The Splendid Failure of Occupation

[bemildred]

Part 25: Dick Cheney, the inferior art of bulldozing reality

Nice examination of the misuse of language. I like the discussion
of the usage of "suicide bomber" a lot.

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Invariably, while Cheney, Bush, and Powell routinely exaggerate the virtues of invasion, they consistently ignore the devastation they inflicted upon Iraq and its people, as well as the implacable Iraqi struggle against the occupation. Because of a fatuous mentality that indulges in spins but discards reality, and as the occupation regime settled in and resistance to it began, the U.S. was fast to claim that those who were fighting its order were remnants of the old regime.

In the meanwhile, as the resistance persisted, the list of labels kept growing to include Saddam’s loyalists, foreign fighters, Baathists, terrorists, Arab Jihadists, Islamists, Qaeda-ists, Iranian infiltrators, Sunni insurgents, Shiite rebels, Shiite renegades, Sunni rebels, thugs, murders, and other labels. As for labels given to Iraq and cities revolting against the occupation, the list is somewhat limited, but indicates the purposeful ideological manipulation of U.S. war managers: war-torn country, restive Fallujah, rebel city, volatile region, Sunni triangle, Sunni provinces, etc.

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Interestingly, when the United States refers to its appointed Arab and Kurdish allies, it invariably calls them, “Iraqis,” as in “Iraqi foreign minister, etc.,” notwithstanding the fact that those people are either Sunni or Shiite. This means one thing: Iraqis could keep their Iraqi identification, but only if they renounce armed opposition to the occupation. Oppose the occupation or join the uprising, and you instantly become, either a “Sunni insurgent,” or a “Shiite rebel.”

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n fighting terms, is a military attack, such as the Mosul attack, against a fortified American base in broad daylight, an act of desperation or courage? Americans still romanticize the Alamo as a symbol of resilience in the face of sure death, and mythologize Custer for his last stand. So, why do U.S. politicians view an astounding attack against their occupying forces as an act of desperation?

On Line Journal

[EVDebs]

1. You meant Catastrophic Success didn't you ? n/t

[bemildred]

2. Well, it wasn't me, but I suppose you could go either way with it.

One oxymoron is about as meaningful as another.