Some Things Can't Be Given Away

Have you tried to give anyone something they don’t want or appreciate? A few years ago, my wife sacked a few tomatoes and assorted peppers and headed across the street to bequeath a small portion of home-grown bounty to our neighbor. After being told, “No thanks, we don’t eat much produce,” by the lady of the house, my gift-toting wife returned home astonished by that unexpected response to an offer to share what is considered valuable in her hierarchy of edibles. It’s tough to give someone something they don’t want.

I recall agrarian peasants of Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam, who had the same regard for American soldiers and our gifts as the neighbor lady demonstrated for garden produce. Those rural people simply didn’t want what we were offering. Many Vietnamese farmers were content with life as long as they remained safe from war, had betel nut to chew or an adequate supply of whatever it was they smoked that brought euphoria to their demeanor. What’s important to one person may not matter to the neighbor across the street or someone in a different part of the world.

Apparently Vietnamese peasants didn’t understand what U.S. policymakers were talking about when democracy was discussed. I don’t think they had much interest in any form of government as long as they could do those things that held meaning for them. Capitalism was a remote concept to people who were concerned with feeding their families and working their paddies. Our notion of democracy was equally theoretical and vague. It’s a waste of time to wrangle about philosophical and political matters with a hungry man. Talk of personal freedom or a free-market economy didn’t generate excitement or loyalty toward anything America had to offer.

Many Vietnamese accepted and benefited from material goods Americans gave away, but bangles and beads didn’t gain their confidence or allegiance. After years of death, destruction and deficit spending, the hearts and minds of Vietnamese people remained where they had been before Americans were sent to save them from their brothers and sisters who lived in North Vietnam.

When Iraq is compared to Vietnam there is one common thread that may yield disappointment and eventual failure for America as we try to give the Iraqis a chance to live as free people. It seems Iraqis display the same lack of excitement concerning our assistance, our gift, in gaining their freedom as did the Vietnamese. If freedom is desired by the majority of Iraqis, where’s their passion? Where are their freedom fighters? Where is the underground movement to resist invasion by terrorists who are sworn enemies of freedom? When will the actions of Iraqis begin to reflect an appreciation for our sacrifice to help them achieve freedom from madness? When will we have reason to feel good about what we have offered Iraq?

It seems if the Iraqis were excited about establishing a freer order, now would be the strategic time to stand and be counted on the side of justice. What will happen when American warriors are no longer being killed in Iraq? When Iraqis are finally called to govern and defend themselves, we’ll know if our costly gift has been accepted or rejected. I remain fearful of that verdict.

Have we tried to give something that isn’t wanted? There are transferable possessions that lend themselves to being given away but freedom can’t be included on that menu. In the end, for freedom to gain a foothold, those who could free themselves must express and defend their will to live free. We cannot and will not “make” the Iraqis a free people. Only the Iraqis can achieve and ensure freedom for themselves. The Iraqis must determine what they are willing to sacrifice to implement and maintain a free society. Just like all people who have chosen freedom over oppression, the Iraqis will be called upon to defend what has value for them.

The U.S. and allies have sacrificed lives of young soldiers and spent billions of dollars in an attempt to offer a mode of living that may not be meaningful to the beneficiary. If freedom matters to them, it’s time for the Iraqis to become fervent about their prospects for liberty. It’s time for the Iraqis, from all social and economic classes, to assume responsibility for their future. It’s time for the Iraqis to embrace the gift or say, “No thanks,” and accept bondage of another fanatical Islamic regime.