something to read

[tamibliss]

A friend of mine send me this one and I thought it would interesting for you guys to read. it's too long though and I am gonna split it b/n 2 or 3 posts:

At bedtime, a father and his little girl are having a talk…

Daughter: Dad, why did we attack Iraq?
Father: Because they had weapons of mass destruction, sweetheart.
Daughter: But I thought the inspectors didn’t find any WMDs.
Father: That’s because the Iraqi’s did a good job of hiding them.
Daughter: And that’s why we attacked them?
Father: Yes. Invasions are always more effective than inspections.
Daughter: But after the invasions, we still didn’t find any WMDs, right?
Father: That’s because they were hidden very well. Don’t worry. We’ll find something—probably before the 2004 elections.
Daughter: Why did Iraq have those weapons, dad?
Father: To use them for war, silly.
Daughter: Then I don’t understand. If they had those weapons, and they wanted to use them for war against us, why didn’t they use them when we attacked them?
Father: Well, it’s obvious they didn’t want anyone to know they had those kinds of weapons. They preferred to have thousands die instead of defending themselves with those weapons.
Daughter: But that’s dumb to die instead of using those weapons against us if they had them.
Father: It’s a different culture—impossible to understand.
Daughter: I don’t know about you, but I don’t believe they had those weapons that our government said they had.
Father: You know, it’s really not that important whether or not they had those weapons. We had other good reasons for attacking Iraq.
Daughter: Like what?
Father: Even if they didn’t have weapons of mass destruction, Saddam Hussein was a cruel dictator, and that’s a very good reason to invade another country.
Daughter: Why is a cruel dictator a good reason to invade another country?
Father: Well, for example, he oppressed his people.
Daughter: Like they do in China?
Father: Please don’t compare China with Iraq. China is one of our economic partners. There, millions of people work for slave’s wages so that US corporations can make more profit.
Daughter: So that means if a government allows the exploitation of its people for the profit of American companies, then it’s a good country, even if it oppresses its people?
Father: That’s right.
Daughter: Why did the government oppress people in Iraq?
Father: Mostly for political crimes, like criticizing the government. People who criticized the government in Iraq were sent to prison.
Daughter: But isn’t that the same thing that’s happening in China?
Father: I already told you—with China, it’s different.
Daughter: What’s the difference between China and Iraq?
Father: Well, for example, in Iraq, they had the Baath Party, and in China, they have the Communists.
Daughter: But you told me that Communists are bad.
Father: No, it’s the Cuban Communists who are bad.
Daughter: Why are they bad?
Father: Well, for example, they imprison people who criticize the government.
Daughter: Like in Iraq?
Father: Exactly.
Daughter: And like in China?
Father: I already told you—China’s our partner; Cuba’s not.
Daughter: Why didn’t Cuba become our partner?
Father: Well, in the early 60’s, our government passed a law that forbade Americans from doing business with Cuba until they stopped being Communists and became capitalists, like us.
Daughter: But if we change the law and allow business with Cuba, wouldn’t that help them to become capitalists?
Father: Don’t be a smart alec!
Daughter: I wasn’t trying to be.
Father: Anyway, in Cuba they don’t have freedom of religion.
Daughter: Like in China?
Father: I already told you—don’t say bad things about China!
Anyway, Saddam Hussein came to power through a military takeover. He wasn’t even the lawful leader of Iraq.
Daughter: What’s a military takeover?

[tamibliss]

