead bodies,injured people or people in such pain of a bullet or bomb blast.But I had no choice but to watch this disturbing reality life of what life means for the soldiers in Iraq,Afghanistan and elsewhere in the world. Through american soldiers I could see what Canadian men and women in uniforms in Afghanistan are going thru on daily basis.No wonder there was lots of resistance that this documentary should not be aired.I hate wars,I am a believer of the best way to win a war is by avoiding it.

As I am writting this piece today I can still visualize the images of crying soldiers(yes they were crying) from pains both physically and in their hearts. Most of them could not stop calling the war they are fighting in Iraq senseless,horrible and many more ugly names. Some of them were damning their decisions to join the forces not by being true believers in peace and harmony mixed with democracy and human rights but because they needed money to finish their houses mortgages or school loans. That sends echos that not every war is fought for made-to-believe reasons or the fabrications that our politicians makes. Do they tell ever tell the truth?

At the end of the documentary I was sweating with anger and troubling questions. Has W.Bush seen this documentary?What about Stephen Harper? But the most difficult question is how long will this go on?Will this war and the rest of the wars in the world ever end?.Hey try to see this documentary and tell me whether it worth it. You can check here about the cost of this war. If you want to have an idea of how many lives the world has lost click here .Of course this does not include the people who are real affected by the war..women,children and men of Iraq plus other coalition forces.

5 comments:

The Intolerant One said...

I think we can both agree that war is a terrible thing. Unfourtunatley "avoiding" it is not always an option even if that is the desire. We have some leaders in other countries who want absolute dominance of their people and the eradication of the rest who are opposed. That includes you and me.

Although I have not seen this documentary, I would take this opportunity to remind you (as I have in the past) that when there is war there will also be media propaganda. There will be shows like the one you viewed displaying a message that comes across as the soldiers not wanting to be there.

You will also view other's with our soldiers saying they are proud to serve and our bothered by our lack of support. That they truly believe in their mission and part in the war.

It would seem that a documentary is essentially left up to the personal bias of the director/editor who will portray the message that he/she wants to get across and is in favour of. It is telling one perspective not all.

You mention in your entry:

" Some of them were damning their decisions to join the forces not by being true believers in peace and harmony mixed with democracy and human rights but because they needed money to finish their houses mortgages or school loans. That sends echos that not every war is fought for made-to-believe reasons or the fabrications that our politicians makes."

If some of these people were believers in "peace and harmony", regardless of financial reasons, did they somehow think they could avoid war? That makes no sense to me. If you do not believe in fighting a war when called upon as a solidier Then do not become one in the first place!

That is as ridiculous as being afraid of fire but becoming a firefighter because you need the money.

Did they think they could simply tell their commanding officer that they were not really supportive of war and were only signed up for a paycheck?

If they were really people of "principle" who wanted to pay off a morgtage or finish a house you either wait until you can afford it or you look for a job that will help in the cost's. If neither work out, sell what you do have and start over.

Becoming a soldier for financial reasons is a dumb reason to join the armed forces. One must always be prepared to go to war whether they agree with it or not. If one is going to continually question each and every mission then they are obviously not a solidier in the first place.

Jeff, have you ever watched the news where our own soldiers are telling us how proud they are to serve. How all they want is the people to support them.

" Has W.Bush seen this documentary?What about Stephen Harper?"

Have you ever seen the photo's and stories from the other end of the spectrum that have shown Iraqi and Afghanistan citizens displaying their approval and gladness for the removal of Saddam and Osama. Their thankfulness for the presence of Canadian and American soldiers. "Just check out this Iraqi's position on the matter."

There are many more who share this man's sentiments. There is alot of support, not only from the soldiers, but from the citizens as well. But most media will never present that side of it. They present only one angle and then portray it as if they were uncovering the "real" truth.

If they want to portray the "real" truth then they are obligated to present those soldiers and citizens who share supportive views as well.

Jeff Msangi said...

