Here is a link to an article about how Iraqi prisoners are being abused in Iraq:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/04/27/60II/main614063.shtml
I searched and found three photos of the many that are referred to. I have photos of the Iraqi on the box with the hood and hooked up with electrical wire. I have a picture of the female solier and the naked line up of Iraqis. I have a picture of the Iraqis stacked in a pyramid with what appear to be two US soliders smiling and laughing. So this stuff is for real.
Is it torture? Are people actually being electrocuted, beaten, raped, or killed? The article and others I have read seem to indicate that much worse is going on that just the humiliation exposed in these photos.
One point I find particularly apalling is that Fredericks, the soldier who is interviwed by 60 miutes II argues that the prisons have no guidelines or regulations relating to the treatment of the prisoners. My thought is - so what? Do adult Americans need orders and regulations to tell them what is or is not an acceptable way to treat people? Doesn't every human being on this entire planet grow up hearing some version of the Golden Rule or the negative Golden Rule: "Do not do unto others, as would not have them do unto you."
But of course it is also a worldwide experience to "Do unto others before they do unto you" and "Those with the guns make the rules."
I believe it when the army says that these are the actions of a small minority, but I also DO NOT ACCEPT that as an excuse. The army is ACCOUNTABLE for all its members and can not REFUSE RESPONSIBILITY. I was in the military as an officer and the one thing I learned is that you are responsible for what your unit does. But what I see now are the higher-ups all the way to the president refusing accountability and saying that this was not the action of the US Army but the misguided actions of some individuals - and some were civilians. Well, guess what? Those servicepeople (men and women) and/or civilians were working for you guys and you (the government and the military commanders) were responsible for their actions.
But even leaving aside the culpability of the military and the government - what does this say about the average American. I don't believe that it was just a few sick individuals. I think, and the article would seem to indicate, that a certain culture of intimidation, fear, and contempt for others was deliberately being fostered. In that kind of situation - with authoritarianism, peer pressure, and the temptation to have a godlike power over others - it would take a strong, mature, and compassionate person to stand up against the culture of abuse and say "NO!" Fredericks himself was apparently a corrections officer here in the States and supposedly "one of the best" who should have known better one would think. Apparently not. And I think this whole situation thus reflects on how criminals are treated here at home too - as subhumans with no hope of redemption who know exist for the pleasure of the gaurds and the exploitation of certain economic interests.
What I see here is that the culture of the United States has become exceedingly rutheless, cut-throat, and inhumane. Might makes right. That is the morality of the US at present - despite the exceedingly thin veneer of fundamentalist Christian "family-values" the Bushes and their ilk try to put on things.
According to Nichiren Shonin's Rissho Ankoku Ron a country whose values have turned away from the values of the Lotus Sutra - as embodied by Bodhisattva Never Despise - is karmically doomed to civil war within and invasion from without. Just look at Iraq. That is exactly what happened to them under the values of the Baathist regime of Saddam Hussein. Their evil led to decades of war and civil war and now a humiliating occupation. Our country has aways to go before we reach the nadir that Middle Eastern countries have long since reached - but I do not want to see us go down that path at all.
I want to see a day when American servicemen and women do not need to ask for regulations or orders in order to realize that people are not playthings and that all beings, even our enemies, have Buddha-nature. That is what will save this country.
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei
I think there is another factor that has contributed to this, and that is the practice by many to demonize the "enemy," and to demonize Muslims in general. It becomes so easy to see a group of people as less than human under the constant drumbeat of hatred. I think some Nichiren Buddhists on the Internet have participated in keeping up this drumbeat (not you). As difficult as it is in the face of 9/11, etc., I think we should try to have some understanding of Muslims, and yes, even of terrorists.
Perhaps we could also try to understand the torturers. When you are serving in a country where civilians are shooting at you and trying to blow you up, who knows how any of us would react? Perhaps we should be surprised this does not happen more often. Perhaps we should be casting blame on those who put our service people in the position of occupiers in the first place.
