From: Christian Weisgerber (naddy@mips.inka.de)
Date: Thu Apr 10 2003 - 17:32:23 MDT
matus <matus@snet.net> wrote:
> Indeed, I am sure some members of this list are stuggling to put a negative
> spin on this event as well. How to reconclie the jubilation the Iraqi
> people exhibited at being liberated by the US, when the US is just an evil
> aggressor!?
There's a lot of spin you can put on some cheering crowds. I'll
try to take a realistic view, although it's probably just the kind
of "negative spin" you had in mind.
You need to consider that there is a selection effect going on.
Those population parts that welcome the Coalition troops will cheer
publically. Those that don't will stay out of sight. Just how
much of the overall population is happy with the turn of events is
difficult to tell.
Undoubtedly there are a lot of people who want to make sure they
are visibly on the right (i.e. victorious) side. I would like to
remind you that a few weeks ago there were still large crowds
cheering very convincingly for Hussein and the Baath regime and
chanting against the US. It would be very interesting to learn how
large the overlap is between those and the ones now displaying the
reverse sentiment.
Some media reports have been trying to give the ongoing looting a
political spin, seeing it as an expression against the fallen regime.
Somehow I suspect more base motivations.
What I find _far_ more telling than scenes of questionable public
jubilation is that there was only token resistance offered to the
occupation of Baghdad. Clearly the Iraqi forces and local population
were overwhelmingly unwilling to die for Fuehrer and Vaterland.
> I didnt see any Iraqi people protesting their own liberation!!!
There actually were a few, according to the news in this part of
the world.
-- Christian "naddy" Weisgerber naddy@mips.inka.de
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Thu Apr 10 2003 - 18:41:21 MDT