my roommate sent this to me yesterday. it's a u.s.-funded anti-suicide bombing public service announcement running on television in iraq. beware: it's graphic. there's no blood, but, as psa's tend to do, it builds a rapport between the viewer and a character and, well... just watch. it's pretty heavy.



alright. maybe this question begs an obvious answer, but i'm going to ask it anyway: why? why run this in iraq? what does it add to the conversation about suicide bombing? (is there actually a conversation about suicide bombing?)

if young radicals see this announcement, what are they thinking? what happened to the suicide bomber? he disappeared in a puff of smoke. poof. it looked entirely painless, and maybe something like that is pretty painless (by which i mean, instant).

the psa emphasized what happened to the people around the bomber - particularly the little boy with the shoe. and, to boot, the slow motion camera panning and matrix graphics only further sensationalize what might be one of the most serious topics one might discuss.

but if somebody's considering suicide bombing in the first place, the very idea behind the tactic is to affect as many civilians as possible. so a person bent on blowing a marketplace to bits will not be swayed by this sort of demonstration, one that portrays the suffering of innocent bystanders as its argument.

i would more expect this to run in the united states. can you see it? show the american people what we're up against: mindless, selfless, fearless zealots who make eye contact with innocent boys before they detonate themselves. it's entirely consistent with the current american sociopolitical climate - undoubtedly one of fear.

the president and his colleagues have been quick to mention september 11 as often as they can. they've made us fearful of the taliban and its support of al qaeda; fearful of saddam and iraq's alleged cache of chemical and biological weapons (and don't forget that "mushroom cloud" warning from then-national security advisor rice); fearful of the madmen in north korea and iran; fearful of new immigrants; fearful of muslims; fearful of change, freedom and our own inherent rights; fearful of limited government.

i don't read arabic, but if someone who does (shilly? are you out there, buddy?) wants to translate that message at the end of the psa, i would appreciate it. maybe it would clarify things a little better. somehow, i don't think it will, but i'm still curious.

as one last point: beyond all this, beyond what this might accomplish, what family in iraq doesn't understand by now the power of a bomb, whether from strapped dynamite or dropped from the sky? the psa seems to try to sully suicide bombing's "good name," as if the people affected by the tactic might ever legitimate it. i find it hard to believe that there are many people left in iraq who, now three years into the invasion and occupation of american and coaliton troops, haven't seen the devastation caused either by suicide bombers, tanks or aerial bombs.

if anything, this is only further reminding these people of the danger they face every day. it's only further reminding them - needlessly - of the horrific conditions that have befallen their country.

and and it was done with a real hollywood twist.