In the last few days the country, if not the world, has had a crash course in bunker buster bombs, ever since three of them literally crashed down on a nuclear weapons development facility in Fordow, Iran. Delivered by a stealth B2 bomber, the pretext, subtext and context of the attack is now very much out in the open. And the questions abound: was the attack legitimate, was it effective, will it bring peace or be a catalyst for more war, how does the bombing affect the ever changing complexity of international relations?
Those are important questions, and they need to be grappled with. But they are policy questions, and as such they provide us with some emotional distance from the human impact of the bombings, which opens up all sorts of other questions.
When I was a sophomore in college, my political science professor, George Kateb, barged into his class one morning in a controlled rage. Arguably the most respected teacher on campus, he threw down that day’s edition of the New York Times, pointed to the lead article’s headline: “Cost of Living increases by .3% in the last Month” and with great disdain shouted out, “they need to be writing about the politics of life and death. Economic data is a distraction from what is really going on in the world. People are dying. That is the story that needs to be told.” I still remember his words, and his prophetic passion – some fifty years later.
We don’t yet know the full extent of the damage wrought by bunker buster bombs, in terms of infrastructure or loss of human life. That will be reported out in the coming days, and undoubtedly there will be different sources and spins on the data. And our attention will inevitably be drawn to the debate about facts and figures, success and failure of the operation and its aftermath — at the expense of the attention that needs to be directed on the other assaults which the United States has inflicted in various parts of the world. They are different bombs — not of ordnance, but the withholding of aid, through the dismantling of US AID. The cutbacks are tantamount to an anti-personnel weapon, the impact of which is an escalating loss of life because medicines which have been purchased and stored are not being delivered, centers of medical care have been shuttered, and ongoing funding has been cut off. The data on all the programs that have been thrown into the DOGE “woodchipper” is hard to come by, partly because they had largely been operating in remote areas, often among people who live in so-called “shithole countries”, and who therefore do not merit much concern. Whose lives have been deemed to have little or no value.
The rationale for the closing of US AID is largely based on bogus claims of corruption, and a wildly inflated claim of cost to the US taxpayer. My guess is that when the accounting is complete — and certified for accuracy, the attendant costs of closing US AID will far exceed the annual budget of the programs it fosters. As Professor Kateb said, economic data is a distraction from what is really going on in the world. People are dying.
Since the end of World War II America has served as the world’s police department. There have been many moments of brutality and abuse, to be sure, but the intent has been to keep people, countries and the world safe. There are many who are arguing today that we need to let go of that role, and put America first. There will be endless debate on whether or not we should abandon our policing position, and how best to do that should that be the decision.
For far longer America has served as the world’s lead chaplain, offering succor, support and resources to millions of people whose lives have been framed by poverty, disease and violence. By all accounts there has been a long standing need for US AID to engage in operational reforms. That hasn’t happened. Instead, the whole operation has been blown up — without any preparation or warning — all of which demonstrates a cruelty that makes me embarrassed to be an American.
How to respond to this ongoing anti-personnel crisis? Step into the role of chaplain. Learn the stories of life and death — and tell them. Give your heart to the misery that has been generated through moral blindness. Offer your witness, prayer and monetary donations. Find a relief agency that is doing life nurturing and life saving work and support them. Pay attention to the policy issues that the bombing of Fordo has raised, yes, but don’t get distracted by them. We need to pay attention to the issues of life and death.
People are dying.
