Feeling Op-Ed...

There are two news that I just can’t shake from my head the last few days.

First is the current uproar generated in some Muslim countries by the controversy following the publication of a series of strips depicting Prophet Mohammed on a Danish newspaper (and later reproduced by other European media).

Second are George W. Bush’s words about America’s addiction to oil.

The first issue makes me think of the successful completion of a vicious circle. And the latter, about what terrible things could happen next.

Somehow I feel we have now reached a position in which we can summarize last years developments of the US-Middle East relation (and to some extent a significant part of the whole Global Scene) with three key elements: The tragedy of September 11th, the invasion of Iraq and this current upheaval propelled by Islamic radicals via Prophet Mohammed’s strips. Or as it might be put in other words, the World Trade Center attack as the golden opportunity for the US Government to install a new international scenario on the Arab scene; the Iraqi War as the proven fact of what that scenario would be like; and the strips’ riots as the demolishing conclusion that we have finally reached that moment where fire can be ignited even with the smallest fire.

I’m almost certain that most history books (non-US) will probably remember George W. Bush as a jerk - maybe even one of the biggest jerks in the history of the US-. But I’m also just as certain that he is really far from being that dimwit Texan the media insists on portraying. Objectively speaking, we might even consider him as one the smartest fellows to reach the US Presidency in contemporary history; smart in the sense that he really gets to do whatever he wants and he has really mastered on the ability to take advantage of his position for his own benefit, or that of its closest circle. After what this guy has pulled, it seems almost a joke what Clinton had to endure with the Lewinsky affair, what Reagan swallowed for the Iran-Contra hearings or, even, how Nixon ended with that long forgotten Watergate tale. But there you have old George still surfing the national security paranoia waves, he so cleverly jumped to (and helped to maintain) after 09/11, apparently without the slightest possibility of taking a fall. I was opposed to the invasion of Iraq. And were I American, I would not have voted him either. But I certainly grant him the credit for having the balls to go after his own personal goals (which, I believe, are far from America’s real needs or concerns).

When the US troops invaded Iraq, I truly didn’t completely dig the supposed reasons that led to it. And I don’t mean the “massive destruction weapons”, “democracy for Iraq” gibber that the US Government imposed as a motivation, but the more probable implications that were behind the stage curtains. At that moment, there were lots of talks about oil control and the establishment of US forces on a territory of unquestionable geopolitical value. It is true that they sounded like a more plausible explanation, but how could that be it? It didn’t take an expert political analyst to realize how Iraq would become the uncontrolled bee hive it currently is and, much less, to understand that oil production requires of a minimum stability to be considered a profitable investment. I was sure the US Government might have decided to go after Saddam’s head pleading the worst reasons, but I couldn’t believe they didn’t know what was going to happen. I do not consider high spheres politicians stupid. Maybe egotistical, psychopathic, ruthless or, simply, selfish; but not stupid. Then, as confrontation developed in Iraq, doubts regarding the huge masses of money being moved because of military expenditures or security and reconstruction contracts, as well as concerns related to the rise of oil prices, started to come out into the light. And things started to make more sense. As curiously enough, all of these issues, far from becoming a threat, reported a substantial benefit to a select group of the President’s “inner circle” or “supporters”. It has always been said that war is good business. But when it started to look like the President’s business… something also started to smell rotten. As for those still wanting to believe on the US Government “good” intention of bringing “democracy” to Iraq, there are two simple exercises which can illustrate much better: one consists in reviewing the –by now- rather abundant (and redundant) evidence on how the war had long been decided before it was finally declared; the other, draw a simple “link words” game with the words “USA” and “Peace promoter” on two different columns, take the test outside the US and see how many people link the two terms together (do not be surprised if they are not linked, even if they are the only words on each column).

September 11th was the beginning of an era of a dangerously uncertain confrontation, certainly, not started by the US Government, but yet, regretfully, manipulated by the people on charge of the America's destiny. After that, American policy on the Middle East –with the Iraqi war as its most explicit, yet not the only, example- could as well be considered as either one of the most “misfortunate” chain of decisions, ever taken, regarding the Middle East relations or, just all the contrary, as one of the most intriguing, worrying and obscure plans conceived by the US Administration. And everything on this situation has violated the minimum standards of common sense in such an obscene manner that I cannot help leaning for the second alternative. Confrontation is the issue. Confrontation is the business. Confrontation is what makes everybody happy among all those who could really do something to put a stop to this craziness (but, of course, are the least interested). Mayhem originated by Prophet Mohammed’s strips sadly confirms that it could virtually take nothing to light the (always manipulated) masses on fire now. Basic intelligence calls for minimization of conflict whenever friction reaches a white heat point, but has anybody seen a display of it in these last tense years of collision between the US and the Muslim world? I don’t think so. And that’s why most Arab leaders –a bunch of egomaniac, authoritarian and corrupt fellows just as intolerable- are just as satisfied with this “keep friction going” moment as their American counterparts. Because everyone here is getting a share of the cake! Bush’s circle gets the big money from US contributors. Arab leaders -even “friendly” ones- benefit both from “playing radical Muslim” to gain popular support and, at the same time, reinforce their autocratic regimes as the only “valid” option to keep things under control (and this of course, without even counting the blessing that increasing oil prices represent). As for Muslim radicals or terrorists, well, it’s almost evident that this is a “dream comes true” situation. I might be wrong, but… do you see anyone losing here?

George W. Bush has now declared that America is addicted to oil. Once he also declared that America was at war. I fear both the results of Bush’s statements or of an addicts’ resolution.

Sometimes I worry.