Thursday, June 26, 2008

Why the Iraqis don't love us

This sketch, from Monty Python's Life of Brian, might help American leaders think clearly about how people in a foreign country would react if we went into that country, removed a bad leader, and set up an occupation. It doesn't matter how much good you do, it's their country and they want to rule it themselves.

Reg: They bled us white, the bastards. They've taken everything we had. And not just from us! From our fathers, and from our father's fathers.
Loretta: And from our father's father's fathers.
Reg: Yeah.
Loretta: And from our father's father's father's fathers.
Reg: Yeah, all right Stan, don't delay with the point. And what have they ever given us in return?
Revolutionary I: The aqueduct?
Reg: What?
Revolutionary I: The aqueduct.Reg: Oh. Yeah, yeah, they did give us that, ah, that's true, yeah.
Revolutionary II: And the sanitation.
Loretta: Oh, yeah, the sanitation, Reg. Remember what the city used to be like.
Reg: Yeah, all right, I'll grant you the aqueduct and sanitation, the two things the Romans have done.
Matthias: And the roads.
Reg: Oh, yeah, obviously the roads. I mean the roads go without saying, don't they? But apart from the sanitation, the aqueduct, and the roads...
Revolutionary III: Irrigation.
Revolutionary I: Medicine.
Revolutionary IV: Education.
Reg: Yeah, yeah, all right, fair enough.
Revolutionary V: And the wine.
All revolutionaries except Reg: Oh, yeah! Right!
Rogers: Yeah! Yeah, that's something we'd really miss Reg, if the Romans left. Huh.
Revolutionary VI: Public bathes.
Loretta: And it's safe to walk in the streets at night now, Reg.
Rogers: Yeah, they certainly know how to keep order. Let's face it; they're the only ones who could in a place like this.
All revolutionaries except
Reg: Hahaha...all right...
Reg: All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh-water system and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?
Revolutionary I: Brought peace?
Reg: Oh, peace! Shut up!

6 comments:

Bilbo said...

But the Iraqis had "the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh-water system and public health," before we invaded. And before we helped Saddam Husein come to power (thanks to the Reagan admininstration, I believe) they had a more humanitarian gov't. Since we've invaded, "the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh-water system and public health" has pretty much disappeared. And we've arranged that most of the new oil produced will be owned by American and British oil companies. And at least 600,000 civilians have died, and millions have been displaced.

So yes, otherwise the comparison with the Romans would be a good one.

Anonymous said...

A Christian shouldn't watch Monty Python.

Bilbo said...

"A Christian shouldn't watch Monty Python."

Unless she has a good sense of humor.

Anonymous said...

Sure they had everything but did Reagan himself cause this. I think not! But look at this we train people from all over the world that in turn for the fine education they receive turn against us. The middle east area has always been in an uproar for thousands of years, and the only thing that will eventually end it is when Christ returns. I am an ex-military person and I do not agree with the entire conflict of there. This war is as useless as the Vietnam war which I was involved in while in the Navy. Whether moit is a bad thing or not that we are in Iraq, we need to support the country. Every country that we have helped with money, good, education turn the noses up at us when they are done.

Anonymous said...

great post! thanks very much for sharing

Bilbo said...

I was wrong about the Reagan administration helping Saddam come to power. Saddam came to power in 1979, before Reagan was president. However, the CIA did help a coup take place in 1963, that brought the Baath party into power. Saddam was a member of that power, and eventually worked his way up the power ladder.