U.S. Hegemony and Religious Extremism

US and allied forces are fighting the "War on Terror" now. It's been over 3 years since Afghanistan was bombarded to eliminate the Taliban. It's been over 2 years since they descended on Iraq. Iraq wasn't just about oil. The U.S. government insists on using language like "liberating" Iraq and securing democracy in Iraq. The U.S. Congress debates on each dollar spent on the Iraq "war" while no one kept count of the Iraqi civilians killed in U.S. fire or Iraqi guerilla warfare, so U.S. currency is worth more than life of Iraqi citizens. Yet the U.S. Govt. speaks about its vision to create a "democratic, secure and prosperous Iraq"? Funny isn't it?

OK, so Saddam Hussain was sitting tightly on Iraq's oil reserves. The U.S. oil companies were unable to pump cheap oil fast from there. Saddam may have twisted the oil company's arms harder than they could his. So the oil companies lobbied the U.S. Govt. for military action in Iraq for many years now. U.S. Govt. insists it was misleaded by its own intelligence to believe Iraq possessed WMD: chemical, biological, nuclear weapons and warhead delivery systems. That formed the basis of invasion. Now there is the terrorist infrastructure that probably hadn't existed prior, but now is ever-growing, and it's elimination is priority for U.S. forces stationed there, so they can't withdraw.

Might is right. If a nation doesn't voluntarily bow to U.S. demands, inspired by U.S. interests, it is forced to do so. The U.S. has created an empire larger than Great Britain once occupied. Through the W.B. and the I.M.F. it gave huge loans towards infrastructure development (usually toward extracting natural resources sold off to fuel the local economy) or for national security (to resist communism or pose a threat to an imposing neighbor and fuel political unrest) to 3rd world nations. The same money was funnelled back to the U.S., either to engineering/construction or to defense companies both of whom enjoy global monopoly and hence whimsically charge for their products/services. Now, not only are these 3rd world nations in huge debt, they are losing their natural resources to the consumer markets in the west at dirt cheap rates, or are under the constant threat of war with their neighbors both sides possessing similar military technology long time discarded by developed nations. Unable to repay debt and not comprehending the consequences many 3rd world nation govts agree to various U.S. demands including access to land, air and water for U.S. military bases setup and operations. The CIA spy agency steps in to over throw or replace 3rd world nation govts, that don't submit to every U.S. demand, with puppet leadership. Only if the CIA can't penetrate and perform, the military steps in. It's a dangerous last resort, the U.S. media counts U.S. casualities and the U.S. Govt faces the music.

The U.S. insists it isn't about oil. I agree. Oil can't justify the tens of thousands of killings of Iraqi soldiers, police and civilians, U.S. and allied forces men and women, and the media persons, military contractors, and relief workers from all over the globe. The U.S. and allied forces men and women killed on the line should be dying with knowledge that their death is for a cause higher than something so trivial as oil. The U.S. knows it's atrocities and forced occupancy is fueling terrorism in the middle east. Are they so short-sighted, they can't see the implications of this? They now insist the war is to bring Iraq on the course of democracy and progress. All of a sudden this war for the selfish reasons of WMD eradication, anti-terrorism or oil has been converted to one being fought for charitable reasons.

The U.S. Govt. and media is slowly accepting that the "War on Terror" is actually a war against Islamic extremists. Islamic extremists believe that while they lived religiously with self-restraint, the western society pursued material and sensual pleasures, partly at their expense. They didn't really use they're own oil, instead they were used for money laundering and drugs and arms trafficking. The workforce in these Islamic extremist organizations are uneducated and unemployed youth who realize their life won't be happy given their current circumstances, and are promised a life in heaven if they die eliminating the non-followers. The leaders are fanatics who inadvertantly misinterpret the scriptures to suit their mission. Instead of promoting hard work and perseverence for a happier material existence, they who claim they preach the word of God, ask the vulnerable population to sacrifice their petty existence for a higher cause.

The current U.S. Govt. is backed by conservative Christians. The Govt's insists that it's military action was purely philanthropic, to bring freedom and democracy to Iraq and bring it on the road to development. In a way this is Christian extremism. The leadership believes it is carrying out the will of God, by doing the dirty work of forcefully bringing these nations inhabited by lesser mortals to civilizations the developed nations lived decades ago. Acquiring control on Oil reserves, occupying a strategic presence in the middle east, keeping Russia and China at bay, cracking down on terrorist infrastructure, testing the latest in military technology and bagging multi million dollar contracts to reconstruct infrastructure and maintain it are all by-products of the process the U.S. enjoys. The core basis of war is that they are self-righteous and believe they are all-good and simply carrying out the will of God.

Hindu extremism has a similar face in India. Religious extremism flourishes because of lack of tolerance towards people of other faiths and the need to police them. Hindu extremists downplay Valentine's Day, vandalize McDonalds, and somehow relate history or current tragic events to Muslims and Pakistan to incite Hindus to violence. Once passion reaches the streets and riots erupt, the extremists walk away, job well done. As long as vote bank politics push general category Hindus, because they don't vote in herds, to the fringes of influence and importance in mainstream politics of their own land, Hindu extremists will have a secure job.

Religious extremist leaders need some lessons in the basics of religion and spirituality. All religions teach tolerance, humility, and universal brotherhood. A religion is a medium to spiritual realization to answer the questions of life, not a tool to be exploited to further one's perverted political motives.