Wacky Iraqis Must Be Controlled

by Stephen J. Sniegoski, USA

The article ‘The great task of rebuilding Iraq’ came from the neocon oriented Washington Times. It is by a pro-Israel psychiatrist, Irwin Savodnik*, and provides a rationale for controlling the Iraqi people. The author points out that the Iraqis differ from us Westerners evenin their psyches. They possess “modes of thought characteristic of tribal societies dominated by a mythical conception of theworld. Such thinking often includes contradictory statements, bizarre logic and peculiar meanings. With insubstantial political development to separate the Arabs from their past, these archaic forms of thinking continue to exert their influence, thereby reducing the conceptual flexibility necessary to negotiate for themselves a suitable accommodation with the West. There are, of course, educated classes in the Arab world more inclined toward reason - graduates of the University of Baghdad, Tikrit University, Cairo University and others. Nevertheless, many Westerners perceive an irrational quality in Arab life - the glorification of the suicide bomber, the fear of female sexuality and a pervasive intolerance of ‘infidels,’ for example.” Obviously, we enlightened folk can’t allow people who make “contradictory statements” and engage in “bizarre logic” to run around freely.

To show that he is not opposed to Islamic religion, Dr. Savodnik declares that “Muslim fundamentalism with which Americans have become unhappily familiar is less a religiousform of thought than a kind of delusional account of the world.The reason is that these seemingly religious beliefs are held without any doubt at all; they are not so much beliefs as they are defenses against a painful reality.” While we would not have the right to forcibly change a person’s religion, certainly Americans should use therapy to cure Iraqis of their ’delusions.’ This is quite reminiscent of the Soviets throwing dissidents into insane asylums to be cured of their ‘insane’ opposition to Soviet Communism. The difference is that in the case of Iraq, an entire country will be treated in this manner.