Rubes of Engagement

Jeff has opened a real can of rubes here, link after link of under-informed and feverish comment. Particularly interesting is Starsnstripes analysis of the shooting incident in Iraq yesterday. This has particular significance for some of our Rube watchers, there being a remarkable similarity to these events and Bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland. 13 catholic people were shot dead at a civil rights march, by a British army drafted into the country in the name of protection for the same catholic people. The Army said the other side fired first, but took no casualties, protestors said they were fired on without provocation, and 13 died. Only a few years from their much welcomed arrival in Northern Ireland, those soldiers became symbols of oppression and Bloody Sunday was arguably the nexus of this transformation.

In a few short years, a murderous hatred of the British developed and, well funded by Americans - (US money bought guns from Libya), the people took up arms. 30 years and 3800 or so murders later (quite a lot in a land of 1.5 million) the British are still there.

Where am I going with all this? Well, its quite simple. Our Rube insists that it is impossible for the US soldiers involved (themselves innocent victims of the war) to make the wrong decision and fire. This of course is nonsense, but the fact is that it is irrelevant whether they fired or not. The people believe they did, and in the volatile middle east, the line between liberator and hostile occupier is very fine. The response to this should not be one of dismissal. These events should be taken very seriously by Americans, as the Iraqi people undoubtedly do.

So wake up rube, hopefully you are young enough (judging by your spelling) to save yourself. This isn't just something which happens to little brown people in a far off dusty land. This is the stuff which comes back to burn you. These details are the fuel for the fanatic. Stop your government committing these crimes in your name, you don't want the fallout.

Rube Update!