Aish's Blog Spot

Busy weekend (when is it ever not!). Krishna and the kids had come down, so decided to spend the weekend at my mom's place. Had a great time! The Children are, as usual, terrific! Felt terrible, leaving them at home! Priya keeps saying she would love to pack Arjun up in a suitcase and take him back to the US- I could kinda understand that, this time! ABhi (the younger one) is such a charmer! Arjun, of course, is more sober.
Today is our wedding anniversary! One whole year! Great Lord! Dont know where time has gone!

Anyway. We were talking about the US "atrocities" in Iraq. Specifically about the mistreatment of iraqi prisoners. I dont know why people claim to be so shocked by the photographs! The are graphic, no doubt. But there has been no war in the history of the world, were the victors did not mistreat the vanquished. Like my brother-in-law says, the defence is a cross section of the general society. If your buddy is getting killed by guys, You wouldnt want to be kind to them, would you? May not be right, but its just understandable. I kill you or you kill me.

But more than that- I dont know how many people have noticed this- but the pattern established by the US over the past few decades is remarkably reminiscent of Imperial Britain, through the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. I mean, those guys single handedly destroyed entire races- The Tasmanians were completely wiped out. quite a few of the african races suffered heavily. Indians. And each time, they had very, very good rationale, just like the US has now.

Britain was championing the cause of christianity. US is on a supposedly "anti-terrorist" mode. Britains greatest asset was that the Renaissance in Science had set it much earlier over there, because of which they were masters of steam, steel, and what not. The US's greatest asset, of course, is its mastery of technology.

Britain had colonies. The US has puppet governments.

Again, because Britain was on the winning side, in both the world wars, we tend to see it glorified. and forget about the Tasmanians slowly dying out. Or the Zulus systematically murdered. The africans captured for slavery like dogs for domestication.

History does repeat itself. Except, sometimes, we probably dont notice it.

posted by Aish @ 1:56 PM