Life, Love, and Liberty

One of the most horrific events of the continuing Iraq war was the fighting in Fallujah. I remember watching with disgust at the destruction being visited upon the Iraqi city in the name of “liberation”. Recently, an ad in the leftist Z Magazine tipped me off to the existence of a documentary on Operation Phantom Fury. It’s a short production with only a 18 minutes running time but well worth the investment. Some proceeds also go to support Iraqi civilians in need. Whatever one’s position on the war, we should all be able to agree that suffering among civilians needs to be alleviated. This suffering is made very real in the images making up the film. The paradox of “liberation” through military force and occupation is made apparent by viewing the aftermath of battle. Refugees returning to their home town discover structures destroyed and an occupying army. The regulations and restrictions imposed from checkpoints to an ID wearing requirement show the nature of “freedom” under military rule. As for the operation’s success at winning hearts and minds, we are treated to fiery condemnations of what occurred by Fallujah citizens that leaves little room for hope in that area. For those interested in a look at a major event of the U.S. war in Iraq from an un-embedded perspective, I recommend checking out this documentary

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Being patriotic has nothing to do with having an Ameican flag in your front yard. It has to do with being grateful to your country for the opportunities available to you. While a US flag is an outward expression of patriotism, you don’t need any flag poles to express this. Contributing to your community in a positive way is a good start.

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