Nightmares in the front yard

I sometimes wonder, while I cruise the various news sources, what it must be like to be confronted with these scenes. What it must be like to witness the horrible events and the escalating chaos in every corner of the globe.

Pictured here are some images, which together represent a pretty good idea what's wrong with the world today.

First, above, is the modern US Counter-terrorism force about to breach a room. The US takes it's counter-terrorism seriously and these men and women will be among the best trained and fitted. But it wasn't too long ago, a point was made to me as to what freedom consists of: those who trade freedom for security deserve neither. What's the point of a free country if there are secret death squads and thugs loyal to opposition carrying out kidnappings and executions. A hotspot for that now, surprisingly is not in the mid east, or in Palestine, where anti-US protests are pictured above, no the kidnapping capital is in northern Mexico.

In Gaza, the government chosen by the people cannot achieve a secure situation. As a consequence, families flee to neighboring countries that will accept them, like these two Palestinian boys in Lebanon. To watch my sons drink from these filthy faucets and dodge landmines, rocket attacks and disease would drive me to find a better place too.

In the United States, drugs are a very profitable trade. The appetite for cocaine, heroin and other drugs that are imported drives this black market business. From the poppy fields of Afghanistan to the bloody streets of Neuvo Laredo, Mexico, drugs finance large parts of the resistance we face across the world. Drugs we buy.

In Iraq, factions held together in a rickety, crumbling alliance impede the security of the people. The politics of the middle east come in a bit here, as Shia and Sunny ideologies clash. Under Saddam, there wasn't as much sectarian violence mainly because Saddam himself was a Baathist partymember, which is athiestic. He had no God or religeous agenda. His government was pro Sunni, however, and the Shia in his population bore the brunt of many killings and unfair court rulings.

Now, children caught in the crossfire of war look up to whoever they can, and in this picture, an Iraqi policeman looks down at the boy and the boy looks unafraid. Children are the most adaptable of all of humanity. They will survive great trials, but they are also the most malleable- the most shapable. As in the picture above of the Palestinian protesters, they are all young men, interested in the ritual of protest for the western cameras, but out of the whole group in the picture, most look nonplussed: only one wails and throws his hands up. Another smiles, such as a propagandist might when his photographer captures a useful image. But most look on with mild interest, as if to say, yawn! not much to see here today...been there done that!

In Lebanon last year, as you may have read in this blog, the hand of Syria was strongly evident: popular president Harriri was assasinated as was another critic of Syria, the editor of the national newspaper in Lebanon. Beruit has always been a city teeming with discontent and conflict. When Hezbollah captured and kidnapped two Israeli soldiers, IDF forces waged a short campaign into Lebanon to find them. They engaged well armed fighters who blended into the civilian population before and after their attacks. Israel, and Prime Minister Olmert had egg on their faces when opinion turned against them and they quit without achieving their objective. Here, a Lebanese soldier is helping erect roadblo9cks to isolate movement in an area of Beruit. The Lebanese military is a small force with limited morale and loyalty. The hand of Syria is threatening the population, just as terrorists are wont to do, with reprisals if anyone is disloyal to Hezbollah, Hamas or the IRG. Notice the soldier holds an M-16.

One of the most sickening aspects to the overall condition of the middle east, is the corruption. The leaders of many, many militias, cities and nations seem to have the very same thing in common with the politicians of the US: first- make sure you'll stay in power for life. Then, if there's time between the feasts, lazy pampered spas and luxury cars, maybe we'll do something that benefits the people. But I doubt it.

Here is Muqtada al Sadr giving a speech, or proclimation as these religeous/spiritual leaders are wont to do, and up until recently, it was probably an anti-US speech. Everything that was wrong was because of the presence of the US. This rhetoric has faded recently, I'm thinking because al Sadr has gotten onto the US payroll just as all the other leaders there. Unbeleivable amounts of money are being given away there to people who we want to "play ball". So you see, everyone just wants to get paid.

Unfortunately, the people are the ones who never get paid. They labor on at their jobs, and barely make ends meet and fight through stress from not having enough to keep the family happy, losing family members who leave in search of work. What kills me is that right up the street, is a palace where the ruler stays. Dirt huts...palace.

Here is a dog and pony show on the streets of Iraq. Iraqi police commanders tour rough neighborhoods in Baghdad, but their ability to maintain security here is far from established. Political infighting and factional treachery are the norm.

In northern Iraq, the Kurds are waging war with their neighbor, Turkey. It has long been known that the Turks and the Kurds don't get along. While the US-led multinational force struggles to maintain stability, the Kurds make sure the violent outreach continues in their appalling ethnic hatred.

The amount of foreign aid the United States spends each years is a staggering amount. Here, students from universities in Seoul, South Korea demonstrate against US imperialism. They want the US's military hardware removed from their country. The US has several military bases with South Korea, we have since the Korean war and the DeMilitarizedZone was established with the communist North. Yet these students indict US foreign policy in other places and want to punish the US by evicting the military. Problem is, the South Korean government has no intention of separating from the flowing teat of Uncle Sam. The riot police were called in as a cordon, as shown in the pictures, but aside from the collective wills of the well-organized protesters and the resolve of the police, only pushing and shoving ensued.

Our collective will is formidable. But splintered and fractured by infighting is the rule of the day in the middle east. Let's keep our eye on the prize and make proud those who handed control of this country to us. Let's make it a better, freer, wealthier, and more philonthrapic nation.

Let's continue to lead the world in the best and brightest, shining a light on the worst and ugliest.

-Katykarter