Enemy Mine

Every government that prepares for war paints its adversaries as monsters, she said. "They don't want you thinking of the other side as human. If the enemy can think and feel, you might hesitate to kill them. And killing is very important. Better to see them as monsters.

"Part I, 'The Message', Chapter 9, 'The Numinous'-Carl Sagan

I have observed the politics of the last few months with curiosity. It seems that thing which was our enemy a year ago is not our enemy now. Iraq was portrayed as evil, often portrayed as the Antichrist of countries. The origin of all of America's woes. Now, after many months of seeing dying children, crying mothers, and lost families, we don't see them as anything but human now. So we look around for the true cause of our misery. We have found that cause at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, sitting in his fat chair in the Oval Office. George Bush's country is turning on him. The crosshairs of America are set on him. I hope that it stays that way.

We are a fickle race. The titles of friend and enemy are easily exchanged for one another. It seems that perception and, yes, peer pressure have a lot to do with who gets each title. I have asked my brother-in-law, a die hard Republican, why he hates liberals so much. His answer is always, "Because I do". In other words, he doesn't know why, he just hates them. How many people out there can't stand a person but don't know why? That's peer pressure hate. I have been a victim of it myself. You think if everyone doesn't like this person there must be a good reason for it. Friends are different. We usually like someone and call them friend because of something they have done for us. They compliment us on our hair, clothes, or beauty. They drive us around so we don't have to drive. Well, you get the idea. It's totally self motivated, isn't it?

What I'm trying to say is that whether someone is our friend or enemy is largely a matter of how they make us feel. So, in the beginning, George W. made us feel patriotic, self righteous, and better than the rest of the world. Now because of the undeniable truth, he makes us feel guilty, ashamed, and embarrassed. That is why the country is turning on him. He made us look stupid in front of the rest of the world.