I don't know what to say either.

I can tell you that many people think the rioting is reasonable since they don't think well of Iraq; they aren't interpreting the destruction as a loss. It's crazy, but I think that is how this is being looked upon. Have your students offered their opinions?

(I think in order to understand the actions of the Bush admin, one should brush up on the history of the Roman Empire.)

Thus far my students have not said much about this. What I am hearing, in at least one of my classes, is not just pro-US actions, but anti-Iraqi (to be separated from anti-Hussein) and anti-Mulsim. Lot of work to do on ethnocentrism in that class.

I second that ! Brush up on the history of the Roman Empire. One of my first writing teachers at PCC brought the parallelism of the Roman Empire and the actions of our administration to me when I came to her as a new student disgusted with "the way things are" back in 2001. I have yet to dive into this history of Ceasar but have found quotes from this conqueror that sound remarkably similar to Bush's comments since we have been plagued by "terrorism".

Rowan, I too have been really crushed about the museum and library lootings. I've blogged about it a number of times in the past week, and still feel this damp weight on my heart about it. Having just taken History of the Middle East last term, I now understand that the loss of these artifacts should be a source of everyone's grief.

I am at a loss for words (and a deep loss for the actual historical loss as well) about the looting of a library and the museums at the hands of the owners themselves-the Iraqi people. Hopefully no one will 'buy' these antiquites or the Iraqi people will help in the finding and returning them to the museums....am I just oververtly naive?

Today on the news it was announced that the FBI, was/is being sent to investigate. My initial response was the "wolf has left the hen house" but I realize it is the administrations 'after the fact' attempt to quiet the voices being heard all over the world. And the admin's own Cultural Advisor has resigned.....but by god the oil reserves are safe....it is just appalling and revolting what we have done, and continue to do in the name of 'terrorism'....

I am so glad you started this line of conversation. From the first morning when I watched chaos that reminded me entirely of the LA riots (another time our government seemed to get perverse satisfaction from sitting by and watching things get trashed), I was completely appalled at the general consensus that there was nothing we should have been doing to maintain peace, and this was just a "psychological reaction" to the years of frustration and repression of the Iraqi people.

I realized then that American xenophobia runs much deeper than I imagined. THERE WAS NO PLAN, there was no system whatsoever in place to deal with the loss of authority in Iraq. Despite the fact that we invaded their country to "free" them, we had no strategy on how to keep order once their government disbanded.

We have major government officials who make statements such as "freedom is not 'tidy.'" Obviously it mattered very little to them that priceless, irreplaceable national treasures were being looted. All along during this invasion, the world asked what our plan was once the Hussein government was "displaced." The stall tactics surfaced, and I think it is quite clear that the plan was basically to secure the oil fields, and loot the country.

I have a friend who saw on the news AMERICAN soldiers with Iraqi furniture and accoutrements as decorative accessories in their camps. If this isn't evidence of an invading and occupying force, I have to wonder what is?

At any rate, the bottom line is that treasures were not protected, or even apparently considered. I find it hard to imagine why the Iraqi's fled their country with the so-called weapons of mass destruction, but leaving every bit of wealth and value that they might have taken instead.

Maybe I'm just feeling really jaded this morning. But it all sounds like, smells like, and feels like ---- to me.

I too have felt tremendously saddened by the latest reporting of the destruction/looting of these historical treasures. Nothing really surprises me any more though - we know the government's agenda, and we know it lacks any respect for the Iraqi people, or for the culture of the Middle East, or the history of the Muslim faith and its artifacts...can we really be shocked any more when the military protects the oilfields over the hospitals, issues playing cards with Iraqi leader's faces on them (so ignorant), stands back and watches Baghdad's treasures looted? Why do we expect better from an administration that has consistently shown us worse? As I listened to classmates talking round me, initially I was appalled by their lack of awareness....but upon reflection, I'm coming to realise that they have no context for understanding the historical/cultural treasures of the people of the Middle East, nor their religion, or way of life. They've been taught very little about any country other than America (and not much about this one either), and most think everywhere else is just a satellite of this country anyhow... I think it's deliberate, that the "invading forces" we recruit cannot possibly know what is being destroyed or they would have trouble participating - and this is played out in wars around the world, over and over...lest we think we are so "special", this country is no different than any colonising force throughout history, who believed god to be on their side as long as they keep "winning"....

I find all of this rather revolting myself but I am curious to know what the other Nations in the Middle East are saying about all of this. If we are all feeling outraged and depressed over the looting and the genocide of Iraqi culture, surely much of the Muslim world must be feeling like they've died a thousand deaths. Are there any articles I can read to find out more about the sentiments of the other Islamic nations?