As Long As The Grass Grows.....

This evening, I watched "Winter Soldier" a movie where nice looking young US men told of the horrible things they did to the Vietnamese people. Many of them, indeed most of them, looked so young and innocent and healthy and white. But they were not innocent. They did unspeakable things against the people of Vietnam, and told of how the Vietnamese were reduced to less-than-human-status in their eyes by the indoctrination of the US military. Actually, the military did a fair job of robbing even the Marines and Army guys of their humanity. And, of course, the same goes on today, just a different country, different people, different military guys.

One man in the film flatly stated that the Vietnam war, and the atrocities that accompanied it, were because of RACISM. This is so true: the "other" is seen (and presented) by US citizens and military as "bad" and "sub-human" and unworthy. And today in the USA, a vast majority may think the war on Iraq was a mistake, but they care little (indeed, are not even aware of) the impacts on the US military personnel. They care far, far less for what has happened and is happening, to the Iraqi people. Some people try to claim that it is not our responsibility what happens to them when they simultaneously claim we are responsible for what happens to our troops. That is RACISM in action right there: the Iraqi people are seen as "sub-human" and therefore of no concern - even though we are the ones who sent the bombs and the bullets that ruined their lives and country.

Racism is rampant in America.

The phrase "as long as the grass grows" come from a Native American speaker in the film Winter Soldier. He said that treaties were honored by his people "as long as the grass grows, as long as the rivers flow". He felt that what the US culture had done to him and others, prior to their military service, was brainwashing. He believed in the supposed goodness of the US government until he saw the effects in Vietnam. His closing thought was that maybe the grass won't grow anymore, due to the evil influence of American culture and American government. Maybe he recognized global warming decades ago.