Years of Poems and Spirits

Read this horrific tale in the news, “Victim: Gang-Rape Cover-Up by U.S., Halliburton/KBR”. Basically, a 22 year old female contractor reported that she was gang raped in the Green Zone and was placed in a container afterwards. Her father had to call his Congreeman who requested a Statement Department rescue operation to get her out.

I don’t know whether the story is true or not. But for a rape victim to go public (with her face and name and all) like this, some terrible wrong has been committed. Otherwise, the victim would have a lot to lose (she is only 22!) but little to gain (it is not likely that a court rule in her favor simply because she went public).

Some quick thoughts:
1. How can people (who committed the crime) grew up in the “ultimate sanctuary of rule-of-law” behave so lawless? It is as if the presence of law and the punishment power associated with it never existed in those people’s consciousness. It is not like the story in Deliverance where the hillbillies know no law. We are talking about the Green Zone–the center of the government! Even more so than Capital Hill, the Green Zone represents the most primordial and visceral form of state force. Yet those bastards are just plain lawless.
2. What can War do to a person? Recent New Republic’s decision to pull a soldier’s blogs touched on this issue: did the war really change people’s mind and behavior? That was the soldier blogger’s point but now the magazine found out that he fabricated many stories. Yet the logic seems so appealing and believeable. The scene made Platoon so great is where Charlie Sheen shouting uncontrollablly at a retarded village kid. I am shaken every time seeing it. But are there people who are geniunely innocent then are corrupted by war? I am not talking about PTSD, but a real good person turning unapologetically bad? Can a War do that?
3. American exceptionalism and militant culture: what kind of Army is it? How many My Lai, Abu Gharib or Haditha will it take for Americans to realize that their army is no different from any invading forces, including the Japanese, the Germans or the Russians during WWII?

Read a news article about Qaddafi visiting France. Here is the quote of the day:

Mr. Sarkozy also replied to his critics, saying, “It is rather beautiful the principle that consists in not getting yourself wet, not taking risks,” he said, and “being so certain of everything you think while you’re having your latte on the Boulevard Saint-Germain.”

Always love a good tongue lashing of “the righteous”, either those on the left or on the right. Also, isn’t it ironic that France chose a cynic president, yet Anglo-American leaders have to tie-toe the PC line all the time? Remember John Snow said something like weak dollar or strong dollar didn’t matter and he was sacked? And Larry Summers? It is not that they were right (or wrong), but the groundswell of censorship was just incredible.