Lessons of War - Mercedes Doretti
Argentina, El Salvador, Guatemala. Latin America is all too familiar with the results of an overzealous government’s hunt for an invisible enemy.
Perhaps no one knows the dangers better than Argentine forensic anthropologist Merecedes Doretti. She’s investigated the mass graves of victims of “dirty wars” across the world. Doretti talks to Blog La Plaza about the U.S. war on terror’s potential tragic pitfalls. Watch her commentary and share your reaction with the world.
Lessons of War
I think the U.S. is doing the best they can in the war on terror- Doretti is vastly mistaken in her comparisons between us and South American countries. Our government doesn’t terrorize their own people- they fight against those who terrorize our country.
While the government may be temporarily taking away the rights of the people in the Middle East, they’re doing so to make it a better place for them to live, work, and raise children. It’s a temporary problem for a long-term solution. People should think about this before they begin to point fingers at the U.S. government and army.
By Joseph Bylinski on February 13, 2008 at 03:18 PM
Lessons of War
While Ms. Doretti talks about “the easy way” of fighting against guerilla terror tactics- through detention centers and taking away rights- and mentions the importance of keeping the law in countries rife with terrorism, she doesn’t address her own ideas on fighting terrorism.
While I do agree that “fighting fire with fire” is not the best way to prevent terrorism, I am disappointed that no one can come up with better ideas. At this point, our involvement in the war is too deep- we can’t simply pull our troops out. And if no one can come up with any better ideas of how to fight this war, then I suggest going on in the manner we have been- while “fire” may be too harsh, at the moment, it seems to be getting the job done.
By Mark Jara on February 13, 2008 at 03:11 PM
I think Ms. Doretti really hits on a nerve with her commentary when she discusses the similarities between the U.S. war on terror and guerrilla and terror tactics in Latin American countries.
As we’ve seen recently- most disturbingly brought to light in the Abu Ghraib scandal- the U.S. government and army are quit capable of sinking down to the supposed “terrorists” level, using torture, debasement, and even death as a method of interrogation on innocent people. Does this make our country any different then the people we are fighting? If our government is prepared to terrorize innocents this war, what are they really fighting for?
Like many Latin American countries, our government is taking away the rights and overturning the lives of a nation- yet, because it is not our own nation, our own people, we sit by and let it happen, objecting to the atrocities committed by our own government in the most passive way possible- perhaps, with the coming change in presidency, our country will finally stand up against this injustice.
By A.Wolanin on February 13, 2008 at 02:49 PM