A Bullet Is Fuck All

It’s Christmas Eve. If I would be anywhere in Western Europe I would not be writing this as I would be off my face, trying to space out in an effort to blank out during this wretched day. Christmas has not, for decades already, been a celebration of peace, light and hope it once was. Thank commercialisation and globalisation (read that as DAMN CAPITALISM) for that. Christmas is now more a pretend show of wealth and fake happiness, which we deep down know are futile and evaporative superficial things. Enjoy it whilst you can. The world as we know it is failing. Merry Christmas (or Crisismas as cynics call it these days) anyway.

But I am not in Western Europe. I am in Baghdad and off my face just a little bit. The off my face part is unintentional as it involved painkillers after taking a bullet in my arm last night. No worries. The bullet did nothing. It was a completely stupid situation where a police officer at a security check point was on edge and I was a little slow in handing over my papers. I am pretty sure the police officer was as chocked as I was when his gun went off. That was at least what I got off of his facial expression before I hit the gas pedal and sped to the hospital. But taking a bullet is nothing. Nothing at all compared to the situation in Baghdad right now.

It has been 4 days since I’ve set foot on Iraqi soil. The 6th time since 2003 but only the 2nd time without any US or its allies real physical occupation presence in the country. It has been 2 days since 16 bomb explosions ruptured through Baghdad and killed at least 73 and wounded a multitude of that. It has been over 20 years since the first Western bombs fell on Baghdad. It has been nearly 9 years since the US and its allies invaded Iraq under the pretence of liberating the Iraqi people.

The situation in Baghdad and Iraq as a whole are horrible to witness. People are suffering every day. People are dying every single day because of the war that still has not ended although the military personnel has left. People are dying, not because of bomb explosions or face to face combat. They are dying because of the bombs dropped on this country between 1991 and 2003. Bombs paid for by Western tax money. Our tax money. Bombs carrying Depleted Uranium because that enables them to penetrate bunkers and tanks. Bombs that continue to destroy people’s lives even decades after they were dropped, after the initial destruction they caused.

The amount of people suffering and dying because of DU contamination is uncountable. Unpredictable even. It is one of the harsh realities of the war the Occupation forces are trying to sweep under the carpet. Even the Iraqi Health Ministry is trying to ignore it. But every day children are born with severe disabilities. Every day cancer or kidney disease rates are being blown off the charts. Why? Because of Depleted Uranium. Because the war in Iraq was never about liberating its people but all about oil and making money for weapon selling corporations.

This war ain’t over. For decades to come the people of Iraq will suffer due to contamination as they have been suffering for the past two. Due to poisoning by those who claim to have liberated them. Due to money making schemes by corporations and neo-cons. Due to us, the people everywhere, staying silent about how horrible the act of war is. Because war is never about liberation. It is never clean. Nor is it ever over. War always has civilians who die, even years after the last bomb was dropped. Just look at history critically and see the remnants of war everywhere.

Think about that whilst you are eating your Christmas meal this evening. Think about what our governments have done in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, etc. during the past few decades. And what preparations they are now undertaking for Iran. Think about it and act. In the spirit of Christmas of course. Pray for peace tonight. Bring down your warmongering governments and the corporations making money out of war tomorrow.

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