Ten Years of War: For America, Making Mistakes Is Just So Easy

Published in Huanqiu
(China) on 21 March 2013
by Gao Wang (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Mollie Gossage. Edited by Kathleen Weinberger.
Yesterday was the tenth anniversary of the outbreak of the Iraq War, and the worldwide media issued waves of commentary. However, those that were pro-war did not give much of a defense, while criticism accounted for the vast majority. A mainstream American media source commented that the war was “based on faulty intelligence manipulated for ideological reasons.”

The Iraq War has led to approximately 4,500 American military casualties and more than 30,000 injuries, while Iraqi casualties number in the hundreds of thousands. The war and postwar reconstruction have cost the U.S. over two trillion dollars. The American media calls this a lesson that "makes people understand the limitations of American leadership and strength.”*

However, until today, not one American government official had stood up and apologized for this huge error. None of the decision-makers of the period have paid the price for their actions. The mistake passed through the “proper procedure” of American democracy; the matter is therefore left unresolved.

The Iraqi people have no choice but to let the error rest as it is; their country is approaching division and illegal arms are rampant. Afghanistan and Libya likewise have no hope of forming a stable Western-style democracy. Many of the worst predictions that were made about these countries, which are experiencing religious and ethnic conflict, have come true.

The lesson learned by countries around the world in these past ten years has really been played down in Western (and especially American) reflections. Perhaps this is because those who suffered the most harm were not Western: America is a little ashamed, but can still bear it. There is no lack of misfortune in the world.

China’s connection to the Iraq War does not go so far as direct participation, but China already deals with America more than any other country does. Understanding how headstrong, careless and stubborn this Western “base camp of democracy” can be is of great significance to Chinese national security.

First of all, America is a country easily captured and manipulated by ideology. Once a goal takes shape from that ideology, America’s ability to check and balance itself breaks down and reckless fanaticism, aided by democracy, swiftly proliferates.

Second, America is a society that emphasizes procedure, yet lacks accountability for results. Saddam's “weapons of mass destruction” — which the Iraq War was intended to dispose of — did not exist at all. The price of the war has vastly exceeded predictions, but in terms of culpability, no one can make sense of it.

In America, the deep-rooted social origin of this erroneous war has not been touched. The war has only made the U.S. a little more cautious; its society has not changed its attitude toward the outside world, its feeling of political superiority, or its worship of military strength. The significant factors in America’s decision-making process are still the same as ever.

Today, America’s way of thinking about Syria, Iran and such countries is really no different than it was before the Iraq War. How they tackle the problem, or don’t tackle the problem, makes no difference; American thinking still stays within the same boundaries. In terms of thought, America is a nation overcome by inertia; its ideology is still that of the previous century.

China must deal with the U.S. despite its unwillingness to admit wrongdoing in the Iraq War; therein lies some trouble and risk for China. China does not have the power to change America, but we need to see this nation — which many respect as a “model” nation — without any misconceptions. A clear-headed strategy is extremely valuable.

*Editor’s Note: Although accurately translated, this quotation could not be verified.


社评:伊战十年,美国犯错误就是这样容易


 昨天是伊拉克战争爆发10周年,世界媒体评论如潮,但愿意为战争发动者辩护的不多,批评声音占了绝大多数。美国一家主流媒体评论道:那是一场“由意识形态原因操纵不准确情报发动的战争”。

  伊拉克战争共导致约4500名美国士兵丧生,3万多美国人受伤,伊拉克的伤亡则达数十万计,战争和战后重建花费了美国2万多亿美元。美媒称这场教训“让人了解到美国领导力和力量的局限性”。

  然而直到今天没有美国政治家站出来为这一巨大错误道歉,当时的决策者们没有人为它付出代价。这场错误通过了美国民主的“正确程序”,因而被不了了之。

  伊拉克人民只好跟着对这个错误不了了之,那个国家近乎分裂,非法武装猖獗。阿富汗、利比亚也没有一个有希望形成西方的稳定民主。之前人们对这些有宗教或民族对立国家的最坏预测很多都在应验。

  对这10年世界各地的重大教训,西方、尤其是美国的反思总体上轻描淡写。或许是因为它们的最大受害者不是西方,美国吃了一些亏,但它可以承受。这个世界更糟糕的“倒霉蛋”有的是。

  伊拉克战争与中国的直接关系不如参战国大,但中国已是与美国打交道最多的国家,了解这个西方的“民主大本营”有时会多么任性、草率和固执,对中国国家安全有重大意义。

  首先,美国是可以被意识形态绑架和操纵的国家,源自意识形态的意志一旦形成,美国的内部制衡能力就会失效,不顾一切的狂热就会在民主的帮助下迅速扩散。

  第二,美国是注重程序、但对结果缺少问责力的社会。伊拉克战争要消灭的萨达姆“大规模杀伤性武器”根本不存在,战争代价又远远超过预期,但从责任的角度现在完全成了一笔糊涂账。

  第三,美国发动这场错误战争的社会深层原因基本没受到触动,战争只是让美国变得谨慎了些,但美国社会对外部世界的态度没有变,它的政治优越感和对武力的崇拜没有变,美国做重大决策的程序性因素也仍是过去那一套。

  美国今天对叙利亚、伊朗等国的思维方式和伊拉克战争前没什么两样,动手会如何,不动手又会如何,美国的思考行走在原来的坐标中。美国在思想上是个惰性很重的国家,它的意识形态还是上个世纪的。

  中国必须同不肯为伊战认错的美国打交道,这里面潜含了中国的某种麻烦和风险。中国无力改变美国,但我们需要看清楚这个被很多人尊为“榜样”的国家,我们的战略清醒弥足珍贵。
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