� Some Clown I Met | Main | Ones to Watch �
March 23, 2003
Just a Schmuck
Here's a story I won't soon forget.
I wanted to join the human shields in Baghdad because it was direct action which had a chance of bringing the anti-war movement to the forefront of world attention. It was inspiring: the human shield volunteers were making a sacrifice for their political views - much more of a personal investment than going to a demonstration in Washington or London. It was simple - you get on the bus and you represent yourself.
So he learns first hand from an Iraqi that he's been a naive dupe, or better yet
I was shocked when I first met a pro-war Iraqi in Baghdad - a taxi driver taking me back to my hotel late at night. I explained that I was American and said, as we shields always did, "Bush bad, war bad, Iraq good". He looked at me with an expression of incredulity.
As he realised I was serious, he slowed down and started to speak in broken English about the evils of Saddam's regime. Until then I had only heard the President spoken of with respect, but now this guy was telling me how all of Iraq's oil money went into Saddam's pocket and that if you opposed him politically he would kill your whole family.
It scared the hell out of me. First I was thinking that maybe it was the secret police trying to trick me but later I got the impression that he wanted me to help him escape. I felt so bad. I told him: "Listen, I am just a schmuck from the United States, I am not with the UN, I'm not with the CIA - I just can't help you."
Posted by mbowen at March 23, 2003 09:04 PM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.visioncircle.org/mt/mt-tb.cgi/51
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Just a Schmuck:
� natural breast enhancement from natural breast enhancement
breast enlargement breast enhancement natural breast enhancement [Read More]
Tracked on March 24, 2005 04:32 PM
� pharmacy from pharmacy
Please visit the sites in the field of online pharmacies diet supplements [Read More]
Tracked on April 5, 2005 09:58 AM