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The Will of the People

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
by Linda Deak

Dear Buzz,

Last year on June 30, a Sunday, Jerry Bremer made the rounds of the talk shows. Iraq was a restive place, a swatted beehive of anger. I watched aghast as Bremer said this phrase: "As we gradually impose our will on these people.." to Wolf Blitzer. He used it over and over that day and others. I wrote it down. The strategy he was spelling out was to "gradually impose our will." The "these people" part was very alarming because all sensitive souls know how replete with racism that collective noun with qualifier is. Anytime one hears "these people," one can expect some racist association from the same mouth. It is a given.

And as far as imposing will, well, anyone who has been or has parented a strong-willed child can attest to the fact that "will" can not be imposed. It was more evidence to me that Republicans are divorced utterly from any of the truths of human nature. They even are divorced from the tenets of the Enlightenment that our country is based on. Not only our founding fathers, but the philosophers who inspired them have to be rolling over in their graves. I am surprised the earth is not heaving.

Bush goes into office against the will of the people in a country where the will of the people is written into the preamble of their constitution as well as the mien of their character. He takes our country to war against the will of the world and thumbs his nose as he does it.

Maybe the will of the people can once again rule, but for right now it seems very doubtful. It has been close to a year since Bremer made this strategy known and there is plenty more will that needs to be imposed before order can be restored. Someone needs to tell him that there is not enough will in the world to win this one.

Regards,

Linda Deak
American Abroad
Wassenaar, the Netherlands

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION