God, Democracy, Iraq, Burma & War

We all know the secular mantra: more people have been killed in the name of God than for any other purpose, so we should make sure religion has no role in politics. The reality is that political leaders want to convince their masses that they are doing A Good Thing™ and will use whatever works. European warlords prior to the first world war started using evolution as an excuse as Darwin's theory gained in popularity. White supremacists also now use an evolutionary argument. (These same people used to use some sort of a Biblical argument to justify their racism.) Be it the emancipation of burqa-clad Afghani women, eliminating weapons of mass destruction, toppling a dictatorial regime, or spreading democracy, the idea is to win over the hearts of the masses so that they can feel good about their sons and daughters having their blood spilled under the auspicious leadership of the current Fuhrer.

The real reason for most wars is that it fits the strategic interests of the country waging war. If those interests appear greedy or unworthy to die for, better reasons are invented. In the past, these reasons often had to do with God. Now, other, more secular reasons are used. But rest assured that if there is no strategic interest in a particular region, then all the noble reasons in the world won't make a difference. Burma? What made them think they deserve democracy? They don't present a threat to Western interests, can't keep China in check, and besides, they're not white. The same goes for much of sub-Saharan Africa: it will continue to be ignored until there is a strategic interest in invading it. Until then, they can continue to be raped, killed, and starved for all we care.