. . . And superpowers/ they looking for more power
As long as violence and aggression/ still dwell in the hearts of man
The war will go on/ It cannot be won. – Singing Sandra (The War Goes On)
The idea of Frankenstein and the image of the “mad scientist” are distinctly European creations. These images are the stuff of all major science fictions.
They sell because they hit on an essential truth. They express a hidden fear of a society that recoils from its own excesses in its unending quest to conquer anything from nature, to other countries and fellow human beings.
The deep psychic fear of Europe is that its created monsters will turn around and destroy their creators.
Osama Bin Laden was only the most recent Euro-American-created Frankenstein. He will not be the last.
It is no accident that all of the major global tyrants in recent times, have been creations of United States foreign policy. Manuel Noriega, Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden were all darlings of the United States.
Noriega was a friend in America imperialist war in Latin America and control of the Panama Canal, Saddam was required in the United States war against the Ayatollah in Iran, and, of course, Osama was a key ally in the United States effort in pushing back Russian Communism from its Asiatic foothold in Afghanistan.
They were all created and sustained by the United States, and later transformed into monsters, before their eventual destruction.
The case of Gaddafi is an interesting one because the vagaries in Anglo-American thirst for Libyan oil coupled with military opportunity, have seen him metamorphose before the world’s eye from targeted foe, to friend, to re-made monster awaiting execution.
These historical realities must be remembered before any champagne is popped to mark the end of the “war on terror”. The killing of Osama, as even the United States Secretary of State has reminded, has not created a context for the silencing of United States guns.
After Osama, a new monster will be created, which will require military action. Once Libya is handled, Iran and North Korea have been effectively demonised to make them the next targets. Failing that, the new upheavals in the Middle East can offer some useful prospects. Syria perhaps?
Sadly, the Caribbean understands only too well these historical realities. Our great misfortune is our powerlessness in the face of that knowledge. Despite being aware that the United States has no permanent friends, only convenient ones, our dependency has left us little choice, but to pathetically pitch for permanent United States friendship.
It has brought us little reward, while increasing the burden of imposed security responsibilities.
Poverty persists, yet our lives are shaped by other peoples’ wars. In the meantime, we applaud the killing of Osama in our usual obligatory manner, and await the creation of the next Frankenstein.
