Cleanliness, they say, is next to godliness. This would make the United
States of America one of the most squeaky-clean, hygienic and sanitised
nation on Earth. How do I know this? Because a recent survey has shown
that fully 70 percent of Americans say they know that God really exists
and that they have no doubts about this at all.
In this blind, trusting belief they're only outdone by their Mexican
neighbours; of whom 80 percent are utterly convinced that there is an
Almighty up there, doing what Almighties do. It's odd, therefore, that
Mexico has failed to attain the exalted standards of cleanliness of their
fellow believers north of the border.
How amazingly high these percentages, 70 and 80, are becomes clear when
we look at the rest of the survey. Serene certainty affects only 24
percent of Brits, 25 percent of the French and 22 percent of Germans.
Only in Italy, with 51 percent, is the existence of God a dead cert for
the majority; but what a slender majority it is, compared with the Dutch
'No' vote against the EU Constitution!
Still, it shows that when it comes to believing the unprovable old Europe
cannot match the glowing faith of the Americans; which, in turn, explains
that country's urgent desire to spread liberty, Christianity, a taste for
consumerism and modern plumbing around the world. Someone's got to do it.
Lucky, then, that they've got the military clout for it; we can't expect
too much from the Mexicans there.
America - in spite of its claims to hard-nosed high morality and the
ready availability of liquids that kill 99 percent of all household
germs- is in fact in decline. A decline, I must add, in standards of both
morality and hygiene. Come with me, if you will, to Guantanamo Bay, the
place where the world can observe the very cutting edge of America's
current supremacy.
Dealing, as they do, with several hundred misguided characters - who
would, if given half a chance, break every one of the Ten Commandments -
the Americans at Camp X-Ray have a unique op****tunity of showing these
people what Christian compassion and state of the art sanitation are all
about. Didn't quite work out that way, though, did it?
I've noticed a strange phenomenon: the less you believe, the more likely
you are to treat those who do believe with respect. The more intense your
Christian convictions (or your Muslim ones, obviously) the more you will
be inclined to reject the other man's faith as a load of rubbish.
No surprise, then that among the US staff at Guantanamo (of whom 70
percent are fervent believers in God) respect for Islam and its Holy
Scriptures is virtually non-existent. This has led to a welter of
complaints from inmates, accusing American guards of abusing both them
and their religion. A disturbing state of affairs, so what better,
dispassionate official to put in charge of an investigation than US
Brigadier General Jay W. Hood - the very man who acts as head honcho in
Guantanamo Bay?
Hood's inquiry has thrown up a re****t that reads as a bloodless version
of Reservoir Dogs, no guns going off but a lot of kicking and shouting.
Evidence was found of at least five incidents of US personnel -
intentionally or unintentionally - abusing or 'mishandling' the Koran,
the holiest object a Muslim can think of.
Especially interesting was the case of an inmate who was reading his holy
book, sitting in his cell near an air vent, when suddenly urine splashed
from the vent all over the Koran. Turned out a US guard - obviously faced
with a sudden, violent call of nature - had peed against the outside wall
right into the air vent.
No toilets at Camp X-Ray? Does military discipline not forbid piddling
against walls, and risking 110V up your willy? Did the guy wash his hands
afterwards, or what?
More disturbing than that was Jay Hood's 'confirmation' of at least 15
incidents in which detainees had mishandled the Koran; by using it as a
pillow, ripping pages out of it, spitting on it and 'throwing urine on
it.'
Knowing, as we all do, how fanatical Muslims are about their faith - a
fanaticism their illegal detention in Guantanamo Bay only serves to
reinforce - how likely is that? It is, I am utterly convinced, a pack of
cynical fabrication, from beginning to end.
Real moral decline doesn't start when you do bad things. It begins when
you can't even be bothered to lie about them cleverly.
--
T Moore
N E Manchester, England
http://sitemenu.tom-moore.com/
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