Shame on us all!
It is not "shock and awe" but "suffering and
death" that we are watching. War should not be trivialized by
turning it into a video game or a fireworks display. If we must fight a
war, we should at least see it for what it is. It destroys people and
families and their lives. It maims and kills people. It causes
death and destruction. It uproots people and creates pain and
dislocation. It wreaks havoc on the environment.
This is why war should never be entered into lightly. It is
a deadly serious matter for everyone who gets caught up in it. This is
not to speak about the "unintended consequences" or
"unforeseen" consequences that cause disruption and further cycles of
violence in the future.
But the absolute worst thing is to turn war into some kind of
"consumer entertainment" by headlines like "shock and awe"
which makes it seem that this is some kind of fireworks on the fourth of july.
The only thing that is a cause for "shock and awe" in
this whole affair is the callous and insensitive way we go about destroying the
lives and livelihoods of so many people as if they are simply markers in a
video arcade game.
Santosh Krinsky