Q-TIP,
I know about media propaganda,I also know about personal bias on director's mind when making these kind of documentaries.I also know the fact that I have not stepped in Kabul or Baghdad and feel the pain of a bullet in my ass.What I am using to feed my mind is "common sense".Is the war a good solution?How many innocent lives should perish in the pretence of peace and democracy?Brother,do you want to tell me that you still don't know the reason for Iraq war?OIL is a difficult word? Now is it fair to kill women and children in order to have a full tank of our SUVs?If people have their own leaders,democratically elected,who are we to tell them who should be in power,who should be their leaders?Who the hell are we?Where do we get such authorities?

The Intolerant One said...

Jeff:

" I have not stepped in Kabul or Baghdad and feel the pain of a bullet in my ass."

I appreciate your strait forward (and somewhat humorous response on this)

"Is the war a good solution?"

I don't think the word "Good" is applicable in any war. I think I would ask the question, "Is it necessary?" or "Will we be worse off if we do not go to war?". Those are tough questions any time a decision about war is made.

"How many innocent lives should perish in the pretence of peace and democracy?"

There were far more being lost before the war began under the iron fist dictatorship of Saddam. Where was the great and mighty United Nations. The ones who lay claim to being the great purveyors of human rights? The ones who supposedly stand against these injustices. Is there peace? No not yet. Is there democracy? It is a lot closer then it has ever been in 30 years.

"Brother,do you want to tell me that you still don't know the reason for Iraq war?OIL is a difficult word?"

I am surprised you feel oil is the only reason. I will be honest, no, I am not convinced that this war is solely about oil. For example, the US imports 48% of their oil from Alberta, Canada! That is almost half their oil right there. Plus they have their own oil refineries as well. A lot of their other "oil" imports come from Kuwait, Saudi Arbia, and other eastern countries. You make it sound like they only get oil from Iraq and without Iraq they will not survive.

" Now is it fair to kill women and children in order to have a full tank of our SUVs?"

You make these soldiers sound like beast's with such a statement. Do you really believe these men and women were sent in to kill women and children? These soldiers are not a bunch of punk ass cowards we have come to know as terrorists. Those are the ones walking onto buses and into shopping malls blowing themselves up with no regard for who is in the vicinity. These are the ones you should be condemning. These are the ones who kill the innocent. I do not believe a soldier, whether it be American, British, Australian, or Canadian would ever intentionally kill women and children. Remember it was the cowardice of the Iraqi soldier who did not have the courage to face an American soldier in uniform. They put on civilian clothes and used women and children as human shields. When, brother, do you start pointing the finger at the terrorists and insurgents? These are the ones who kill the innocent with intent not by accident.

"If people have their own leaders,democratically elected,who are we to tell them who should be in power,who should be their leaders?Who the hell are we?Where do we get such authorities?"

Are you referring to Saddam? That was not democratic. You voted for him or you were shot! Ask the families of those whose loved ones were buried in the mass graves found all over

Jeff Msangi said...

Q-
I admire the way you read between the lines and respond accordingly.I applause you for that because I believe intelligence is gathered and used by men such as you.However,I don't agree with you that the insurgents are the only people to blame for making the world worse.Who is a terrorist to you?Was someone I respect like Nelson Mandela a terrorist or freedom and peace fighter?What about George W.Bush?Who is he now that his hands are full of blood?
The control and hunger for oil that is from middle east is a long story.You need to research alternatively to reach a better conclusion.When Iraq invaded Kuwait who was helping?What about Iran vs Iraq war?Do you know that Rumsfeld used to sit down with Saddam Hussein and share innermost jokes full of friendship and love from Washington?So did Saddam start being a terrorist just few years ago?There is obviously lots of politics and bullshit in all these.My anger and prayer(weird combination) is when I see dying women and children.Do they matter?
Brother,have you ever been a victim of not being free in your own country?To walk around and face the foreign soldiers in uniform telling you what time to sleep and what time to eat?

The Intolerant One said...

Jeff,

First I thank you for your kind words in your opening statement. Although we do not seem to agree on this issue I share the same sentiments towards you as well. I find that you are a man who speaks with passion and from the heart. You stand by your convictions and that is admirable.

You ask the question:

"Who is a terrorist to you?"

