Western Imperialism

Hmm... interesting interview on Lateline with a former British army head-honcho who was involved with the early days of the Iraq war/invasion, was given an OBE and is now speaking out against the war/invasion.

He had held high ideals about helping the Iraqi people with the 'liberation' and making sure that they retained their dignity.

Instead, he found that the leaders of the nations involved in the 'Coalition of the Willing' (now the coalition of the wilting...) had no plans for how this would really be done.

So, would it have been better to have actually had a plan prior to the invasion, or would it have been better to have left the originally American-installed Saddam Hussein in place?

Hmm.

And just how much of it is a problem of our Western imperialism? Why is it that we think we can thrust non-Eastern ideals (that are often contrary to what works for Eastern societies) onto the Eastern societies? Why do we just go around and use guns instead of conversation? Why don't we look for similarities in belief rather than always focusing on the differences and dehumanising others?

What makes our society 'better' than theirs? Why should we be able to terrorise them and excuse it as necessary political action?

Hmmm... too many thoughts for this sleepy time of the night. It just seems that the more we interfere when people in other countries don't want us to, the worse things become.

*sigh*