THE EDITOR, Sir:
There are those who say that France and Germany are against the war because they have financial reasons not to go to war;
personally I don't believe that's the only
reason. I think these countries' financial agreement with Iraq will be respected before and after any war.
America also has a financial reason to go to war with Iraq and that reason is to spread American economic influence and to control the valuable resources in that region. It seems that no other lifestyle is legitimate unless it is modelled after the American lifestyle and/or dependent on the American economy.
Democracy is not an issue here, America has supported some of the world's worst dictators, also free and fair elections are not an issue. This so-called concern for the lives of Iraqi Kurds is also not an issue or else they would have attacked Iraq the first time they used WMDs. I also question their concern for human lives, because in 1994 between April and June an estimated 800,000 people, mostly ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus, were killed in 100 days in Rwanda and nobody said let's attack. The list of genocide by despot dictators goes on and on, without the world batting an eyelid.
The very idea that a country and its people may not agree with an American decision or an American action, seems to be interpreted by Americans as anti-America and not just simply "I am sorry, I do not agree with your position, in this particular situation and at this time". American reaction to the democratic rights of these countries to express their position is one of rage, how dare the Governments of France and Germany listen to its people and its own conscience, how dare they disagree with the new Empire. How dare, they not ask how high, when America tells them to jump.
It seems the definition of a democracy is, do as I say or else, how dare NATO disagree with the wishes of The United States of America, how dare the United Nations follow due process and disagree with America's wishes. Are these truly democratic organisations or are they only democratic when they vote the way America wants them to? America sings praises to these organisations when they vote in their favour and do their biddings and denounce them when they don't.
But America will go to war simply because they can and they believe in their cause, they are the world's most powerful country and they can do whatever they want and there is not a darn thing anyone can do about it.
Like all great empires they have the power and the need to rearrange the world and remake it in their own image, this is empire-building at its finest, Empire 101 and like all empires they demand respect and obedience or else. But remember this, Empires will come and Empires will go, they never last forever.
I am etc,
ANDRE A. STEWART
wumpscut@jamaicans.com
New York
Via Go-Jamaica
