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Today's Must Read
If ever there was an awful epitaph for the Iraq war, it's surely this: "Staying here is like committing suicide." That's a quote from a 25-year old Iraqi medical student, summing up the way many of his college-educated peers feel about their country. According to a harrowing story in today's New York Times, many college graduates are fleeing the country, joining the four million Iraqis estimated to have either abandoned the country or become internally displaced. (pdf.) As the Times explains, it's a decision that further hollows out the educated middle class necessary for a nation's ultimate prosperity:
The class of 2007 came of age during a transformation that according to students has harvested tragedy from seeds of hope. They are the last remnants of a middle class that has already fled by the tens of thousands. As such they embody the country’s progression from innocence to bitter wisdom amid dashed expectations and growing animosity toward the Americans.They said would leave their country feeling betrayed, by the debilitating violence that has killed scores of professors and friends, by the growing influence of Islamic fundamentalism and by the Americans, who they say cracked open their country, releasing spasms of violence without protecting the moderate institutions that could have been a bulwark against extremism.
One student, a Shiite Turkmen law student studying in Kirkuk, Abdul Hassein Ibrahim Zain Alabidin, judiciously remarks about the Americans, "I want to tell them thanks for liberating us, but enough with the mistakes." He tells reporter Damien Cave, "I blame Saddam because he sold Iraq and was behind the coming of the occupiers. ... I blame the American administration for its mistakes in dealing with Iraqis." Others have similarly bleak assessments:
[Baghdad University student Hasan] Haitham, wiry and soft-spoken, with sensitive eyes, enrolled at Mosul University but transferred to be closer to his family. In Mosul, he said, his car was shot full of holes on his way to and from class. Baghdad is not much better, he said: on some days his mother has seen bodies in the road seconds after dropping him off.“I had a plan one day to have a wife and kids and my own dental clinic,” he said. “They were good dreams. They’re gone.”
With bombs exploding in students' lockers during packed class sessions, it's a testament to the fortitude of Haitham and his classmates that they've stayed in Iraq as long as they have. In March, the chief of police for western Baghdad told me that the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s resulted in the psychological decimation of a generation of young Iraqis. Today's story suggests that the next generation will suffer the same fate.
Comments (26)
Samsara wrote on June 5, 2007 9:55 AM:I am sick of both Republicans and Democrats using the “Blame the Victim” strategy. “The Iraqis have to step up”. “The Iraqis have to make the tough decisions”. Bull.
The US Congress has yet to step up and make tough decisions. Bush set up this tin pot government. Now that it doesn’t work, they say its because the Iraqis don’t love their children enough to make peace. Bull.
I expect this kind of hypocrisy from Republicans. Democrats need to drop this dishonest rational for the failures we have suffered in Iraq. Bush and the Republicans deserve full credit for allowing the thugs to take over both the streets and government of Iraq.
MsInformed wrote on June 5, 2007 10:06 AM:I agree with Samsara. How can a society function after WE bombed the infrastructure to shit. How can life get back to "normal" without water, sewage,or electricity? Freed to pieces.
gcs wrote on June 5, 2007 10:18 AM:Bushco had bad intentions & strategy from the get-go.
I just wish those who support this misbegotten war and the idiotic occupation would answer one question. That is, if a foreign power had occupied any part of the United States and was in the process of building permanent miitary bases to protect its interests, how long would an American insurgency last?
The honest answer to that question would pretty much put our predicament as occupiers into perspective once and for all.
tockeyhockey wrote on June 5, 2007 10:21 AM:iraq is a mess because bush wants it to be a mess. the longer it is in chaos, the more money is given to hallibutron, et al. and the longer iraq is in chaos, the higher oil prices are pushed.
has anyone ever done an accounting of just how much oil has been moved out of iraq without proper accounting in place?
it's theft, plain and simple.
the neocons may have had aspirations of a new democracy, but the much cruder bush and cheney hijacked that somewhat laudable impulse as a way to increase profits for their companies and friends.
and if there is anyone out there who thinks that bush is not crude enough to kill thousands of people for profit, i would appreciate some evidence to support such a claim. every single thing he has done in his life has essentially been to advance himself and his interests at the expense of others. this is just the greatest manifestation of his character.
