If the War Were in the U.S.

Category: Americas, World Affairs Topics: George W. Bush, Iraq, Oklahoma Views: 8068
8068

If the War Were in the U.S. ...
Last week alone, more than 3,000 Americans would have been killed.

President Bush said Tuesday that the Iraqis were refuting the pessimists, and he implied that things were improving in that country.

What would the United States look like if it were in Iraq's current situation? The population of the U.S. is more than 11 times that of Iraq's, so a lot of statistics would have to be multiplied by that number. 

Violence killed 300 Iraqis last week; the equivalent, proportionately, of 3,300 Americans. What if 3,300 Americans had died in car bombings, grenade and rocket attacks, machine gun spray and aerial bombardments in just one week? That is a number greater than the deaths on Sept. 11. 

And what if those deaths occurred all over the country, mostly in the capital of Washington, but also in Boston, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City and San Francisco?

What if the grounds of the White House and the government buildings near the Mall were constantly taking mortar fire and those inside were fearful of stepping outside? 

What if all the reporters for the major television and print media were trapped in five-star hotels in Washington and New York, unable to move more than a few blocks safely and dependent on stringers to know what was happening in Oklahoma City and St. Louis? What if the only time they ventured into the Midwest was if they could be embedded in Army or National Guard units?

There are estimated to be about 25,000 insurgents in Iraq engaged in concerted acts of violence. What if there were private armies of 275,000 men -- armed with machine guns, assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and mortar launchers, hiding out in dangerous areas of cities all over the U.S.? What if these militias so completely controlled Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Denver and Omaha that local police and federal troops could not go into those cities?

What if, during the last year, the secretary of State (Aqila Hashimi), the president (Ezzedine Salim) and the attorney general (Ayatollah Mohammed Bakr Hakim) had all been assassinated?

What if all the cities in the U.S. were racked by crime, with thousands of murders, kidnappings, burglaries and carjackings?

What if the Air Force routinely bombed Billings, Mont.; Flint, Mich.; South-Central Los Angeles; Philadelphia and other areas, attempting to target "safe houses" of "criminal gangs" but inevitably killing a lot of children and little old ladies?

What if, from time to time, the Army besieged Virginia Beach, killing hundreds of armed members of the Christian Soldiers? What if entire platoons of the Christian Soldiers militia holed up in Arlington National Cemetery and were bombarded by U.S. warplanes daily, destroying thousands of graves and even pulverizing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial over on the Mall? What if there were no commercial air traffic in the country? What if many roads were highly dangerous, especially the interstates from Richmond, Va., to Washington and up to Boston? If you went anywhere along that more than 500-mile stretch of highway, you would risk being carjacked or kidnapped or having your car sprayed with gunfire.

What if no American had electricity for more than 10 hours a day, and often had to make do with less? What if it went off at unpredictable times, causing factories to halt and air conditioning to fail in the middle of the summer in Houston and Miami? What if the Alaska pipeline were bombed and disabled monthly? 

What if unemployment hovered at about 40%?

What if militia veterans who had been at places like Ruby Ridge and Oklahoma City on the day of the bombing were brought in to run the government on the theory that you needed tough guys in these times of crisis?

What if municipal elections were canceled and cliques close to the new "president" were quietly installed in the statehouses as "governors"? What if several of these governors were assassinated soon after taking office or resigned when their children were taken hostage by insurgents?

What if the leader of the European Union maintained that the citizens of the United States were, under these conditions, refuting pessimism and assured them that freedom and democracy were just around the corner?

Juan Cole is a history professor at the University of Michigan.

Source: LA Times


  Category: Americas, World Affairs
  Topics: George W. Bush, Iraq, Oklahoma
Views: 8068

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Older Comments:
ABDULL RAHMAN FROM USA said:
Clearly the dy's are numbered.
What if the day's are near.
2004-10-08

THE MAC FROM UK said:
I heard of the latest poll showing that 70% of Americans continue to believe Iraq was responsible for 9/11. I guess Gary represents this particular demographic.
After nearly 2 years into the rape of Iraq by the Americans, its a testament to their cruelty and stupidity for them to believe such disproven lies. To call the wanton murder, torture and rape of a nation and its people by beligirent war criminals "freedom" is nothing but the product of a diseased mind.
But people of good faith shouldnt abandon hope, the evil empire will find its grave in the sands of the cradle of civilization, God willing.
2004-10-02

ZINEDINE FROM MOROCCO said:
Thank Juan for a wonderful article. I know most American have a good heart but a minority have infested their culture, history & institutions & still have a slave owner mentality.

Gary Ingram you need to wake up from your deep slumber. You need to know that America has been fighting freedom not for freedom since the Abolitionist era. Your gov lied to you & your family, your son or daughter are not sent to die for democracy or freedom unless you are gullible. They are dying to serve their heartless masters, the Zionist Cabala in the White House & the American Congress, (the American disgrace) for a free university education & few benefits. They are also dying for the sake of oil; the weakening of the Muslim World; making sure that the balance of power is in favor of that terrorist state called Israel; the preservation of the slavery status & oppression of the Palestians & the Iraqis & to serve the non democratic minded, blood thirsty terrorists aka the Christian extremists & their allies the republicans, slave owner red necks. You're not the only one some Muslims in the US need to wake up & give their loyalty to God, Almighty, they need to put their trust & obey God not the White House, not the FBI, not the CIA or just leave the US & go back home if they can or even come to Canada where there is no racist Patriot Act.. .

