On the Innocents on Afghanistan - Written October 20, 2001 | ||
When a people lie dormant in the face of tyranny, that tyranny will entrench itself, and when it does, it will treat the dormant population with ill intent: with cruelty and malice. Moreover, the tyrant will foist the silence of the people as a banner of consent. When that population subjugates itself to such treatment, it allows the tyrant to become its leader. When those leaders commit heinous, barbaric, and terrible acts upon the nation's neighbor-states, and these neighbor-states retaliate in defense of their freedoms, the subjugated population can not be surprised. They simply are not allowed to be incensed at the neighbor-state for doing what they themselves could not or would not do - either due to fear, belief, personal inability, disinterest, or what have you. They have put their lot in with the tyrants the moment they chose passive acceptance over personal freedom. The people can not claim innocence, for a population will always outnumber the government, and the people will always have the ability to rise against tyranny. Every revolution in history proves this. Idle witness and inaction in the face of tyranny and terrorism is implicit consent to that tyranny. Refusal to overthrow a hateful dictator - a malignant puppet of his own malevolence - is implicit acceptance of his policies, motive, and actions. A population which stands idly by can not count itself as innocent, and should not be terribly surprised when an angry target defends itself and leaves that population at the business end of an invading army. Every person of the world has an implied - and yet very real - responsibility to assure that the policies and practices carried out by their leaders are in accord with their own spiritual, moral, ethical, and personal tolerances. When they are not, we must make changes, or make allowances for an imperfect world and accept the responsibilities and consequences. This is simply the price of inaction. When the US Armed Forces move into Afghanistan, those who truly believe they are innocent victims of a tyrannical Taliban Pseudo-Government may fall to their knees and beg for refuge and asylum in non-Taliban territories. That, I would grant under guarded and cautious conditions - careful screening, splitting and division of groups, severe surveillance, etc. Those who do not proclaim their innocence, openly denounce the Taliban, and express a desire for mercy, can not expect anything aside from fire, and sword, and iron, and blood. When 3,500 of their innocents are dead and missing, then we will be able to count ourselves as on equal grounds and ready to entertain the concept of peace. |
Until then, however, I do not see how it is that any American - anyone affected by this at all - can stand idly by and claim that the Afghani - as a population - are innocent and deserving of mercy. Until then, I do not see how any retaliatory strike can be seen as anything but purely justifiable. "Well, what would you have them do?" While discussing the current military situation with someone I know only casually, I was asked that very question. Apparently, my views are too extreme, and I was to explain what I'd have the Afghani people do in the face of a US invasion. Well, it's actually rather simple. I want to see the "innocent" - and I mean the truly subjugated population - rise up and fight for themselves. If they are so innocent and so down trodden, let them stand and throw down the Taliban before US Military Forces ever get there. Furthermore, I'd like to see these newly risen rebels meet the US Military Forces in the middle of the desert - far from the population. I'd then like to see them slice open the throats of 3,500 men, women, and children who are related to officials of the Taliban hierarchy. I want to see their blood spilled on the earth. Then, they may beg forgiveness for their earlier inaction - beg the US population for mercy and forgiveness. Then, I want to see these newly risen rebels hand Bin-Laden and everyone connected to him over to the US Military Forces before them. After that, I want to see them hand over any and all monies, assets, and commodities necessary to rebuild New York City and the Pentagon, care for the families injured in the attacks, and cover the costs of all of the tragic aftermath of the September 11th attacks. That is what I would have them do to start making reparations for what they've done, but it's not really up to me. Probably better that way.
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