TRUTH & RECONCILIATION ANYONE?
History teaches that for America, launching unprovoked wars of choice means never having to say you’re sorry.
Whether in the victorious Mexican American War of 1846 and the Spanish American War of 1898, or the failed Viet Nam War which ended in 1975, America has never taken responsibility for willfully and foolishly waging destruction on its neighbors both near and far.
This refusal partially explains the arrogant and self destructive mindset that blundered America into our current military quagmire in Iraq. Neoconservative political leaders, historians and pundits still seething over our Vietnam humiliation, used the Iraq war as a way to avenge that humiliation. Instead, they have set themselves up to be judged by history as ordinary war criminals for a war that has created millions of dead, injured and displaced Iraqis, destroyed our moral standing in the world, and is contributing to worst economic crisis in America since the Great Depression.
America should borrow a page from South Africa which stunned the world in 1995 by first, renouncing Apartheid, and then establishing a Truth & Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to expiate the horrendous suffering done to South Africa’s black majority by the white minority. A key component of the TRC process allowed perpetrators of violence and wrongdoing to give testimony and seek amnesty.
America must come to terms to the enormity of the lies and deception which brought about this ruinous war. In return for complete amnesty, at least in this life, the primary architects should resign from office, if still serving, and agree to provide full disclosure of the process and strategy used to drag America into a war without purpose and without end.
This action will allow America to finally know the truth, begin to regain its soul and hopefully prevent such self destructive military actions from ever occurring again.
Who knows? Maybe even President Bush, Vice President Cheney, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice will be heard to utter the two most neglected words in the English language: “I’m sorry”.
Originally pulished in Glen Ellyn News, April 9, 2008
Whether in the victorious Mexican American War of 1846 and the Spanish American War of 1898, or the failed Viet Nam War which ended in 1975, America has never taken responsibility for willfully and foolishly waging destruction on its neighbors both near and far.
This refusal partially explains the arrogant and self destructive mindset that blundered America into our current military quagmire in Iraq. Neoconservative political leaders, historians and pundits still seething over our Vietnam humiliation, used the Iraq war as a way to avenge that humiliation. Instead, they have set themselves up to be judged by history as ordinary war criminals for a war that has created millions of dead, injured and displaced Iraqis, destroyed our moral standing in the world, and is contributing to worst economic crisis in America since the Great Depression.
America should borrow a page from South Africa which stunned the world in 1995 by first, renouncing Apartheid, and then establishing a Truth & Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to expiate the horrendous suffering done to South Africa’s black majority by the white minority. A key component of the TRC process allowed perpetrators of violence and wrongdoing to give testimony and seek amnesty.
America must come to terms to the enormity of the lies and deception which brought about this ruinous war. In return for complete amnesty, at least in this life, the primary architects should resign from office, if still serving, and agree to provide full disclosure of the process and strategy used to drag America into a war without purpose and without end.
This action will allow America to finally know the truth, begin to regain its soul and hopefully prevent such self destructive military actions from ever occurring again.
Who knows? Maybe even President Bush, Vice President Cheney, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice will be heard to utter the two most neglected words in the English language: “I’m sorry”.
Originally pulished in Glen Ellyn News, April 9, 2008
posted by Walt Zlotow at 3:13 AM
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