One of Ours

Another Japanese election is behind us, and all across the country you can hear the sighs of relief from foreigners happy that they won't have to endure politicians in loudspeaker cars shouting at them for a while. The big winner in Sunday's election was the Democratic Party of Japan, the largest opposition party, which picked up the most seats as Japanese voters showed their anger at the deployment of the Japanese self-defence forces to Iraq and nervousness over the future of the National Pension Program. The ruling LDP still maintain their hold on the government thanks to their alliance with the Komeito (a political party that was started by the Sokka Gakkai religion, modern flavor of Buddhism not unlike Mormons), but it's a blow for Prime Minister Koizumi, who is working hard and beginning to turn the Japanese economic situation around. A big part of the problem for Mr. Koizumi, my wife says, is that he's too charismatic for his own good. There's a famous Japanese saying that "the standing nail is driven" (deru kui wa utareru), which means that individuals who stand out too much in Japan will be hammered back into place by their peers, and Koizumi, who is tall, unmarried and likes rock music, is the closest thing to JFK Japan may have ever had. Because he stands head and shoulders above his opposition, something you're not supposed to do in a country where 80% of people consider themselves middle class, he presents a big political target for everyone.

The Japanese do like English, and use it to add spice and cuteness to their speech. A lot of the English words the Japanese use are simplified so much that their meaning would be hard to puzzle out. A convertible is an "open car" and a mortgage for a person's home is a "my home loan." A child's crib is a "baby bed," and the universal word for full-time employees is "salaryman." Screwdrivers come in "plus" and "minus" varieties, and when a man no longer wants children he's likely to get a "pipe cut." Titles of Western movies can also be hard for Japanese to remember, so they're sometimes reduced into simpler English. "You've Got Mail" was released here as "You Got Mail," and "Apt Pupil" became "Golden Boy."

The Japanese are a meticulous people, and one famous area where their attention to detail really shines are the delicious wax food replicas you see in windows in Japanese restaurants, placed so that customers can see how good the food is before going in. These food replicas are hand-crafted by Japanese artists who train for many years, and Japanese wax food is famous all over the world.

A public opinion poll found today that almost two-thirds of Iraqis oppose the presence of the US-led military in their country, but a majority do not wish them to leave because their departure would lead to even greater violence.

The survey by the private Iraq Centre for Research and Strategic Studies (ICRSS) reflected once more Iraq’s contradictory feelings about US troops and the parlous security situation across the country...

Manila has now given in to the growing sentiment going on in it's own country to leave the United States. I didn't even know these guys were in the "Coalition of the Willing." So, now a hostage is being released. This sounds like a victory for the terrorists. Is there any nation that exists today that has the balls to fight something worth fighting for? Frankly, seeing that the Iraqis seem more than ready and willing to pick up where the Coalition left off and are doing most of the tough grunt work. What is really pathetic is this country can't even band together during a war. I mean, in WWII, there was no better way to unite us than to attack us and start a war with us. Now, if you attack us, we will be united for a few months and then we'll start fighting with each other again. How pathetic is this, this must be really encouraging for terrorists to watch on TV.

...Each day that I am here my resolve stiffens to the fact that we do need to be here. I have listened to story after story of how Saddam tortured, killed and destroyed individuals and their families. He had an extreme control of the population, the average person never traveled far and he would sentece people to die with a nod of his chin.

Not to long ago I visited with an Electrical Engineer. He graduated from Baghdad University and started his own electrical company. His business grew and he wanted to be able to order parts more effectively than doing it through the mail system. So he purchased a cell phone on the black market. With that phone he was able to order parts easier and help his customers out faster. What used to take months would only takes weeks. He did get caught and was hauled off to prison where he was sentenced to die. He was scheduled to be shot the day the American Coalition liberated the ABU Gihrab Prison. He now is a major contractor for the American Forces for some projects we are working on for the Army Corps of Engineers. In his own words, "America saved my life, I will do everything to save them and help them, help me." He also stated "American's are good people, those who don't want American's here are those that have something to personally gain by them not being here. They want civil war, they want power, they want death. I am tired of death, I want life, I want America as my friend."

Iraq is a substandard place, we are not rebuilding Iraq, we are building it. For the last 30 years this country has been so neglected it often brings a sadness to my heart and the souls of my soldiers as we look at the poverty, trash and the mindset of the people. There are those among the few, mostly the young who want the dream and are willing to stand up to the Cleric's and power mongers who only want to control as Saddam has controlled. I am proud of those individuals for they are willing to take a chance and as I have worked with them side by side they truely do have a wonderful heart and a chance to make a better life for themselves.

Once again thanks for making my day a little brighter and I will pass on some of the gifts you have given me to some of the Local Iraq natives I see on a regular basis.

Thanks

CPT Derick Quinlan
116th Engineer Company (CSE)