Please help me think this through...

[Seamus McInerney]

Doug,
A couple of thoughts came to me when I read your mail.

The first was about who exactly would be apologizing to whom. It is fairly
clear that neither George Bush nor Tony Blair went to war in the name of
even a majority of their own people. Given the numbers of people who
actually vote in the western democracies and the nature of two party (max
three party in most nation states) politics itself, an apology is probably
forthcoming from us all for not paying sufficient attention to the
consequences of democracy itself. When most people vote they vote on the
basis of selfish economics. Little or no thought is given to what these
people will do with the many other issues that concern governments. I'm not
exactly sure that all Americans need to apologize for anything. Many made
it quite clear they opposed the actions of their government. Many do need
to apologize but not for the war but for their disinterest in not voting. I
include my own country which provided facilities for military transports at
Shannon on the basis of the income it would provide and the fear that US
companies would pull out of Ireland if we refused.

The second thought relates to the whole concept of truth and reconciliation
between peoples. The idea is being considered for Northern Ireland. It has
also been called for in response to the scandal of child abuse by clergy
where many victims simple want a chance to tell their story. They feel it
is the only way they can know they have been heard. It is a consequence, I
feel, of how time has sped up. We used to have to wait until all those
involved were dead, the perpetrators and the victims, for the historians to
discover the truth of the matter. Now we have the concept of International
courts and crimes against humanity. I am left to wonder how far back we
need to go. The British Government apologized for their lack of response to
the Irish famine of 1840. Have France, Germany, Spain, et al apologized to
their former colonies. Do we expect the people who call themselves citizens
of these states today to do so in the name of their forebears? The Irish
went everywhere from the 1690's on and as professional soldiers at that. Do
we expect the EU to make a profound apology to the Native Americans, to the
peoples of central and south America for our barbarism over so many decades?

I suspect that the people who need to say sorry are those who knew what
they did was immoral or those who chose to avert their gaze as wrong was
done in their name. I believe there are none who read or subscribe to this
list who have anything to apologize for but I acknowledge the sense of
frustration that many feel whose only satisfaction is to murmur "I told you
so".

Shay

At 16:24 01/07/2004, you wrote:
>To my good friends--
>
>Would you be so kind as to help me think this through?
>
>The last few days watching the news the phrase "truth and reconciliation"
>keep coming to me. Now I do not know much about the phrase, but I associate
>it with a formal process that was undertaken a few years ago (maybe it is
>still ongoing?) in South Africa to help heal the wounds of Apartheid.
>
>What would happen if the USA would apologize to the people of Iraq for the
>invasion and the atrocities done by us or under our watch? What is the
>likely result if we would make sincere efforts to make amends? Even to dare
>to vulnerably make amends?
>
>Some would surely say it will be viewed as weakness, as an admission of
>defeat. But it takes a strong people to make an apology, yes?
>
>Is this not a form of griefwork?
>
>What do the learnings of open space do to help us think this through? What
>would warriors for peace do?
>
>                               :-Doug. Germann
>                               Seeking people making change.
>
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