Hogging the Road

Two U.S. congressmen were injured today when their vehicle overturned on the way to the Baghdad airport. The congressmen were in Baghdad to meet with U.S. troops during Thanksgiving. It is indeed admirable that these congressmen (one Republican and one Democrat) made this journey to Iraq, a risk that too many politicians are unwilling to take. As these U.S. legislators hurriedly exit war-torn Iraq, one can only hope that our troops follow close behind.

However, one aspect of this roadway accident really stands out in my mind.....specifically, the way that U.S. military and governmental personnel have taken to hogging the roads in Iraq. I'm not sure I've ever encountered a more perfect metaphor for our arrogant world-policing than the following:

The politicians were riding in a box-like vehicle in a convoy. The convoy was taking up the middle of the road, a common practice used by the military to deter oncoming motorists. Shortly after dark, an oncoming truck refused to yield.

This incident is a microcosm of our foreign policy, particularly as it relates to the Middle East. We are playing a global game of "chicken," and we are not about to yield. We own the road. Everyone else is just traveling on it. As we profess to be spreading the values of democracy, cooperation, and mutual respect to Iraqi citizens, we're arrogantly running them off the road. And then we have the audacity to feign amazement at their inevitable road rage.

In the last two weeks we've learned about the existence of secret U.S. prisons in Eastern Europe, the intentional burning of deceased Iraqis, the use of lions to torture detainees, and the shooting of Iraqi civilians by armed contractors. In light of these revelations, it's easy to lose sight of the more subtle forms of aggression and abuse....like the refusal to share the road.

Like soccer moms in suburbans, our government truly owns the road.