A few days ago, I speculated that the Mosul "Liberation" cost the lives of 20-30,000 civilians, not the "hundreds" or even the few thousand that was initially claimed. And then word started appearing in some of the foreign press -- not so far as I know in the domestic media -- that the civilian death toll was more like 40,000 -- and rising, as air strikes continue to "mop up," revenge killings continue, and searches of the destruction of the city turn up more and more rotting corpses.
In any sane world, this would be considered a catastrophe of major proportions, not a liberation at all.
The ISIS rebels may have been cruel and destructive, but they didn't slaughter tens of thousands of civilians, and they didn't destroy entire cities in their quest for their Caliphate, and this will be remembered in the Middle East for ages to come.
The Imperial Storm Troopers their air wings, and their allies, on the other hand, are all about slaughter, annihilation, and destruction of homes, families and entire cities, leaving abundant smoking ruins in their wake and calling it "liberation".
"Liberty?" For whom? To do what?
Given the figure of 40,000 civilians killed in Mosul now being bruited about, I'd venture to guess the actual figure is more like 100,000, but we shall never know, in part because the count will never be complete, and even if it were, the Imperium would never let it be verified.
Do Americans have any idea how many cities in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia have so far faced destruction in the Imperial "Fight Against Terror?" How many civilians have been randomly and/or deliberately exterminated in this futile quest? I would assume not because Americans seem not to care. They have become immunized to the slaughter of brown people and the destruction of their homes and cities. If they know anything about it, it's all a blur, and besides when Trump is acting up, who cares what's happening to brown people far away? I mean, really.
Priorities.
Media Lens did a compare and contrast exercise, The Siege of Aleppo vs Mosul, to show something of how the stories are twisted to fit a prepared narrative. East Aleppo's valiant struggle against the Soviets (damn near) vs the valiant struggle of the West against the perfidious Islamist threat to civilization in Mosul.
The propaganda was constant and heavy and essentially false. That's what we're dealing with, and the more we're immersed in it, the more likely it is that one day -- sooner rather than later -- blowback and karma will come back to haunt the West. Oh my yes.
When will they ever learn?
Funny how the US doesn't respect any borders or national sovereignty when it comes to bombing the shit out of any place on the planet, but wants literal walls around itself to demarcate the property lines.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that something? Of course, a metaphorical wall went up when the economy crashed, and it's never come down. A real wall already exists along much of the southern border. It's been there for a generation. Americans should know that. But do they?
DeleteSame with the destruction of cities and lives in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. Do Americans have any idea what's been going on for more than a decade and is still going on at an accelerated pace under Trump? I doubt it. If they did know, I doubt most would care.
Monstrous.
They (meaning "we" collectively) will sure as shit care and "get it" once the Republicans and Trump are done implementing their plans (with Democrats working with them in a bipartisan fashion and all of that obfuscating happy horseshit) and we find out that the end zone is right here at home.
ReplyDeleteWe're in this Summer News Hole till Labor Day. Not sure what sort of calamity Our Rulers are prepping for us, but we can be certain it won't be pleasant.
DeleteYes, Dems are fully on board. They always are, aren't they?