Father: That’s when soldiers and generals forcefully take over the government instead of holding free elections like we do.
Daughter: But didn’t the government of Pakistan come to power through a military takeover?
Father: You mean General Musharaf? Well, yes. But Pakistan is our friend.
Daughter: Why are we friends with Pakistan if it has an unlawful leader?
Father: I didn’t say General Musharaf was the unlawful leader of Pakistan.
Daughter: But you just said that when someone comes to power through a forceful takeover of the government, he’s not the lawful leader.
Father: That only goes for Saddam Hussein. General Musharaf is our friend. He helped us when we invaded Afghanistan.
Daughter: Why did we invade Afghanistan?
Father: Because they were responsible for September 11.
Daughter: What did they do to us on September 11?
Father: On September 11, 19 people, 15 of which were from Saudi Arabia, took over four airplanes and flew three of them into buildings, killing approximately 3,000 Americans.
Daughter: So what does Afghanistan have to do with that?
Father: Afghanistan is where those people trained, under the direction of the Taliban.
Daughter: The Taliban—aren’t they those bad, Islamic radicals that cut off people’s hands and heads?
Father: That’s right. And not only do they cut off people’s hands and heads, but they oppress women too.
Daughter: But isn’t that the same group to whom Bush gave $43 million in 2001?
Father: Yes, but that was just compensation for a successful war against narcotics.
Daughter: For a war against narcotics?
Father: Yes, the Taliban really helped us by not allowing Afghanis to grow flowers for opium.
Daughter: How did they do that?
Father: When they caught people growing the flowers, they cut off their hands and their heads.
Daughter: So, when they cut off their hands and heads for growing flowers, that’s good. But when they cut off their hands and heads for other things, that’s bad.
Father: Right. When they cut off their hands and heads for growing flowers, that’s good. But when they cut off their hands and heads for stealing a loaf of bread—well, that’s just too cruel.
Daughter: Don’t they also cut off hands and heads in Saudi Arabia?
Father: That’s different. Afghanistan was ruled by a severe patriarchy. They oppressed women who were only allowed in public if they were wearing a burka. And those who broke the law were stoned to death.
Daughter: But in Saudi Arabia, women also have to wear burkas.
Father: No, in Saudi Arabia, women wear traditional Islamic clothing.
Daughter: What’s the difference?
Father: The traditional Islamic costume that women wear in Saudi Arabia is conservative, but stylish clothing that covers a woman’s entire body with the exception of her eyes and fingers.
A burka is the evil product of a patriarchy—a sheet that covers a woman’s entire body with the exception of her eyes and fingers.
Daughter: Sounds like different names for the same thing.
Father: Whatever. There’s no comparison between Afghanistan and our friends, Saudi Arabia
Daughter: But I thought you said 15 of the 19 terrorists of September 11 were from Saudi Arabia.
Father: Yes, but they trained in Afghanistan.
Daughter: Who trained them?
Father: A very bad man—Osama Bin Laden.
Daughter: Was he an Afghani?
Father: Actually, no. He was also from Saudi Arabia. But he was a very, very bad man.
Daughter: But it seems like he used to be our friend.
Father: That was only when we helped the Mujhadeen throw the Soviets out of Afghanistan in the 80’s.
Daughter: Who are the Soviets? Is that the evil Communist empire that Ronald Regan told us about?
Father: There are no more Soviets. The Soviet Union broke up in the 90’s. Now they have elections and capitalism, like us. Now we call them Russians.
Daughter: So are the Soviets, I mean the Russians, our friends?
Father: Well, not exactly. They were our friends for several years, after they stopped being Communists. But when they refused to support our invasion of Iraq, we got mad at them.
We also got mad at the French and the Germans for not helping us in the war.
Daughter: So are the French and the Germans also bad?
Father: No completely bad, but bad enough for us to rename French-fries and French bread.
Daughter: Do we always rename our food when another country does something we don’t like?
Father: No, we only do that with our friends. We attack our enemies.
Daughter: But Iraq was our friend in the 80’s.

[tamibliss]

Father: Yes, there was a time when they were our friends.
Daughter: Was Saddam Hussein the leader of Iraq back then?
Father: Yes, but back then he was at war with Iran. So he was our friend—temporarily.
Daughter: Why did he become our friend?
Father: Because back then Iran was our enemy.
Daughter: Is that when he poisoned the Kurds with gas?
Father: Yes, but because he was at war with Iran, we turned a blind eye to that so he would know we were his friends.
Daughter: So you’re saying those who are at war with our enemies automatically become our friends?
Father: Most of the time, yes.
Daughter: And those who are at war with our friends are our enemies?
Father: Sometimes that’s right. But if we can make money off of selling arms to both sides, then that’s even better.
Daughter: Why?
Father: Because war is good for the economy and that’s good for America. And furthermore, God is on our side. And that means anyone who is against war is an ungodly, anti-American communist. Now do you understand why we invaded Iraq?
Daughter: I think so. Because that’s what God wanted, right?
Father: Right.
Daughter: How did we know that God wanted us to invade Iraq?
Father: Well, don’t you see? God speaks personally with George Bush and tells him what to do.
Daughter: So that means we attacked Iraq because you hear voices in your head?
Father: Yes! Now you finally understand how the world works. Now close your eyes, get comfortable, and go to sleep.

[Alethea]

tami,

I hear the little voices in a back of my head too

[tamibliss]

ehhh, dear.. who does not..

[kak]

i think you will get some interesting comments on this