69 million page views

Travesty Indeed - Yet America's Never Ending Conundrum

Reader comment on item: Wasted U.S. Spending in Iraq (and Afghanistan): $53 billion and Counting
in response to reader comment: The Travesty of Iraq

Submitted by M. Tovey (United States), Dec 15, 2009 at 12:23

There appears to be a recurring situation that America finds herself in cyclical fashion, at one time in appearance as being synchronous, now eccentric and out of balance. This country was founded to provide a place where people seeking a common good could do so under an umbrella of protection, that protection being provided by the government. When things got out of sync, the government stepped up to intervene (one example being the Civil War – America's lesson on out-of-control pride), but then receded to allow the citizenry to pursue life in the freedoms under that protection.

As America's influence in the world expanded, so too did the ideology that the American way of life could supposedly be exported as well, being traded by America for the resources of an undeveloped country. Soon, the good will was lost in the transactions of good business, and whatever got in the way of good business was turned over to the office of military intervention. Many times this appeared subliminal; other times there was no missing the signals of a situation gone wrong.

The American way of international relations is categorically American, never to be mistaken for the political policies of another country; for there is no other country like America (even though Canada might have similarities, there is also disparity). Repeatedly, after America was compelled to enter into the political/military fray of any other region or nation, the immediate second course should have been to leave before becoming embroiled in the local politics with which America has little or no assimilation. Someone might bring up the post war occupation of Germany for so many years after the fall of the third Reich, but the situation there was complicated by the Soviet presence compounded with a hair trigger mentality that could have exploded into a repeat of the collapse of the Treaty of Versailles, and we would have been pulled in again. The collapse of the wall ended that (maybe).

Now it has always been presented that America has had good intentions, and on the surface of it, such an argument can be made…….to a point. In times past, America had the full resources and the populist mentality for the most part, to be a good neighbor when something catastrophic happened around the globe and the Americans responded. This extended to military help when and where circumstances seemed to require that kind of response as well. The U.N took advantage of that as political situations got out of the U.N.'s control, seemingly (and in many instances, in provocation to antipathies of the American presence around the globe) on a constant basis.

Now the argument can be made that there is an underlying business mindset that money can be made in those situations, but this was not an American invention. Colonial imperialist countries (some of which are still in such business today) have made merchandise of political insurrections for centuries, and today there is no difference. There are more AK-47's in the hands of terrorist agencies than any other type of personal weapons, and remember that American weapons are typically too expensive for the run-of-the-mill insurrectionist. In the final analysis, war costs money, a lot of money, more money than if peace were to break out. In that frame of reference, waste is intrinsic in times of confusion, and that is actually counted on by many who are wont to take such advantage.

But underlying that circumstance is one very important other circumstance, that eventually there will be an end to the hostilities. Where will the money spent have gone, and who will have benefitted the most from all of it? In this case, will we be able to say the Iraqi's? Not really, for the people have not been educated into the American way of life, nor do they want to be. It is something not even the U.N. is willing to promote, so the frustration remains, as well as the antipathies that have been a part of that region for centuries. Were it not for the power hungry mentalities of the neighboring government, extraction of the American presence would be the most expedient and prudent action to be considered. But the power hungry mentalities of the neighboring government would compel a return, and where would that lead to in a nuclear environment if there were a premature evacuation. Therein lies the conundrum.

So, there is truth to the idea that Iraq will have no amenable solution, and that the travesty alluded to is yet to be fully realized. So too, more money will be funneled into the region to entertain the idea that there could be a working solution to the political turmoil we see going on constantly: and therein lies the base circumstance, of the centuries old turmoil. It will never end under the current (and historical) mentalities of the local and regional populations. And that is the reality of the travesty that is Iraq, no matter how much money is wasted trying to make it different.

Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Submit a comment on this item

<< Previous Comment      Next Comment >>

Reader comments (39) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
4... . "The streets are littered with trash" There are no muslims to run the complex equipment. [206 words]Phil GreendFeb 16, 2013 18:42203571
1This is... [32 words]Evan MarkJun 26, 2011 23:03186823
Its not real money [75 words]y Brandstetter MDJun 23, 2011 08:42186666
Sad state of affairs [106 words]NickJun 18, 2011 18:17186454
Billions lost article [15 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
PezDispenserJun 14, 2011 09:58186331
bad news for the US in Iraq [81 words]JayJul 1, 2010 00:30175031
1why spending in iraq? and what american forces doing in iraq? [73 words]syed mohammad aliJan 27, 2010 14:39168002
reasons for the 2nd iraq war [79 words]mythJan 28, 2010 09:36168002
Yes, and the same going on in afghanistan [32 words]MarkDec 14, 2009 11:30165851
What's Wrong? [21 words]RonDec 13, 2009 21:46165825
1Ron: No, things ARE better than under Saddam [310 words]John in Michigan, USADec 18, 2009 14:55165825
What's wrong? [368 words]Ron, OntarioDec 20, 2009 21:51165825
Goodbye! [39 words]Nathan KravetzDec 13, 2009 15:52165807
wasted spening of US dollars 53 billion [254 words]kimDec 13, 2009 13:55165788
Yes, but [73 words]TedDec 13, 2009 10:49165778
1Should have aimed for mid-to-late 20th century, instead of 21st? [418 words]John in Michigan, USADec 13, 2009 10:00165775
rebuilding Iraq [32 words]cbeeDec 13, 2009 08:30165772
challenge for ARAB LEAGUE under Moosa who should fill the gap and provide the staff from ARAB Countries [67 words]David GoshenDec 13, 2009 08:21165770
2Islam has two faces. Read the book "23 Years" to understand Islam [220 words]FriendOfIslamDec 8, 2009 01:55165484
Quick History of Islam for History Ignoramuses - online free [40 words]TL WinslowDec 13, 2009 10:40165484
Two faced [3 words]Abu NudnikDec 13, 2009 14:50165484
NOT A WASTE! [35 words]ploniNov 30, 2009 09:34165197
"Wasted US Spending?" [28 words]JoeNov 28, 2009 13:11165162
Great Article Daniel [150 words]DillahNov 27, 2009 05:42165110
1You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear [67 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
dennis g.Dec 14, 2009 00:57165110
They should have followed MY advice [101 words]There is NO Santa ClausNov 26, 2009 17:34165092
Shame him? Partly [10 words]Abu NudnikDec 13, 2009 14:45165092
simple solution -- model the Saudis [68 words]yscNov 25, 2009 14:47165030
1why help muslims? [100 words]G.VishvasNov 27, 2009 18:46165030
1Lest a hindu gets in the way... [126 words]Amin RiazJun 19, 2011 08:48165030
Obama as duck [187 words]G.VishvasNov 23, 2009 17:45164942
Paying Back with OIL. [36 words]SvetNov 23, 2009 23:40164942
But then, maybe not [152 words]Abu NudnikDec 13, 2009 14:56164942
Alas [98 words]Peter HerzNov 23, 2009 17:25164938
The Travesty of Iraq [123 words]Rebecca MouldsNov 23, 2009 10:59164923
Travesty Indeed - Yet America's Never Ending Conundrum [836 words]M. ToveyDec 15, 2009 12:23164923
Cannot be a simple cartesian relation. [161 words]SvetNov 22, 2009 00:02164872
Modernization? [83 words]yoavNov 21, 2009 10:59164849
Genetics? [28 words]PavaNov 30, 2009 00:06164849

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)