He is the one who does not have the honor, the courage, the valor, or the integrity to put on a soldiers uniform identifying himself. He is too cowardly to meet men on the battlefield face to face. Instead he would rather hide behind the skirts of women and blow innocent babies up with his hidden bombs so he can make his political statement.

That is a terrorist in my eyes. Far more innocent lives have been lost because of this type of spineless radical behavior. In fact the majority of innocent lives have been lost due to these acts of cowardice. They were happening before the war, during, and if we cannot put a tight lid on it they will continue afterwards as well whether the US, Canada, Britain, and whoever else is at war or not.

"What about George W.Bush? Who is he now that his hands are full of blood?"

I do not feel it is fair for me to comment on Nelson Mandela. I have certainly heard of the man and heard a few discussions about him both for and against but I have not learned much about him to make a fair comment.

Regarding George Bush I would say the same picture applies here. You have those who are for him and those against him. I cannot argue that the "intent" behind the war has turned out the way George thought it would. But I would never refer to him as a terrorist. I have never seen him encourage his troops to wear civilian clothing, strap bombs to themselves, and blow up whoever is around them at the time. Have the US killed innocent blood? Of course. That is the sad reality of war. But unlike the terrorist, it is not done with intent.

".When Iraq invaded Kuwait who was helping?"

As I recall, everybody got involved in that one. Are you suggesting that the US helped Iraq to invade Kuwait and then went to war against Iraq?( I may be misunderstanding you here)

"What about Iran vs Iraq war?"

What about it? Iran was and still is a potential global threat. The US was able to subdue Iran without getting directly involved but by helping out the weaker opponent.

"?Do you know that Rumsfeld used to sit down with Saddam Hussein and share innermost jokes full of friendship and love from Washington?"

Yes I am. But "friendship and love" from Washington I would call a bit of a stretch. There was the "obligatory niceties" but you have that in politics world wide. It is mandatory of the politician even if they hate the guts of the leader they are sitting down to break with.

"So did Saddam start being a terrorist just few years ago?"

This may surprise you, but I have never considered him a terrorist. He is a Tyrant! A fascist dictator. He is a bully. If you want to classify him as a terrorist I am sure his countrymen whose lives he took and buried in the mass graves would consider those callous acts, terrorism. But even in 1990 he still sent troops out on to the battlefield to go to war. He was a power hungry man who thought he could dictate on his own terms due to his large army.

"There is obviously lots of politics and bullshit in all these"

I would agree. But neither you nor I can actually decipher it all. One day God will reveal ALL truth. I may find out I was wrong in my observations and opinions about this war or you might. The real motives will eventually be exposed.

"My anger and prayer (weird combination) is when I see dying women and children. Do they matter?"

Of course these little ones matter. I have shed tears watching the news seeing a parent holding their dead child. I look over at my own children and I am reminded of how fortunate I am.

Where I get frustrated is long before this war ever came to be, Saddam was killing innocent babies already! Terrorists continue to do it on a daily basis, the UN continues to sit back while it all happens and everybody get's mad at the US when they take a course of action that the UN should have spearheaded a long time ago. Then, quite possibly, we would not be in this predicament today.

For the 30,000 lives lost over the last 31/2 years in this war do keep in mind Jeff that Saddam averaged 33,000 deaths PER YEAR under his own leadership. These were the innocent lives that he took. Over three decades the "Butcher of Baghdad" is responsible for over one million deaths. Including women and children. If I discover that I am wrong about the motives of this war I will always maintain that his removal from power had to come and the world is a little ( not a lot) better off without him.

"Brother, have you ever been a victim of not being free in your own country?"

Yes I have. But not in a life threatening way. So I do not want to make it in to something that is not quite as comparable but I most certainly experienced a "loss" of freedom right here in Canada.

I lost my "freedom" to conduct marriage ceremonies because I would not perform homosexual marriages. This violated my Christian faith. The religious freedoms I once thought I had in this country no longer exist.

I lost my license for being faithful to my God in a country that "claims" it is tolerant of all religious freedoms.

So yes brother, I have experienced a loss of freedom in my own country.