THE ROBERT W. WHITAKER ARCHIVE

THE NEW COLONIALISM FIGHTS FOR THE OLD COLONIAL BORDERS | 2003-03-01

The Kurds want their freedom. The Shiites want their freedom. But the United States is willing to kill off an unlimited number of its soldiers to maintain Iraq's "territorial integrity."

No one is more fanatical about this than conservatives.

They want to show they're for Lincoln and against racism.

Once again, I am the only living American who has a memory. I remember that what we call "Iraq" was created by the British colonial administration as a very random administrative collection of people and territories.

Looking at Iraq's history since Britain owned it, a rational person would conclude that this particular administrative unit was not a successful lineup after independence.

But "territorial integrity" is a blind monster and no human consideration enters into it.

So the Wesley Clark liberals and the Lincolnite conservatives are agreed that no sacrifice is too great to destroy real group identity and force people to live together.

And in an age where one hostile resident could have a weapon of mass destruction, what could be better than jamming mutually hostile people together by force?

Please see September 11, 2001 - LEFTISTS SHOW US HOW NOT TO DEAL WITH TOMORROW'S TERRORISM

(originally published April 1, 2000).