“Oh my god!”
I heard myself saying this in disbelief as I read “War
with Iraq necessary to promote democracy” by Jorge Magdaleno
(Feb. 3). Since Magdaleno’s submission was loaded with so
many examples of American historical amnesia, jingoism and myopia,
I have resolved myself to address only one sentence from his entire
piece: “Yes, terrorists seek to destroy us because of who we
(Americans) are and what we do. We value democracy, human rights
and open markets ““ principles more important than ever in
times of terrorism …”
If I’m reading this statement correctly, the first reason
why terrorists have targeted the United States is because we value
“democracy.” In fact, we value true democracy ““
the free, popular vote ““ so much that the government has
traditionally presented the people with a whopping two choices for
president.
Not surprisingly, to many outside the United States, our two
party democratic system hardly represents a freedom of choice. And
yet Americans criticize other governments such as Mexico for being
undemocratic.
However, last time I checked, the world was laughing at us. We,
lovers of democratic values, popularly elected Al Gore for
president. But the antiquated electoral college crowned President
George W. Bush the leader of this country. The election was a
mockery of our so-called democratic system.
The second explanation in Magdaleno’s submission as to why
terrorists want to attack the innocent United States is because we
value human rights so dearly. It would be much more accurate to say
terrorists want to attack the United States because we value human
rights so selectively.
In 1967, Israel invaded East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza,
and occupied that territory with military force, violating U.N.
human rights and international laws to the present day. As a
result, in Lebanon alone some 20,000 Lebanese and Palestinian
civilians died in 1982. Nevertheless, the U.S. government continues
to give Israel military and economic aid annually.
And, from 1978 to 1999, the United States and most other Western
countries knowingly supported (financially and militarily) the
Indonesian government as they aggressively and systematically wiped
out one-third of the population of neighboring East Timor.
Obviously genocide by any standards.
Clearly, the suggestion that our government holds dear to the
ideals and international laws of human rights is both misleading
and uniformed.
Supposedly, the third reason we’re targeted by terrorists
lies in the fact that we value open markets. Here one is led to
believe that open market implies a free market. Again, the U.S.
government has judiciously determined which counties are entitled
to open markets. For instance, the United States has been enforcing
an embargo with Cuba which has resulted in the collapse of their
trade economy and increased poverty and human suffering.
And of course, open markets have also historically exploited the
land, labor and resources of the masses of the so-called developing
nations.
How can Magdaleno claim that the United States values democracy,
human rights and open markets when the record clearly shows they do
not?
I am by no means apologizing for terrorist acts. I am just a
simple student who realizes that all effects have a cause.
Terrorists are not mindless, random, evil murderers ““ but
rather, indignant human beings who resent the world police state
that the United States has become. A war with Iraq will not quell
terrorism “¦ but further ignite it.