Friday, July 09, 2004

 
Wednesday, 7th., July, 2004
Good morning…
We are still in Amman, the weather is hot these days, but electricity dose not go off here as it dose in Baghdad…the city is small and quiet, it has no traffic jams as in Baghdad, nor explosions and occupation forces…there are no helicopter noises, or tanks that rock the streets and the houses, like a small earthquake….
But I do not feel the people here are happy…for Jordan is a small country, its income is small, no oil, not many industries, nor agricultural products that provide a good income for the country.
But they have good tourism… and at summer, the streets and hotels are full of Arab and foreign tourists…while during winter, the city looks almost deserted…its people hiding in their homes, because of the cold.
The financial condition is a little difficult, the city is relatively expensive, for visitors, and its own residents alike…
*********************
I seized the chance of the holiday, and went shopping, and bought some books about the history of the United States of America…I am curious to know that history, and as I have some spare time these days, I said to my self: This is the best chance to achieve this project which I have been thinking about for some months, and in Baghdad my life is crowded, and I have no extra time…and this task needs a lot of time, and concentration.
I bought books for American writers, for this is the best way to know the other…listening to him talking about himself. I learned not to read about a person or the history of a nation from the view point of other people or nations, for surly they would distort a lot of the truths, even if they were friendly… even if they were friendly…this is a fact I have learned from life, by my readings and dealing with people.
That who loves…distorts??? Yes, because he will exaggerate in his explanations of some things, thinking himself defending a friend, but in truth, he would be harming him, telling something that wasn’t said…and this is moving away from the truth of the subject, and an offence to the reader…and that isn’t a good favor…
*********************
All sources agreed that the history of the United States could be divided to main, clear periods.
The period of colonization, the liberation war against the British, the formation of the first American government and constitution, the expansion in to the west, wars against Spain and Mexico to annex new states to the union, the civil war between the south and the north, a period of internal construction, inventions and industrialization, First World War, a financial recession, and a campaign to re-organize the house from the inside, led by president Roosevelt, then World War Two, the progress of the military industries, then the Atomic bomb on Japan, forcing them to surrender, then starting what is called the Cold War against the Soviet Union, because it has risen as a rivaling super power after the decline of Britain, France, and Germany as super powers in Europe, the Korean war, the war against Cuba, the war in Vietnam, the continuation of the cold war until the fall of the Soviet Union,the war against Salvador,Nicaragua,then the war in Caribbean island (Grenada),the war against soviet occupation of Afghanistan and supporting Bin-Laden resiatance,then the first war against Iraq,then agaist Afghanstan, and of course, the latest war against Iraq.....
I didn't add any dating numbers so you wouldn't get tired reading, perhaps becoming a dull material… I just want you to feel my astonishment at how many wars that country has fought? Only one of them being a liberation war, and another internal civil war….the others against neighbors, near or far…and for what??? For supremacy, and more wealth, as if they are cursed somehow…do not feel satisfied…keep on fighting and destroying continuously…you will never know peace or satisfaction….
A depressing, sad history…to me, and I am not an American…
So, what would the American say…that who dreams of comfort and peace for himself and his family, and other nations of the world??? Is it possible??
Could his country present peace, justice, and liberty to the nations, while its whole history is filled with wars, cruelty, and the urge to interfere in other's business, to interfere in the destination of people…with lots of sparkling, beautiful, astonishing slogans…liberty to the people on earth…
All prior wars were fought under this great motto…so the word Liberty became cheap and vulgar, being used so much, so badly…
****************
I put my hand to my cheek, wondering at a country that permitted itself to throw an atomic bomb on a small city to force the Emperor of Japan to surrender…a hundred thousand or more died by the first bomb in Hiroshima…then, three days later, America threw another bomb on Nagasaki city, killing sixty thousand…and the war stopped.
The Emperor, the Japanese government, the whole nation cried, feeling the force of the catastrophe, and the pain. They signed the surrender papers.
I wonder what the American people, the civilized callers for freedom of nations, said to their leaders??? Did they ever question them???
