February 28, 2003
When I used the double bind image in an abbreviated form of the message below on the MoveOn Virtual March to Washington on Wednesday, I noticed how suddenly intense my conversation with Congressional and White House Comment Line operators became. I believe this double bind image is a live wire, and we should connect it to a lot of U.S. outlets, and Mr. Hussein too. I am aware that e-mail to the Iraqi News Service was getting bounced recently, when people were asking Hussein to accept exile, but there are also a few other addresses for messages to Iraq listed after my mini-essay below.
There is more than the double bind image in the two paragraphs below.Take what you like and adapt it for your own messages.
President Bush and his inner circle have repeatedly let it be
known they intend to attack Iraq no matter what Iraq does. While
diplomatic experts have already criticized this tactic as self-defeating,
it's time we citizens called a spade a spade. Telling Iraq we
will make war on them no matter what they do is exactly like a
dysfunctional, abusive parent who tells a child, "I will
beat you no matter what you do." In other words, it's classic
double bind stuff. Since Bush and his colleagues don't seem to
be serious about getting Iraq to disarm nonviolently, they don't
care if the tactic does cause Hussein to resist disarming even
more. But there is a cost to them of this tactic, which I'm not
sure they really understand yet. Tying people or nations up in
an obvious double bind makes everyone hate the manipulator and
sympathize with the target, even if the target is really objectionable.
This is one important reason, among many others, why the U.S.
is encountering growing resistance on all sides. Bush and his
colleagues just look like a bunch of ugly parents right now.
Of course, Saddam Hussein himself is playing another kind of shortsighted
double bind game. He's been claiming that anti-war marches all
over the world are supporting him and his policies, and suggesting
that we marchers will stop Bush, with the implication that he,
Hussein, doesn't have to cooperate quickly and fully with the
U.N disarmament team. His charm offensive on American TV didn't
work at all, because we demonstrators are equally disgusted by
this tactic and his footdragging on the inspections. We refuse
to be used by him.
We the people of the world are demonstrating against using violence
as a way to solve any of our problems now. Today, violence
just breeds even more violence. This means we want to stop all
those who would make war, prepare to make it, or fund and foster
violence in any form, including terrorism. We demand that U.N.
orders to disarm be obeyed. We hope to save from the horrors of
war and new terrorism the Iraqi people, all of the people of the
Middle East, the people of our own country, the people of the
world, and the ecosphere of our precious and only planet, the
Earth. We deeply fear and reject a future in which preemptive
war becomes policy, and a new and terrible nuclear arms race is
set going.
We want leaders of the U.S. and Iraq to move beyond double bind
statecraft! Save us from this escalating global disaster!
IRAQ ADDRESSES:
MissionofIraq@nyc.rr.com
Permanent Mission of Iraq to the United Nations
14 East 79th Street, New York, New York 10021
Iraqi News Service: uruk@uruklink.net
or ina@uruk@uruklink.net
President Saddam Hussein
Presidential Palace, Karadat Mariam, Bagdad, Republic of Iraq
For the Earth,
Susan C. Strong, Ph.D.
Founder
The Metaphor Project
www.metaphorproject.org