Friday, July 17, 2015

Pointless Destruction

I live in a city where much of the CBD was destroyed by an earthquake four years ago. It is now being rebuilt and repaired with insurance money, but the pain of people who lost homes and business is still very raw. Having seen the consequence of mindless destruction, I hate seeing cities and towns being deliberately destroyed for no real benefit. It imposes an enormous cost on the people who lose their homes and businesses. Treating it as "collateral damage" belittles the real pain.

Saudi Arabia is currently engaged in an airwar against the nation of Yemen, purportedly to return a President that no one wants. Matthieu Aikins recently sneaked into Yemen and filmed the destruction of homes and businesses. You can see his video at this link. No insurance companies will come and rebuild these towns and cities. Saudi Arabia does not want them rebuilt, because they want an empty buffer zone in the north of Yemen.

Why does no one care about this pointless destruction?

Saudi Arabia is an American ally. You can see his video at this link. The US provides the Saudis with refuelling and reconnaissance support. Most of the weapons used to destroy these homes and businesses were made in the United States. To wage war in Yemen, Saudi Arabia is using F-15 fighter jets bought from Boeing and Lockheed Martin’s F-16 to bomb Yemen and Syria. Saudi Arabia is currently negotiating with the US weapons industry to buy thousands of missiles, bombs and other weapons to replenish its depleted arsenal.

Why is no one screaming to US members of congress who support support this war and sales of weapons to Saudia Arabia?

New Zealand is no better. It is currently a rotating member of the UN Security Council, but it has remained silent, because it wants a free trade deal with Saudi Arabia.

1 comment:

August said...

No one screams- well, except for the code pink girls- because we know it won't do any good. They are sold out to war interests- surveillance is likely highest on the globe in D.C., and if they aren't cooperating freely with this destruction, they have been blackmailed.

It is very hard to come up with a strategy that would work to effect change here.