Re: [Marxism] Dollars for deaths: military-bureaucratic alienation in Fallujah

["David Quarter" <davidquarter@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

 I think the scale of the disaster in Iraq is almost beyond
> our comprehension.  The mistake we are making in our analyses
> is to undeerstimate the level of incompetence and downright
> stupidity that has marked the US intervention.
>
> That is why I think David is wrong in his rational judgement
> that the destruction of infrastructure will lead to
> rebuuilding by US firms & that will be good for US business.
>

 Apart from pointing out the business side of the destruction, I also
stated that the U.S., in destroying Iraq's infrastructure, was
severing the Iraqi people's attachment to their past. You destroy
things, you rebuild them.

Colonists -- and this invasions is certaintly a form of colonilization --
 have always purposely attempted to severe indigenous peoiple's
connection  to their past. Case in point (though minor perhaps in
the larger scheme of things): the looting of the Iraqi art museum.
Likely 1000 year old artifacts had dissapeared as a result. This is
NOT all insignifcant in terms of the long term implications of the
occupation on the collective Iraqi psyche.


Unless the bombed out buildings in Iraq are left intact, down the
road new building will come up in their place. When this occurs,
particularly for the younger generation of Iraqis , Iraqis will forget
about what use to be in their place. They are more likely to think
only in terms of what had replaced these buildings -- McDonalids,
Hollywood, and other western type structures).

Also  whether the reconstruction of the ocuntry happens under
direct U.S. occupation with cronies of Bush benifiting the most or
under the auspices of UN or the World Bank, either way, western
building companies benefit.

That is, of course, assuming the resistance isn't succesful and Iraq
doesn't fall into the "wrong" (i.e., non quisling) hands. If that were to
happen, there is the possibility that the next rulers of Iraq will allign
themselves with a country, generally, hostile to U.S. economic
interewts. I suppose that this is the gamble U.S. faces.

DOQ




From:                   <g.maclennan@xxxxxxxxxx>
>
> I think the scale of the disaster in Iraq is almost beyond
> our comprehension.  The mistake we are making in our analyses
> is to undeerstimate the level of incompetence and downright
> stupidity that has marked the US intervention.
>
> That is why I think David is wrong in his rational judgement
> that the destruction of infrastructure will lead to
> rebuuilding by US firms & that will be good for US business.
>
> There is no reconstruction taking place because there is not
> enough security for the contractors.
>
> The destruction of Fallujah is looking more and more like an
> absolute exercise in futility.  The US military wanted to
> show they could be brutal and destroy a city whatever the
> cost politically. How that  exercise in brutal terror
> advances their aims is beyond me and more importantly them.
>
> Militarily they cannot hold Fallujah, or if they do they
> cannot hold Samarra or Mosul.
>
> Politically they have weakened their number one asset - Ayat
> Allah Ali Sistani. He has become a figure of hatred for the
> Sunnis and so cannot hold Iraq together for the Americans.
>
> Sistani has gambled everything on the January elections. He
> desperately needs to deliver a Shiite dominated Govt and he
> also needs to ask the Americans to leave. If al-Sadr goes
> with the Sunnis against Sistani, then the latter will be
> finished as a national figure.
>
>
> After he struck a deal over Najaf, everyone was saying that
> Sistani was the real winner.  Events have moved beyond him
> now.
>
> In desperation the Americans are attacking the Sunni clergy
> in the AMS. That will only make things much worse. More
> cities may get flattened as well.  But nothing can save this
> disaster.  No wonder Colin Powell swam away for the ship.
> Clever rat that he is.
>
> regards
>
> Gary
>
> regards
>
> Gary
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Marxism mailing list
> Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism



_______________________________________________
Marxism mailing list
Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism