This post originally written at the Martian Anthropologist Blog, August 3, 2005.
SHE IS A beautiful little girl in a black and red flowered dress. I'm guessing 8, maybe 9 at the most. Her cheeks and outstretched hands are splattered with blood. Her mouth is frozen in a scream, or maybe a wail.
The photograph taken seven months ago by photographer Chris Hondros is of an Iraqi child moments after U.S. troops shot at a car she was riding in, killing both of her parents. U.S. officials say the car did not heed warnings to stop.
The second Iraq War. A war started by a President who has never served in combat. A invasion that began because of a lie he told the United States people: That Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.
Over 1800 Americans have now died in this war.
BAGHDAD (AP) - The U.S. military said Tuesday that six marines were killed in action in western Iraq, pushing the death toll for Americans since the start of the war past 1,800. The marines, assigned to Regimental Combat Team-2 of the 2nd Marine Division, died Monday in Haditha, 225 kilometres northwest of Baghdad.
That number pales in comparison to the number of innocent Iraqi civilians killed: Nearly 25,000. Notice I did not say Iraqi soldiers. No, this number refers to civilians, and it is undisputed. From an excellent column by Time Magazine's Tammerlin Drummond:
Nearly 25,000 Iraqi civilians have died horrible, violent deaths since the U.S. invasion began in 2003. Nine thousand were shot or bombed by U.S. forces, compared to 2,353 who lost their lives as the result insurgent attacks like suicide bombings.
Our troops have killed four times as many civilians as the bad guys.
Since the time I was very young, I have never understood humans. I have never understood why their vision is so short-sighted. They can only see what is right in front of them, and most times, they cannot even see that clearly. Most of them just don't understand how wonderful, how fragile, and how precious life is. They refuse to learn lessons from the past. They don't realize how many wars there have been since the end of time; wars fought for reasons no one now remembers and for gods long forgotten.
This planet would be far better off if ruled by people like Gandhi, Sagan, Twain, Heinlein, or hell, even Douglas Adams. Instead, tiny men rule it, like Bush, Blair, and Cheney.
Article comments
1 - Dave Nalle
>>This planet would be far better off if ruled by people like Gandhi, Sagan, Twain, Heinlein, or hell, even Douglas Adams. Instead, tiny men rule it, like Bush, Blair, and Cheney.<<
Ubm. Heinlein sort of endorsed the ideas of indentured servitude and military-dominated fascism as good ideas for working societies. Not to mention being a big fan of polygamy and under-age sex.
Dave
2 - Temple Stark
Did he endorse or didn't he?
In his books or in real life?
Spit it. Less moosh-mouth
3 - Dave Nalle
Well, I like Heinlein despite these things - and despite his extreme sexism. Didn't want to be mean to him.
Plus, it's in his fiction, so one could make the argument that it was all just a story and he didn't really mean to endorse those things.
Just trying to be nice.
That said, here's what I think.
Door into Summer is a fine novel which romanticizes child molestation.
Farnham's Freehold basically makes an argument for polygamy, slavery and keeping women in bondage.
Starship Troopers is a book largely about the desirability of military fascism as a form of government.
Time Enough for Love does for incest what Door into Summer does for child molesting.
As for Heinlein's personal life, he was a swinger, a wife-swapper and free love advocate not to mention an amateur pornographer.
But I still like his books.
Was that what you were looking for?
Dave
4 - Bennett
Dave, you lying slut. I've read all of the books you note, several times, and I know Farnam's Freehold forwards and backwards.
That something happens in a story does not indicate avocacy. You massively misrepresent what this book is about, as well as the other books on your list. This is typical of you, Dave. Spouting off and hoping no one will challenge you on it.
How lame?
5 - Dave Nalle
Bennett, I've read and liked all those books too. And like I said in the first place, the books can't be said to advocate these things directly because they are fiction, not political works or manuals or something along those lines. But Temple wanted me to be more specific and make a clear statement, so I obliged on his request. Do you deny that each of those books addresses the themes I mention?
Don't call me a liar when it's easy enough to go straight to the sources and see exactly what I'm talking about. If you don't like my second comment on Heinlein go back to the first one, which is closer to my true feelings.
Dave
6 - Bennett
Heh! Aw, you didn't take that personally did you?
The Door Into Summer - The little girl loves the main character enough to have herself frozen until she is an adult, and can rejoin him in a future year "when" he is also an adult. NO child molestation AT ALL. No physical contact whatsoever between the adult male and the child female. So?
Farnam's Freehold - Slavery of whites in the future after a nuclear war. The main characters (white) are transported to this future time when a nuclear bomb directly impacts their bomb shelter. No polygamy. He has left his wife before committing to a relationship with a new woman. Technically he has a "tryst" while still married. What's with the bondage thing? I honestly have no idea what you are referring to.
"Time Enough for Love does for incest what Door into Summer does for child molesting."
Wow. This massive book cannot be described without several pages of description. Your statement is laughable.
Starship Troopers - You need to serve in the military in order to become a citizen with voting rights........
You and I both suck under that rule, eh? Not a bad movie, great concept for the direction, much better than any other Heinlein store converted to video IMO.
You wrote "Not to mention being a big fan of polygamy and under-age sex."
Huh? Where in god's name do you come up with polygamy and under age sex?
7 - Martian Anthropologist
lol. From this post, you guys are debating THIS?
But since we are... I guess always thought STARSHIP TROOPERS was a satirical condemnation of military fascism as a form of government.
::shrugs::
8 - Bennett
Sorry Martian Dude. I loved your list of who should be running things (Great Post BTW, very valid points - preaching to the choir for me however - and to deaf ears for many) but I just HAD to call Dave on his comment.
Okay.... back to the movie my wife has playing...
:-]
9 - gonzo marx
Martian..have i said lately that i worship the ground you perambulate over?
"we're not worthy"
thanks for the sweet read, and your patience with our infant species
( oh yes, Bennett's correct, and Mr Nalle is silly abotu R.A.H.)
Excelsior!
10 - Martian Anthropologist
lol. Thank you for the kind words.
11 - Dave Nalle
Oh, you mean we're supposed to discuss the actual article? How jejeune.
Dave
12 - MCH
Martian;
Be prepared for Dave Nalle and Bobby (RJ) Elliott - neither having ever served in the military - to spout the feeble "The same number of Americans have died in automobile accidents in the same amount of time as soldiers have been killed in combat in Iraq" argument to justify their support of the invasion.
13 - Dave Nalle
You haven't got that stat quite right, MCH. But I don't see it as relevant here in anycase.
Dave
14 - MCH
Re #13;
Uh, excuse me, control freak, just let Martian decide what is or isn't relevant on his own thread, OK?
15 - someone
bush sucks, he lies too much
16 - cesar angeles
we need to come home