It doesn't seem so in history books…for President Truman was re-elected, and life resumed its progress in America, as if nothing happened.
Where does the problem lay? In the government or in the people?
Either it is a vicious people like its leadership, or ignorant, or a drugged people, by way of slobbering after daily bread and more material gains…while the government is convincing him that all this was accomplished by (the sacrifices) of the American people and its patience…because it is a peace and liberty loving people…
I do not know whether to laugh or cry? Therefore, I found that what America did in its war on Iraq, was nothing but a nice, cute war, in which only tens of thousands of Iraqis died, so it wouldn't shake any one's conscience, as long as the atomic bomb didn't shake consciences, nor change the policy of greed, predominance, and looking for new influence areas…
**************************
Then I go to read the story of the Red Indians, and how the American governments dealt with them, how they distorted their history, picturing them as monsters, and here I think the picture is a little obvious…as israel is picturing the Palestinian people as if they are a bunch of monsters, so it would kill and destroy and corrupt, people and cities, and America watches in sympathy, supporting israel in the United Nations against any resolution, or penalty condemning israel, and supports it with millions of dollars every year.
I always wondered, why? Now I suppose I know the reason…
The beginning of israel is similar to the beginning of forming the United States…immigrants to a new land, and natives. But israel cleaved its way in a more bloody way, with violence, lies, and distortion to the natives, their history, devouring their rights for tens of years…and it is still killing and destroying daily, and the world conscience there died, a long time ago…
We learned the story of the Red Indians after tens, or perhaps hundreds of years…the distances are far, with no modern communications…as for the story of israel and the Palestinians, it happened merely fifty years ago, but it has become boring, fairness is lost in the hands of leaders who know no fairness, but only know power and cruelty, as a means of solving the problems of humanity… speaking nice words, wearing elegant suits and colorful ties, smiling while sitting upon fancy chairs and tables, in richly-furnished halls, but inside of them reside ugly, dirty monsters that know no mercy, and does not belong to humankind…doesn't belong to humankind in every way except outward appearance.
*************************
Then again I read about the slaves, the civil war, Abraham Lincoln and his struggle against the rich of the south and their hard hearts, their abuse of the slaves, depriving them from the rights of humans…family members were separated from each other, a baby is taken from his mother's arms, because they were slaves, even maternity rights were non-existent for them, a husband is taken from his wife, because they were slaves, no martial rights as humans, they were deprived of learning and free, honorable life.
And they were living in a country that was boasting to be the owner of the main democracy in the world…
Oh my God…is this a split in the personality???
The speech, and the appearance are civilized and beautiful, but the truth of the matter is black and ugly…
And when Lincoln won in the presidential elections, the southern states declared mutiny, and broke up from the union, then started the war against the northern states. These events took place in the years 1860-1865.
The civil war was over, the north has won…but Lincoln was assassinated. In truth, I cried for him…and remained sad, with a painful question…who killed him?
Of course, the official media will say there was a mad man with personal reasons, who killed Lincoln. I see in Lincoln the personality of Gandhi, a leader of the nation towards freedom and peace…who paid his life as a price for noble ideas. I believe he was the only leader who did not make a war upon neighbors, his motto was fixing the house from the inside…
How could a nation progress, its one half free, and the other half a slave?
How I think America needs a leader like him, while it is in these circumstances?
***********************
Lincoln ruled the laws of liberating the slaves…but they were not applied.
I read about Dr. Martin Luther King, addressing the wronged black masses, who suffered the racial segregation laws in schools, public transports, public toilets, and even in churches.
That was in the 60's of the 20th. Century, that is, a hundred years after the Lincoln laws?
And the American leaders were making loud speeches about freedom for the nations on earth…huh???
Is there a split in the personality???
America entered World War 1 in 1919, under the leadership of President Wilson, of course always the slogan was: freedom for the nations of earth. Then entered World War 2 in 1944, under the leadership of President Roosevelt, to depose the Fascist and Nazi regimes in Europe, and achieve freedom and democracy…then entered endless, uncountable wars…China, the Philippines Islands, Korea, Cuba, Vietnam…and many more, for my memory stopped short…
And always the same speech at the beginning and the end.