John H. Farr wrote on June 5, 2007 10:22 AM:Gcs has got it. Why don't the Democrats?
dick c wrote on June 5, 2007 10:22 AM:Everyone who pushed for this war has to be sent to Iraq to work rebuilding the country. They can live in the same jeopardy they've subject the average Iraqi child to. To think of Bush just walking away from this disaster after leaving office makes me sick.
tmb wrote on June 5, 2007 10:24 AM:The truth is "We" could care less - - the U.S.A. went into Iraq to build three mega military bases, which has now been accomplished, for strategic purposes as to the regions oil, end of story. The U.S.A., Republicans and Democrats, could care less about the Iraqi people (or working class Amerikans . . . ). All comments as to the war being to "spread Democracy" for "freedom" etc. is just mindless bullshit propaganda for morons and, truly, even the dumbest Fox News bigot/racist/right winger knows this in his heart (include Limbaugh et. al. also - - they know the truth, it profits them that it is this way and they are highly paid propagandists). The U.S.A. basically functions now like the Sopranos (or any real crime family) and will do so until it gets knocked firmly on its ass, martial law declared by fascists, economy blown apart by impossible debt, Blackwater Mercs killing "looters" (citizens) in the streets guarding gated communities - - out for the count for good - - and then the Amerikans will finally really know something about how the Iraqis feel - - our government was hijacked by a criminal class long ago and we are just watching the step by step decimation of the Republic and it is not going to change regardless of who wins the next election and we know which side the WaPo and the rest of the "mainsteam" media is on . . . the CFR came out with a report/finding that the U.S. Dollar is "an absurdity" a couple of weeks ago - - not covered anywhere in the newspapers I read, but you don't have to be a genius to see the writing on the wall for the U.S. economy - - the Great Depression will look good in comparison . . . .
dick c wrote on June 5, 2007 10:24 AM:Everyone who pushed for this war has to be sent to Iraq to work rebuilding the country. They can live in the same jeopardy they've subject the average Iraqi child to. To think of Bush just walking away from this disaster after leaving office makes me sick.
dick c wrote on June 5, 2007 10:24 AM:Everyone who pushed for this war has to be sent to Iraq to work rebuilding the country. They can live in the same jeopardy they've subject the average Iraqi child to. To think of Bush just walking away from this disaster after leaving office makes me sick.
dick c wrote on June 5, 2007 10:26 AM:Everyone who pushed for this war has to be sent to Iraq to work rebuilding the country. They can live in the same jeopardy they've subject the average Iraqi child to. To think of Bush just walking away from this disaster after leaving office makes me sick.
dick c wrote on June 5, 2007 10:26 AM:Everyone who pushed for this war has to be sent to Iraq to work rebuilding the country. They can live in the same jeopardy they've subject the average Iraqi child to. To think of Bush just walking away from this disaster after leaving office makes me sick.
dick c wrote on June 5, 2007 10:27 AM:Everyone who pushed for this war has to be sent to Iraq to work rebuilding the country. They can live in the same jeopardy they've subject the average Iraqi child to. To think of Bush just walking away from this disaster after leaving office makes me sick.
dick c wrote on June 5, 2007 10:27 AM:Everyone who pushed for this war has to be sent to Iraq to work rebuilding the country. They can live in the same jeopardy they've subject the average Iraqi child to. To think of Bush just walking away from this disaster after leaving office makes me sick.
Dave Wilcox wrote on June 5, 2007 10:28 AM:Sammara is exactly right. Now that we hav completely shattered the country both parties place the blame on Iraqis. That will be the fig leaf to cover the Bush-made disaster and allow us to leave with 'dignity and honor.'
Steve5117 wrote on June 5, 2007 10:30 AM:I just had an interesting thought. I was wondering what public opinion would on any of the issues of the day IF the average price of gasoline was $1.75 / gal?
dick c wrote on June 5, 2007 10:34 AM:Well, it appears that one should just push the "post" button once! I didn't think it was working. Sorry about the duplicates above.
