What Does it Matter to You?

July 11, 2008
by Cliff Carson

I was watching C-Span's Washington Journal" on July 5, 2008, during a segment where listeners call in on any subject they choose. A caller asked the host Pedro Echiverria, the following: "I never see a figure of the number of Iraqi civilians who have been killed in this un-necessary war, do you know what that figure might be?"

Pedro's response was: "Why should you care, what does it matter to you?"

There was no further conversation between the caller and the host, but I was bothered by the callous attitude of the host. Indeed, what does it matter how many non-Americans die in a war - one that this country started for reasons so hollow that most of America has forgotten just exactly what were the selling points for this war.

If I might answer the caller, the latest casualty figure for the number of Iraqi's killed in this war is 1.2 million. And that is important to the survivors of those 1.2 million.

Paul Craig Roberts in his "We Take Precedence" addresses this attitude and the possible blowback to us. He also links an article by Syndicated Columnist Charley Reese that further delves into the problem of such attitudes. And for an interesting prediction on the reason for this war written in 2002 (before the war but during the run up) - take the time to make this read.

In this account, the effects were discussed in 1992 by those who planned the invasion of Iraq and the Middle East, about how America should dominate the World as its policeman. Remember this was in 1992 - with a most interesting statement by one of the planners: "When we have economic problems, it's been caused by disruptions in our oil supply. If we have a force in Iraq, there will be no disruption in oil supplies."

Why do Americans not have a moral attitude about the death and destruction brought on a country and its people for no apparent reason other than to steal their oil? Could it be because of the acceptance they hear on Sunday Mornings as they go to "God's" house and are taught not so much the Love of God and salvation - that should be the messages - but instead they too often hear reason for destroying those who are of another religion? And why shouldn't they believe their preachers, are they not men and women of God?

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This problem of who owns God might be the root cause of the American attitude toward non-Americans. There are three dominant Religions of this world, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Ironically all three emanate from the same rootstock, thru Abraham. And Christianity and Judaism, two mutually exclusive religions, have banded together to try to destroy the third - Islam, a religion from the same family.

And those that would destroy, propagandize that the other is a monstrosity, that would kill innocents because they don't believe as the two believe, and all the while these two are killing innocents of the third, coveting their resources (Oil) and Land (Palestine). The inference is that it is OK to kill non-Christians and non-Jews but it is not OK, and that it is an abomination in the eyes of God, for Islam to do the same thing to those that would kill them. Isn't there something wrong with this picture?

What does it matter? The life of any human being has a value to family members. Mothers everywhere love their children without compromise. If we realize that, then why shouldn't we possess a moral value for the life of others? Is it OK for Israel to starve Palestinians or for America to snuff Iraqis, but not OK for either of the attacked peoples to fight back, for their very life?

Isn't it an absurdity for the strong to impose its will on the weak, and at the same time claim the high road of morality because "they" don't believe in my God? The claim of the Zionist for Ersatz Israel is based on "God gave this land to the Jews". What do the non-Jewish residents of that land have as their claim? Is Gods instruction to the Hebrews, something the non-Hebrews have to obey? Was Gods instruction to the interlopers from Egyptian bondage, "to kill every living thing and occupy the land", a moral decision?

Can the preachers demonstrate why this would be a moral decision? What did these people do to God or to the Hebrews? Why do they have to pay retribution for a member of the Jewish Family selling their relatives into bondage? Israel was formed to give the Jews, who had been persecuted by Hitler, a Homeland. The indigenous residents, the Arabs, were not allowed to vote on this partition.

Does the life of an Arab have any value to the West, to a Christian, to a Jew? The question was asked, we all deserve an answer.