And I always wondered…where are the American people? What is their opinion?
I found a nice book, which contained astonishing articles written by Americans, against wars, against racial segregation, against harming the Red Indians, against monopolizing the government opposing opinions in many occasions. But I think these are weak voices, which wouldn't have much influence upon the nation's conscience, nor make it wake up from its slumber, and ask itself: what mistakes have we committed, where are we heading???
*****************
I read that John Kennedy was a new type of the American president, in spite of his military speeches towards neighbors, his war upon Cuba, and the tension with the Russian bear, as they used to call him. But his noble attitude against the racial segregation was an excellent turning point in the directions of the leadership…and he possessed a new plan of action towards the middle and far east countries, and most world countries…but, the time wasn't enough, for he was assassinated, the killer remained unknown, in spite of many official explanations presented by latter governments.
Martin Luther King was also assassinated…and Robert Kennedy, who was moving on the steps of his brother…
I wonder, what a nation it is that couldn't safe keep its best of Men…
*********************
Now, the Soviet Union has broken-up, and the danger of Communism has blown away…but the American leaders won't leave nations to live safely…
The danger of Communism was the excuse to interfere in Vietnam, Korea, Cuba, the Middle East countries…and others…but today, what is the excuse to interfere in the countries and people's business?
Freedom…once more, that torn shirt, like a rug from so much usage, for hundreds of years…
************
We want nothing more than to have the decision in the hands of the American people this time…
We want them to stop for a minute, open their eyes, and read their history all over again…
What have they gained from wars with neighbors? Why wouldn't the other nations want America to get near to them???
Because we read and saw what America did to weak people like Vietnam, how she destroyed their country, killing hundreds of thousands, or maybe millions of them, in a silly, grinding war. Then got involved in Latin America, where they controlled them in a non-direct way, by putting pro-American presidents, connecting the country's economy to the mercy of America, with its loans and financial aid. It seems to the onlooker to be friendly, but in truth she is the enemy of the people, as it removes their freedom of decision and independence, so the people would remain weak and connected to America for tens of years to come. And this is what America is trying to do with the Middle East countries.
The American colonization has a different way than that of the old European colonization. Those countries were very exposed with their armies and weapons on the lands of the nations to be occupied…but today, America is occupying most of the world in secret…as if they have invisible threads connecting them to leaders who act upon their instructions….and every body knows, and understands…
But, there are still some sleepy fools…busy with their hard daily work, or amusement, or collecting fortunes…those are the samples that evil governments love, wishing the majority of people to be like them, so that these governments would do as they want, in crushing justice, spreading false, and steeling the rights and wealth of nations.
But history smiles at their foolishness, their shortsightness, as if saying…look at all those before you, they behaved like you, perhaps more, perhaps less…and their people went back poor, or medial…drudging for their daily bread, as any other people.
****************************
I read a short story by the English writer (D.H.Lorance),the Rocking horse winner about a well-being family, but they were not content with their reality, always asking for more, never satisfied…as if the house was wespering all day long, morning and night: I want more money… I want more money…and their life turns into hell.
I think the writer was drawing a picture of the lives of people living under greedy regimes, that could never get enough…nor ever taste the taste of happiness and comfort…ever…
*********************
Freedom and peace to the people on earth will never be realized as long as there are greedy leaders… destroying the lives of their people, as they lead them from one war to another…
When these people wake up from their obliviousness, and stop the evil ones in their tracks…we might have some hope in a shiny, beautiful world that will come one day…a world where our children, our generations would live…a world that has no malice, no greed, no wars.
Could we really build such a world, or contribute in building it?
Let it come… Let it come…that world, for I think all of us are tired, and in need to feel secure and comfortable…
We all need to feel secure, comfortable, and in peace.
*********************
Translated by May. Baghdad.






<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?

Extreme Tracker
Links
archives