Barbara wrote on June 5, 2007 11:10 AM:Dick C. I knew what had happened since it has happened to me. My thought was, "a comment worth repeating many times." And I was thinking wouldn't it be nice if the next President labeled Bush an unlawful enemy combatant and sent him to Iraq to work off his sentence doing community service--could do the same with Cheney, Feith, and the rest of them.
I just clicked the post button and nothing happened. I guess I'll click it again
jonathan c wrote on June 5, 2007 11:31 AM:So what does the question mean,"are you better off than you were before Saddam Hussein?", when 4 million of your people are leaving the country.
NCBlueneck wrote on June 5, 2007 11:31 AM:If the USA was smashed to smithereens, Canada and Mexico would be looking mighty fine. This article is stating the obvious.
jaywrite wrote on June 5, 2007 12:59 PM:In Michael Moore's movie about the motivations for the Iraq war, "FAHRENHEIT 9/11," there is a little scene where Bush 2 is giving a speech to the leaders of industry. He calls them his true constituency and adds that there is a lot of money to be made in this war.
Few ever mention that scene but linked to other items such as the report that the DoD was sending envoys to Taiwan to stir up trouble with PRoChina (and the info that neocons didn't want peace in the middle east but chaos) appears to indicate that Bush's entire purpose was to drive profits in the mitilary/industrial complex.
Well, they've got their chaos. Too bad the pro-life pres cares NOTHING for the lives of these moderate citizens.
jaywrite wrote on June 5, 2007 12:59 PM:In Michael Moore's movie about the motivations for the Iraq war, "FAHRENHEIT 9/11," there is a little scene where Bush 2 is giving a speech to the leaders of industry. He calls them his true constituency and adds that there is a lot of money to be made in this war.
Few ever mention that scene but linked to other items such as the report that the DoD was sending envoys to Taiwan to stir up trouble with PRoChina (and the info that neocons didn't want peace in the middle east but chaos) appears to indicate that Bush's entire purpose was to drive profits in the mitilary/industrial complex.
Well, they've got their chaos. Too bad the pro-life pres cares NOTHING for the lives of these moderate citizens.
Dave Wilcox wrote on June 5, 2007 1:26 PM:Why, oh WHY. are the soldiers of the Iraqi army not standing up? Family members have been killed, rousted in the night, tortured displaced or have left the country. Every person of influence and wealth has left the country. The Puppet regime of Al Maliki is toothless. There is no consistent electricity, no garbage collection, no sewage system and potable water is almost non-existent. So, what should they stand up for? The occupiers? The Shiite government?
Brian M wrote on June 5, 2007 2:20 PM:Given the shattered infrastructure, shattered economy, shattered tribes and families, anger, hopelessness and revenge will dominate the hearts and minds of all Iraqis. So STAND UP, you weak-kneed, un-motivated Iraqis!
The NATION had an article last week about this very subject and the departure of the talent pool that would be needed to rebuild the country should there ever come a time peaceful enough for rebuilding. Doctors, engineers and other professionals and skill laborers are leaving because they cannot do what they know how to do.
ntlc23 wrote on June 5, 2007 9:02 PM:I think that the U.S.'s immediate and entire abandonment of the entire macabre misadventure "over there" is (a) the moral thing to do (b) in the best interests of Americans (c) in the best interests of Iraqis and (d) utterly opposed by those who drove this slaughter in the first place.
The Iraqis, freed from our "help" (read ceaseless attacks) would be left to sort out their own (no doubt bloody) politics. But, however bloody the ensuing conflicting power grabs would be, they would have the chance of establishing some political order.
But then there would be no whirlwind to reap. And the U.S. contractors and military have trillions to steal before we sleep and millions to kill before we sleep.
Dave Wilcox wrote on June 6, 2007 12:13 PM:We can train Iraqi soldiers forever and a day and give them great anti-terrorism skills but we cannot CONVERT them. How will they apply their skills? Apparently Iraqi soldiers have been involved in the death squads and planting bombs.
epenisa wrote on January 11, 2008 12:55 AM:Hello
Nice work from your side... have a nice time with yoru blog :)
G'night