2004-10-01

RIZWAN FROM UK said:
Human beings are human beings wherever they are killed.To assume that an Iraqi life is inferior to an American or vice versa (which is unthinkable)is the worst atrocity being commited mentally each day by everyone in the western world who is aware of happenings in Iraq. The question this article raises is not whether it can happen or not but whether we are capable of imagining the grim reality in our own backyards.
2004-10-01

AZEEZ FROM USA said:
Gary Ingram,
What do you mean by Iraqi Freedom? Killing the innconent Iraqi men, women, children and elders? You didn't send your family to free Iraqis but to murder them. So its appropriate to say that "you have sent murderers from your family to kill innocent Iraqis".

DONT TRY TO FOOL US JUST LIKE YOU FOOL YOUR FELLOW AMERICANS.
2004-10-01

DANA WAWANDA FROM INDONESIA said:
Dear All, regarding opinion by gary's I'll say as follow;

What kind of freedom is offered by Bush? (now see the fact!!)
Saddam and Bush are the same, both are bustard!
and do you know the basic reasons attacking Iraq?

What if bush won't be the next us president? does he care? what he'll do is sitting in his big house, drinking wine and calculating his money from his pocket? and what happen with Iraqies and US soldiers? they're are still waiting in line to become the next victims of US adm! so do you call this war on terrorism?

Does Americans care with Iraqies? or even their soldier who are killed there?

as far as I know! most of them don't care with these, they still gambling in las vegas, go to disney, watching MTV, helding Movie awards or Music awards and parties........ so it's non sense! maybe until a massive earthquake or a war will relize them with this such a dissaster.

I'll pray for Iraqies and US soldiers who don't know what are they fighting for?
2004-10-01

NURAINI FROM MALAYSIA said:
it's an illustrative comparison - and a good one. contrary to gary's opinion, although the size upgrade is arbitrary, if the war WERE in the US, the scale sounds about right. i don't think the author is saying that removing saddam is a bad thing - it's surely something you don't want to hear if your family is there fighting for that. but the point is that things are NOT going well, like Bush says, and WHY is it not going well? is it because of poor planning? is it because the war is scheduled to suit US elections, and not actual deliverability? WHY is it that there is a resistant pocket of iraqis persistently fighting? people do not fight so stubbornly for no reason, as Bush would have us all believe.
2004-10-01

NOOR, AGE 11 FROM U.S. said:
this is a very good point and i never heard anyone bring this up before. thank you for the article! i enjoyed reading it and thank you for sharing your views. let the war end soon!!!
2004-10-01

MOHAMMED FROM CANADA said:
if a war like this were to happen
in america I think the violence would
be much worse because u.s.a is a very
violent nation as we speak and the rich
would surely be swallowed by the poor
and the government itself would perform
major military operations against their
fellow "citizens".
2004-10-01

AHMEDD FROM UK said:
Mr.Ingram, I think you're the one whos being preposterous. Neither you or members of family in Iraq are fighting for Iraq' "freedom." More like thieves, thugs, rapists and gangsters ravaging an innocent nation for its resources.
The Iraqi people dont want you in their country, they want you out.
2004-09-30

GARY INGRAM FROM USA said:
To make this comparison is preposterous. You assume that the only difference between the US is size. I am sure that 100% of Iraquis will write in votes to retun Saddam Hussein to power in January as they did in the last free election. Of course they will have to free him from prison then. Then they can return to the peaceful existence they once knew with the cutting edge infrastucture that Saddam provided. .. I have family fighting for Iraqui freedom.
2004-09-30

YAHYA BERGUM FROM USA said:
In such circumstances, "Bring 'em on!" would have a more personal meaning for the average American. Also, those Americans who say what a great idea it is to lure terrorists to a single place (such as Iraq) in order to more easily kill them would already be in the place to where the terrorists were being lured. Therefore it would easier for those Americans (instead of Iraqis) to serve as bait for luring terrorists. Would that not be a beautiful thing?
2004-09-30

KHURSHEED SIDDIQUI FROM USA said:
I think no American has ponder on this thought before. But it is horrible to imagine let alone living in this nightmare
2004-09-30

ROMESH CHANDER FROM US said:
Prof Cole writes "President Bush said Tuesday that the Iraqis were refuting the pessimists, and he implied that things were improving in that country.".

Considering the information available in US, people in US believe it (except me).

Again Prof Cole writes "What if the leader of the European Union maintained that the citizens of the United States were, under these conditions, refuting pessimism and assured them that freedom and democracy were just around the corner?".

Guess what. People in US will believe that too (except me).

2004-09-30