essays
an open letter
(to the Iraqi people)
I feel that I can speak for all...when I say that we are very sad about the bloody mess that your country has now become....
Apologies, however, are a much more divisive issue, as many (although
not most) would still prefer to make excuses for the criminal way in
which the “Coalition of the Willing” has brutally and ineptly
mismanaged the post-invasion era in your nation.
As you will soon see, this letter is unafraid to severely
criticize widely-held viewpoints on all sides, so I (sadly)
doubt that any but myself would agree with all positions
taken...yet, as all are clearly based upon facts too-little
known, I think it important that the Iraqi people are
informed as to what the past and future appear to hold
in store for them.
Firstly, however, a personal apology. As someone who was profoundly
convinced of the importance of ridding you of Sadaam Hussain, yet felt
that the overt reasons given for the invasion were flimsy and
unconvincing, I found myself almost entirely isolated in the leadup to
the war...and deeply dismayed when most “opposition” subsequently spent
its energies upon exposing the rationale, rather than on the (obviously
criminal) mismangement of the “peace” which followed....
The horrific torture evidence has now partially reversed this trend,
but I still feel that our critiques have typically shown too
little empathy - or understanding - of your suffering, and were often
merely a reflexive left attempt to embarrass current holders of power.
We ought to have done much better than this and, if we had, the
administration of the “peace” would - probably - have been somewhat
better, to your benefit.
However, I personally should have understood that the Bush
adminstration - to use an Australianism - couldn’t be trusted to run a
public toilet, let alone a country whose culture they showed such
marked contempt for...and, for arguing in favour of the invasion, I am
profoundly sorry...
Now, as to the past.... The occupying forces appear to have no
awareness that your ancestors seem to have invented, not only cities
and writing, but also the original “open society” that academics
currently spend so much time theorizing. Partly, of course, this stems
from the fact that this occured in the transition to writing, so that
the evidence is purely archaeological (and, therefore, somewhat open to
other interpretations).
Still, that evidence is very strong:
From 3800-3000 BCE, the “Uruk” culture - centred upon the site
currently known to you as Warka - was not only the first city in human
history, as well as the first to mass-produce items (pottery) for use
by all its inhabitants, it was also a peaceful and multi-ethnic
society, in which evidence for strong social divisions by wealth are
decidedly absent. The “temple” was also marked by its open design -
rare in ancient architecture outside of the (much later) example of
Greece - strongly suggesting (again) a lack of entrenched and secretive
power-structures. One particularly interesting point is that it was
continually pulled down and rebuilt - often in a very different (but
still open) form.
Western secular intellectuals typically have a horror of so-called
“theocracies”, yet this is good evidence that the first city-state,
ruled (at least, in part) by priests, was clearly capable of reforming
itself...repeatedly - probably to replace those corrupted by power -
which also happens to be the best argument for so-called
“representative” democracy yet mounted.
However we want to interpret the record, the overall pattern is very
clear...this was an “open” society - deeply innovative (most of the
ancient world’s key technology was pioneered in Uruk) - that lasted for
approximately 800 years, until the combination of military threat (Uruk
had no walls until 3000 BCE) and bureaucratic rigidity (writing fully
emerged just before) finally transformed it into the Mesopotamia that
is well-known in historical terms....
I can only hope that when current Western right-wing governments
lose power, the new administrations chose to spend much
of their Iraqi reconstruction budget upon renewing the
excavations at Warka.
This would have multiple benefits. Such work demands very
large teams of locals - and very few (if any) outside
experts, none of whom would have any interest in exploiting
your economy. This would thus provide employment for those
otherwise at risk of swelling the ranks of the militias.
In addition, if the work was well-publicized, it could
help to remind all Iraqis of their marvellous heritage
- and one that was egalitarian, multi-ethnic, peaceful,
and both sociologically and technically innovative - in
a manner that has never been surpassed by any other civilization
in history, paricularly over such a long period.
