…. if Iraq is full of people who hate America with a seething passion, don’t be surprised. After all, the only thing they’ll have to go on is what their parents said, and their own vague memories of scenes like this. In this photo by Ashley Gilbertson (from the New York Times), this boy is standing in what used to be his kitchen.

Have you ever stood in what used to be your kitchen? I never have. I’ve been fortunate never even to have experienced this via something as pedestrian as a housefire.

And the take home message is that there is going to be a lot more to mend than a few bridges and government buildings. And if America tries to pull out now, that’ll win them hate. All I can say is that I surely hope America doesn’t plan on doing what it did in Korea, setting up a military government and backing it despite torture, political repression, violence against agitators for democracy. If they do that, they’re only fueling the fire of whatever hatred and violence against America exists out there.

Of course, by then Bush and Rumsfeld and Cheney and the lot will all have their profits solidly in pocket, and be done with the government; and the old hawks will all be too senile to remember what they agitated for. Which makes the question of how anyone could be so shortsighted much easier to answer.

It’s striking to think that the kids this boy’s age in America will be dealing with the fallout of all this ridiculous crap… perhaps even literal fallout.

Thanks to the link for the article where I found this, Marv.