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| Russell Greim is a senior business major and writes 'The Temporal Front' for the Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper. |
The fall of Saddam Hussein's statue in central Baghdad will remain a vibrant reminder of what the people of Iraq really wanted.
I watched as people took out their anger and frustration upon a simple statue. I watched as a boy rode the head of Saddam through the streets of Baghdad.
I watched the people rejoice in Basra. I watched the people cheer in Mosul. I saw flowers and cheers given to the U.S. military as it drove by. I watched children released from political prison. I stood witness to the liberation of a repressed people.
In the overall equation, this is just the beginning. After all, the people of Iraq cheered when Saddam's Baath party came to power as well. Now it is the job of the United States and our allies to prove we are liberators, not conquerors.
It will take some time to restore order, rebuild infrastructure, and bring a nation of ruin to a nation of prosperity. But that is exactly what everyone must give this operation -- time.
After World War II the United States instituted what is known as the Marshall plan. It was a comprehensive plan used to rebuild Germany and Japan after the devastation wrought by fire bombings and nuclear weapons. That plan was an enormous success, but it did not occur overnight. In fact, it took nearly 20 years.
To this day, the United States still has troops stationed in Germany and Japan. They serve as a huge economic boon to those countries, as does retail and industrial trade with those nations. With any hope, Iraq will be no different.
If America is still in Iraq in 2 years, will we be conquerors or on schedule? If our troops are still there in 58 years, will that mean we are an empire, or following precedent? The answer depends on our conduct and our actions, but the simple fact still remains that neither Germany nor Japan are imperial territories, nor are they conquered. Presence does not mean occupation, and involvement does not mean empire.
What I see thus far is very promising. Many people wanted to be liberated, and gave up without a fight. Many cities fell without a shot. Many people are rejoicing.
Others are not. The pessimists in this country are sulking over the fact that they were wrong. Their predictions of mass civilian casualties were wrong. Their predictions the operation would result in a "quagmire" were wrong. Their beliefs that the United States could not win this war were wrong.
Ramsey Clark, John Cusack, Jane Fonda, Danny Glover, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rep. Jim McDermott, Yoko Ono, Susan Sarandon, Rev. Al Sharpton, Martin Sheen, and Gloria Steinem were wrong. Their tales of doom and gloom and their opposition has shown they were seduced by the propaganda of the enemy. Those people, those children, those cities, were all liberated -- not in their name.
As an optimist, I believe the best will come from this situation. That is why I am a conservative; I believe in the power of people to overcome any situation.
Will this war reduce terrorism? Will Iraq be a free and prosperous nation?
Will America be building an empire? Will conquest be our legacy in the Middle East?
Only time will tell.
Write to Russell at rlg@temporalfront.com
Visit http://www.temporalfront.com
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