We are all deeply indebted to Uruk - however much we’ve
mostly failed to learn its deepest lessons - and it’s
about time that Iraqis, and the rest of the world, started
to celebrate that fact!
On to the present (and future). Commentary on the underlying reasons
for the invasion have overly stressed the stupidities of the
neo-conservative agenda...and too often failed to see that there is a
(genuinely bipartisan) rationale behind it - which is probably why
Kerry is so lukewarm about withdrawal.
China now holds over 40% of US foreign debt, and recent policy
statements make it very clear that it is now in the process of shifting
to a much more autarkic developmental model, or - as its leaders say -
“placing more emphasis upon internal markets”. This will have drastic
repercussions, given that much of the world’s industrial production is
now located in that nation. However, its one weak spot is (surprise,
surprise!) oil....
Moreover, the US economy is now, given its horribly indebted state,
mainly propped-up by the dollar’s status as the world’s reserve
currency, which is currently under threat by OPEC proposals to switch
its oil pricing into euros. This will undoubtedly happen, as the Euro
is now a much better currency for same - it has only been delayed due
to (well-justified) fears that it would trigger a global economic
depression.
By invading Iraq (and simultaneously cementing strong ties with Central
Asian dictatorships), realpolitic considerations would strongly suggest
that the US could be attempting to manufacture an economic counter to
China’s “weapon” against the US (which it could actually use, in a few
years - unlike any other nation - as its internal market will be both
sufficiently large and variegated), thus producing a standoff - a
situation which US policymakers are both familiar and comfortable
with...
Sadly, this suggests that, whatever happens in November, there’s no way
that US policy is likely to change substantially to give you any real
control over your export (oil) revenues. Given the EC’s interdependence
with the US economy, furthermore, I don’t think there’ll be much real
help from that particular direction, although debates will undoubtedly
be heated.
What I would suggest, however, is that Iraqis concerned
about the future have a real lever on world opinion -
as well as a mechanism for substantially reducing militia
recruitment. That is - do Warka yourselves, and promote
it relentlessly!
You’ve already got the experts locally - and they know how to do it
right. Get all the religious leaders onside - so as to declare Uruk
culture sites demilitarized zones - and call for outside funding
(you’ll get it, too - all real historians know that this era badly
needs further research). The Uruk culture wasn’t just one city-state -
it rapidly spread, creating dozens of cities, as well as outlying trade
posts on the Levant as well...
So, with the aid of a quality TV documentary w/series to follow (maybe
ask Michael Woods?), you could mobilize Western cash to support a
massive archaeological programme that’d (eventually) employ much of the
current “underclass” - as well as providing Iraq (and the West) with a
badly-needed lesson in civic origins...and one that wasn’t secular,
remember?
I may be exaggerating the positives here, but I seriously think that
there’s a major possibility for development in this direction that
no-one seems to have canvassed...and that’s the unique status of Iraq
as the originator of the open society, as well as urbanism.... Given
his (overwhelming) obsession with the (former) subject, I’d suggest
George Soros as your first port of call as to funding....
Because, realpolitic isn’t going to change in a
hurry.... In fact, I’d think that US policy is likely
to harden on the oil matter, making any Iraqi government
inherently weak, come what may. So, you’d better
start looking for some civic solution that’ll counteract
this, to help make Iraq a decent place to live.
The advantage of this proposal is that it - genuinely - doesn’t
have any drawbacks. Try as I may, I’ve yet to think of any reason why
this development would have any negative repercussions. Even the
antiquities market would be undercut, as the Uruk period is noted for
“poor” pottery (probably due to its relatively egalitarian nature), and
a marked absence of the type of “classy” material that so attracts
collectors...and thieves.
We in the West owe your ancestors a massive debt...as well as a
collective guilt over the way in which we’ve allowed the US to
transform your nation into a near-ungovernable anarchy...not to mention
more obvious crimes. Let us hope that, in discovering the roots of our
civil culture, we can help to repair that...and start to acknowledge
the debt.
yours faithfully
John Henry Calvinist
