culture fix

we are still ready to forgive our rulers.

necessary atrocities

to keep things the way they are;

the daily violences and indignities

of a system that cannot do otherwise;

we describe, instead, as errors and aberrations.

1977, steve biko dies in custody -

the murder is horrific, terrifying.

we are outraged

and the security police issue apologies, reforms.

“from here forward, we will not commit torture,

we don't believe in it...”

the public is told.

the public – you and i – believes them.

back in the interrogation rooms

the black activists are told,

“in this room we killed biko,

and we'll kill you in the same way...”

and believe what they hear.

our outrage is made impotent

by our naivety

and our desire to exonerate our torturers.

if they could have had apartheid without torture,

they'd have done it.

if we could have toppled apartheid

with requests, apologies and reforms,

we'd have forgone thirty years of war.

2.

2005, piles of US army photographs are publicized.

here we see iraqis humiliated, beaten and raped

by 20-something american 'boys and girls.'

the 'heroes' of every hometown

now displayed as barbaric, perverted beasts

flagrantly displaying a level of racial hatred

that is no longer popular in this country.

what does all this despicable imagery mean?

the iraqis were being asked important questions:

“where is saddam?

where are the weapons of mass destruction?

where are the terrorists?”

oh.

of course.

seeing the impossibility

of these explanations being taken seriously,

the army changes tactics:

1. this is the work of a 'few bad apples.'

2. torture is justified under certain circumstances, in the interests of national security and

3. we never use torture unless we mean to or unless

4. it's the work of a 'few bad apples.'

hiccup.

an unpleasant moment in the 'endless war' campaign.

seize the strategic advantage.

control the conversation about your own horrific deeds.

say it's legal.

say it's necessary.

say it rarely happens.

the public – you and i – believes it.

our outrage is made impotent

by our naivety

and our desire to exonerate our torturers.

the daily violences and indignities

of a system that cannot do otherwise

are taken in stride.

we are still ready to forgive our rulers.