The Gulf War: Once Again the Drama of Human Sacrifice

Anthropologists and historians usually stop talking about human sacrifice the moment they shift their gaze from non-Western to Euro-Western civilizations. Human sacrifice is seen as a thing of the past and usually as an aspect of non-white societies (such as the Aztecs). In the 1991 Gulf War, however, George Bush and Saddam Hussein have taught us about human sacrifice in some of its modern forms. They both called for sacrifice. Bush, for example, stated that the Iraqis would be forced out of Kuwait "no matter what the sacrifice," or words to that effect. Who are the people who are being asked to make the ultimate sacrifice in the modern wars? First, of course, are the warriors themselves, men and women who, voluntarily or otherwise, have been committed to combat or to being in battle zones by virtue of their military status. Second are the civilians whose work or circumstances have placed them where they are likely to be targets of bombing or of other military or "terrorist" assults. Third are the indirect victims of the rite of war, those who will die of malnourishment or sickness, not only in the Middle East but in other regions because the billions being spent on the war must mean less funding for humanitarian and food distribution work in the poorer parts of the world. The Gulf War and its continuing aftermath may ultimately consume many tens of thousands of human lives, most of whom will be civilians. The latter tend to be killed and maimed by our modern methods of murder at a much greater rate than armed combatants. Their deaths are not "accidental" of course, since modern bombing and shelling techniques require their liquidation in order to destroy property and "military" targets. There can be no doubt that President Bush chose to sacrifice human lives in order to demonstrate personal power and to achieve policy objectives. These objectives, according to a speech to the troops delivered at Fort Stewart, Georgia,included eaching the lesson "that what we say goes"