Perhaps We Should Try Creativity

At the end of his last blog post about why he joined the war in Iraq, Mark Daily asked his friends to, at least, wish him good luck even if they did not agree with his decision.  It's too late to wish him good luck since he and three of his comrades were killed by a roadside bomb on January 15th.  But, it's not too late to appreciate his decision and the obvious thought and passion that went into making it.

All of us who have grappled with our own views on this conflict know that there are no easy answers.  And, perhaps that's the thing that disturbs me most:  our politicians seem to act as if it were easy.  This administration acted as if there were a clear cut mandate and need for war in Iraq and marched forward before the raw pain of 9/11 could subside enough for us to make a reasoned decision.   Now, with the pendulum of power and public support swinging the other way, the call for ending the conflict and pulling out seems equally abrupt and possibly hazardous.

The decision to enter the war was clearly a crisis of creativity -- because we couldn't think of a better way, we did the same old thing ... and then wound up doing it poorly.  The losses are staggering not only for us but for the Iraqi people and perhaps the entire Middle East and the world as this cancer of violence increases and spreads.  But, will Iraq and the US and the rest of the world be served better by staying and surging, by our immediate withdrawal or by a new possibility that we haven't had the time and will power to think of yet?

If Congress ... and the rest of us ... could put aside our blame games and come to this highly loaded decision with an open mind and a clear commitment to serving the world rather than any of the myriad of special interests that make up this complicated mix, maybe we could find our way out of this mess in a way that would allow all of us to be proud of the ending, even if the beginning of this conflict has been forever tainted. 

If, like Mark Daily, each of us could dig deeply into our own beliefs and listen carefully to the thoughts and beliefs of others, perhaps we could find a better answer to the incredibly complex question of Iraq.  That would be one way to honor the sacrifice that Mark and thousands of other young men and women on both sides of this conflict made in the hopes of serving their countries.

You can read Mark's words below.

From Mark Jennings Daily on why he joined the fight in Iraq:

About me:
Why I Joined: This question has been asked of me so many times in so many different contexts that I thought it would be best if I wrote my reasons for joining the Army on my page for all to see. First, the more accurate question is why I volunteered to go to Iraq. After all, I joined the Army a week after we declared war on Saddam's government with the intention of going to Iraq. Now, after years of training and preparation, I am finally here. Much has changed in the last three years. The criminal Ba'ath regime has been replaced by an insurgency fueled by Iraq's neighbors who hope to partition Iraq for their own ends. This is coupled with the ever present transnational militant Islamist movement which has seized upon Iraq as the greatest way to kill Americans, along with anyone else they happen to be standing near. What was once a paralyzed state of fear is now the staging ground for one of the largest transformations of power and ideology the Middle East has experienced since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Thanks to Iran, Syria, and other enlightened local actors, this transformation will be plagued by interregional hatred and genocide. And I am now in the center of this. Is this why I joined? Yes. Much has been said about America's intentions in overthrowing Saddam Hussein and seeking to establish a new state based upon political representation and individual rights. Many have framed the paradigm through which they view the conflict around one-word explanations such as "oil" or "terrorism," favoring the one which best serves their political persuasion. I did the same thing, and anyone who knew me before I joined knows that I am quite aware and at times sympathetic to the arguments against the war in Iraq. If you think the only way a person could bring themselves to volunteer for this war is through sheer desperation or blind obedience then consider me the exception (though there are countless like me). I joined the fight because it occurred to me that many modern day "humanists" who claim to possess a genuine concern for human beings throughout the world are in fact quite content to allow their fellow "global citizens" to suffer under the most hideous state apparatuses and conditions. Their excuses used to be my excuses. When asked why we shouldn't confront the Ba'ath party, the Taliban or the various other tyrannies throughout this world, my answers would allude to vague notions of cultural tolerance (forcing women to wear a veil and stay indoors is such a quaint cultural tradition), the sanctity of national sovereignty (how eager we internationalists are to throw up borders to defend dictatorships!) or even a creeping suspicion of America's intentions. When all else failed, I would retreat to my fragile moral ecosystem that years of living in peace and liberty had provided me. I would write off war because civilian casualties were guaranteed, or temporary alliances with illiberal forces would be made, or tank fuel was toxic for the environment. My fellow "humanists" and I would relish contently in our self righteous declaration of opposition against all military campaigns against dictatorships, congratulating one another for refusing to taint that aforementioned fragile moral ecosystem that many still cradle with all the revolutionary tenacity of the members of Rage Against the Machine and Greenday. Others would point to America's historical support of Saddam Hussein, sighting it as hypocritical that we would now vilify him as a thug and a tyrant. Upon explaining that we did so to ward off the fiercely Islamist Iran, which was correctly identified as the greater threat at the time, eyes are rolled and hypocrisy is declared. Forgetting that America sided with Stalin to defeat Hitler, who was promptly confronted once the Nazis were destroyed, America's initial engagement with Saddam and other regional actors is identified as the ultimate argument against America's moral crusade. And maybe it is. Maybe the reality of politics makes all political action inherently crude and immoral. Or maybe it is these adventures in philosophical masturbation that prevent people from ever taking any kind of effective action against men like Saddam Hussein. One thing is for certain, as disagreeable or as confusing as my decision to enter the fray may be, consider what peace vigils against genocide have accomplished lately. Consider that there are 19 year old soldiers from the Midwest who have never touched a college campus or a protest who have done more to uphold the universal legitimacy of representative government and individual rights by placing themselves between Iraqi voting lines and homicidal religious fanatics. Often times it is less about how clean your actions are and more about how pure your intentions are. So that is why I joined. In the time it took for you to read this explanation, innocent people your age have suffered under the crushing misery of tyranny. Every tool of philosophical advancement and communication that we use to develop our opinions about this war are denied to countless human beings on this planet, many of whom live under the regimes that have, in my opinion, been legitimately targeted for destruction. Some have allowed their resentment of the President to stir silent applause for setbacks in Iraq. Others have ironically decried the war because it has tied up our forces and prevented them from confronting criminal regimes in Sudan, Uganda, and elsewhere. I simply decided that the time for candid discussions of the oppressed was over, and I joined. In digesting this posting, please remember that America's commitment to overthrow Saddam Hussein and his sons existed before the current administration and would exist into our future children's lives had we not acted. Please remember that the problems that plague Iraq today were set in motion centuries ago and were up until now held back by the most cruel of cages. Don't forget that human beings have a responsibility to one another and that Americans will always have a responsibility to the oppressed. Don't overlook the obvious reasons to disagree with the war but don't cheapen the moral aspects either. Assisting a formerly oppressed population in converting their torn society into a plural, democratic one is dangerous and difficult business, especially when being attacked and sabotaged from literally every direction. So if you have anything to say to me at the end of this reading, let it at least include "Good Luck" Mark Daily

Comments

[califdweller]

Thank you for remembering the sacrifice of my nephew. His death is still hard to get over even now, 7 months later.

I hope that this bloody war will be brought to an end as soon as possible.