"There is no order! There is no government!"

The people who did this are obviously not only the enemies of the Shiite Muslims who have fought much longer than us for Iraqs liberation (or at least the Shiites influencing a moderate response to our occupation of their country) but are enemies of stability in Iraq, the kind of stability that we demand of our leaders on our own homeland. We should consider these attacks as if they occured in Washington, or Philadelphia, or Los Angeles. That is our responsibility to the Iraqi people and the world.

In our invasion, we have unleashed a dynamic, even organic, chain of events that are beyond our control, our sphere of knowledge, or even, seemingly, our influence. I keep being drawn back to a statement made by Steve Kinzer in a Chris Lydon interview that stated much the same regarding how the United States complicity in the Iranian coup in 1953 and the downward spiral in US mid-east prestige from that event. (I'll have to go back and get the particular quote.) We are now in the middle of a complex, age-old, confluence of peoples that we cannot walk away from if we have any sense of a legacy in the history of mankind or political and societal evolution. That's what's a stake here.

We must truthfully and realistically tell the Iraqi people what level of security intervention we feel is needed to support freedom and security in that country. We must ask the Iraqi people what level of intrusion by us is wanted and acceptable to suport freedom and security in that country. This bombing, the UN bombing last week, and the continued unrest in the country, I believe, show that the current levels are not adequate. And I'm not seeing or hearing that we are genuinely communicating with Iraqi's to determine what that adequate level is. And I understand about the sensitivites to both Muslims and the United Nations about being perceived as being 'too close' to the Americans and there weak security reflecting this. That is a shame that these important respresentatives of people around the world do not want to be closely associated with us and out in the open about it. Damn shame that we cannot be seen as humble servants of those in the world who want good.

We must listen to all Iraqi voices. The daily news report from Baghdad and Iraq should be on OUR daily news, radio, papers. IT IS OUR NEWS. WE HAVE COMMITTED OURSELVES TO PROTECT THESE PEOPLE. AND TO GIVE THEM A STANDARD OF LIVING REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. If there were electrical shortages in California, would they make the news daily (hourly)? Yes, they already have. If there was a bombing in the US like yesteday in Iraq, it would be 24/7 coverage on every station. We need to be listening. Like Doc is, to the voices of Iraqi webloggers like Salem Pax and new voice of the Girl Blog From Iraq, who takes us out with a voice that speaks to dispel myths of the Iraqi people and who I quote to bring real life linkage to any readers.

"The Myth: Iraqis, prior to occupation, lived in little beige tents set up on the sides of little dirt roads all over Baghdad. The men and boys would ride to school on their camels, donkeys and goats. These schools were larger versions of the home units and for every 100 students, there was one turban-wearing teacher who taught the boys rudimentary math (to count the flock) and reading. Girls and women sat at home, in black burkas, making bread and taking care of 10-12 children.

  The Truth: Iraqis lived in houses with running water and electricity. Thousands of them own computers. Millions own VCRs and VCDs. Iraq has sophisticated bridges, recreational centers, clubs, restaurants, shops, universities, schools, etc. Iraqis love fast cars (especially German cars) and the Tigris is full of little motor boats that are used for everything from fishing to water-skiing. "

It gets deeper. Blog on.
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