I'm not sure how a country that has never heard of the Lotus Sutra can turn away from it. I mean Western Europe doesn't embrace the Lotus Sutra either, and they are hardly suffering. Be that as it may, I think the situation in Iraq is far too complex to ascribe one cause to it. After all, the U.S. helped bring Saddam to power, and backed him in his war with Iran, since he was the "enemy of our enemy." The chickens are coming home to roost.
Hi John,
Thanks for your comments. I think everything you said should definately be kept in mind. I would like to recommend Karen Armstrong's book "The Battle for God" which discusses the roots of modern fundementalist movements in the three major monotheistic religions.
You are right in that we need to understand the fear and frustration that our troops may be feeling. Some of what is going on is "blowing off steam" which is understandable though not excusable. I can not say how I would or would not act if put in such a situation, though I would like to think that I would know better and have the strength of character to at the very least refrain from being involved. In any case, we must condemn the actions without demonizing the perpetrators. As usual, all ten worlds are at work.
I also completely agree that complex political situations can not be reduced to a single cause. This is stressed quite often in Buddhist texts - that there are never single causes but always mutliple causes and conditions working together.
You are also right that a country which has not heard the Lotus Sutra can not turn away from it. Nichiren, however, pointed out that in the past countries like China could make bad causes based on not living up to what they did have - Confucian values and teachings. In the USA and Western Europe there is a Judeo-Christian heritage and system of values which includes (along with pogroms and witch-hunts) the value of loving one's enemy and treating people with kindness and dignity. When we fail to live up to our cultural conscience - bad causes are being made.
Again, thanks John for your comments. It brings in a fuller picture to the comments which I wrote based on my initial reaction.
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei
I wholeheartedly support and appalud what you wrote Mike.
Sadly it is not just the US forces but the press here today showed appalling pictures of UK soldiers getting up to similar tricks...The Daily Mirror had a photo on its cover of a British soldier urinating on an Iraqi prisoner.
It is appalling but those who follow Nichiren Daishonin should not be surprised. The words of Rissho Ankoku Ron are shown to be true time and time again.
Jussi.
Well, I am frankly disturbed, not to use stronger language, at the unjustified generalizations and stereotyping of the folks in the armed forces. This is a topic a I know a little about, since my brother was a Marine for 32 years. The idea that these terrible actions of a few represent the norm in the military is simply false, and it is a thoughtless slander. The vast majority of folks in the military are ordinary, decent people, just like your neighbors. And they do their best to treat other people decently, as best they can. - Brian
Posted by: Brian at May 3, 2004 11:46 AMBrian; Of course it is not the norm and I am sure everyone realizes that these acts are done by a minority group of soldiers be it in the US or the British armies. This, however, does not make it acceptable and these behaviours should be shown and highlit and condemned.
The fact that these pictures became public shows that there are people in the military who do have a concsience and who object to such acts of barbarity and evil.
Whether in minority or not these soldiers are representatives of their country and if they went there to create peace and liberty they should know better.
The problems in that part of the world are so severe that the last thing we need is such abuse of human rights.
I do not think we should go and make any excuses but the guilty must be found and taken to court to account for their actions which have for sure set back any good opinion the public might have had for the reason for the troops to be there in the first place.
As for the vast majority being just like our neighbours....well the vast majority of my neighbours do not practise killing nor are they trained to do so...
Jussi.
Posted by: jussi at May 3, 2004 02:18 PM
I agree completely that there is no justification for this behavior, and that the perpetrators should feel the full brunt of the law. - Brian
Posted by: Brian at May 5, 2004 06:42 AMThanks for an interesting piee, Mike. I have read "The Battle for God," but i think in this situation, a more relevant read might be "Becoming Evil" by James Waller. This talks about genocides and crimes against humanity and various psychological theories as to how we let these things hapen to ourselves. The theory there is that not only a few "bad apples" are capable of evil, but that we all are - the ten worlds froma different, western POV. Again, thanks, and I'm glad to see you have a new blog. IF I find myself in the Bay area, I shall go to the Faithful Fools and check them out. Byrd in LA
Posted by: Byrd at May 7, 2004 02:07 PM