For the fall of the Taliban I shall not weep. Like every regime of religious fundamentalists -Muslims, Jews, Christians or any others, you name them – it was based on cruelty, oppressionand backwardness. It’s enough to mention its attitude to women.
But this victory of the United States frightens me. Frightens me terribly.
Because this victory was too easy. Much easier than many (myself included) thought possible.A large country has been conquered virtually without sacrificing the life of a singleAmerican soldier in battle. The tribal chiefs were bought with money and changed sides.Opposition was shattered by giant bombers, riding high in the sky, nearly out of eyesight,dropping enormous bombs, more powerful than any of those used against the Nazis in World WarII.
At no time in history has any state had such untrammeled power. Even the Roman Empire, at itszenith, did not come close to it. The Romans always had a rival power to contend with – Persia. Inorder to achieve their victories, they had to send the legions and sacrifice human lives onfar-away battlefields. From time to time they suffered terrible defeats. No victory cameeasily, and certainly not cheaply.
By contrast, the United States is now the only great power on earth. No other state comes closeto it, no military or economic power can compete with it. From the Afghan experience they candraw the conclusion that there is no need anymore to send soldiers anywhere – the bombers cancrush any opposition with sophisticated bombs.
In the absence of enemies, America has to invent them. “Islam” or “International Terrorism”(one and the same) fill this need. In a country based on the myth of the Wild West, the Good Guys(America) need the Bad Guys in order to function properly.
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” said Lord Acton, addingthat “great men are always bad men.” This applies even more to great powers. When a state hasunlimited might, it is quite unable to exercise wisdom, moderation or modesty. Like a junkiewho becomes more and more dependent on his drug, so does a great power become more and moreinclined to use force for every purpose, against anyone who dares to obstruct its will, be heright or wrong. The power will also be used domestically, to curtail freedoms that wereattained after centuries of struggle.
The last few weeks have already given us a foretaste of what is in store. While preparing for the”war against terrorism”, the United States exercised considerable caution andself-restraint. It courted the governments in Europe and throughout the world. It built agreat coalition of Arab states. But the moment President Bush concluded that he does not needhelp in order to win, that he can do it alone with bombs and money, he turned his back on everybodywho had been a courted as a partner only a moment before.
The European partners, who were so eager to offer their armies, were suddenly given the coldshoulder. America did not ask them what to do and did not consult with any of them throughout thewar. Now it leaves them the job of the village policeman, after the real soldiers (theAmerican) go home. The United Nations reverts to its usual function – dancing to the Americantune.
The Arab “coalition” partners are even more humiliated. The United States simply spits intheir faces, treating them according to the old formula “Ahmed, bring the coffee.” TheAmericans discuss with themselves, freely and openly, what the next target should be – todismember Iraq, to bash the Sudan or to use the opportunity to settle old accounts withSomalia. And the Arabs? Who asks them?
This new reality is exemplified in the most blatant and dangerous way vis-a-vis thePalestinian problem. Immediately after September 11, while building the “coalition”,American experts understood that Sharon’s rampage in the Palestinian territories has to bestopped, so as to enable the Arab governments to still the growing anger of their masses.President Bush spoke of the “vision” of a Palestinian state, Colin Powell worked on a new peaceinitiative, a poor ex-Marines general was sent to Jerusalem. For a brief spell, it seemed thatAmerica was about to use its power to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which created somuch of the fury in the Arab world on which Bin Laden & Co. were riding. After all, what is thesense in killing one Bin Laden while producing ten new ones?
All these wise thoughts evaporated in the wind when the United States attained its easyvictory. Practically overnight, America returned to what it has always been – the generouspatron of the Israeli right-wing-military establishment. The Israeli lobby again dictatespolicy in Washington DC. President Bush has given a free hand to Sharon’s efforts to liquidatethe Palestinian leadership, much as, in 1982, President Reagan gave a free hand to Sharon’splan to invade Lebanon for the same purpose. See: Sabra and Shatila.
And this is only the beginning.
An easy victory can be a disaster to the victor, even more so than a defeat. The defeat in Vietnamhad a sobering effect on America and created a mood of reflection and stock-taking. Our easyvictory in the Six-day war, by contrast, brought us a disaster that continues to haunt us tothis very day.
The maxim of the wise lord could be supplemented as follows: “Victory tends to corrupt, andeasy victory corrupts tenfold.”