Iraq and White Man's Burden

Have you ever heard about "the White Man's burden"? Let me quote from my favorite Wikipedia,

"The White Man's Burden" is a poem by the British poet Rudyard Kipling. It was originally published in the popular magazine McClure's, with the subtitle The US and the Philippine Islands."The White Man's Burden" may be read as supporting the U.S. colonization of the Philippines and other former Spanish colonies or, alternatively, as a warning to the United States of the cost of imperial adventure. Although Kipling's poem mixed exhortation to empire with sober warnings of the costs involved, imperialists within the United States latched onto the phrase "white man's burden" as an euphemism for imperialism that seemed to justify the policy as a noble enterprise.
At face value it appears to be a rhetorical command to white men to colonize and rule people of other nations (both the people and the duty may be seen as representing the "burden" of the title), and because of this has become symbolic of Eurocentrism. A century after its publication, the poem still rouses strong emotions, and can be analyzed from a variety of perspectives.





I find this idea continues until today's debate on the US troop in Iraq. I have read articles on the newspaper and heard the radio's debate on the topic. What I find is that both proponents and opponents of withdrawal think in that "White Man's Burden" way.

The proponent said that the US should not cut and run and should help Iraqi people to establish a self-sustain government. The opponents said that the US should withdraw the troops because: (1) too many Americans have died; and (2) the occupation simply draw Islamic fundamentalist to Iraq and build their training ground there.

It was hard to me just to find one idea that I think is the most important one: why don't you guys not ask Iraqis whether they want the US to stay or not? All discussions are are still "Americancentrism". No one I think really suggests to ask Iraqis.

Why do Americans think that they can help Iraq? Why do they think that they know what is good for Iraq? In a democracy, I think, you have t let people choose their own way; you have to believe in the capability of Iraqis to find their own solution without your help. Your help simply make them paralyzed.

I think it is better for the US to leave Iraq right now regardless how bad and messy the situation it has made after the invasion. If Iraq, say, goes to a Civil War, why do Americans think its occupation costs less than a Civil War? If, finally, the fundamentalist Muslim win the war, why should the US worry about them? Wasn't it easy to defeat Taliban? Is it difficult for the superpower, whose total military budget is more than 10 or more European powers, to defeat a group of militant controlling Iraq?

Why don't just you LEAVE IT?!

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