An Inarticulate Imperialism: Dubya, Afghanistan and the American Century

The first independence day of the post-9/11 era in the United States was celebrated with characteristic patriotism and vigor. Parades, military music, fly-pasts and fireworks were everywhere, and the red-white-and-blue of the American flag impossible to escape. Thanks to strident but unspecific warnings of ‘terrorist attacks’ by state managers, every act of celebration was tinged with a sense of anxiety. Meanwhile, in a faraway village named Kakarak in Afghanistan, a stunned community was trying to make sense of the incredible violence that had burst upon them through the night sky. It was a little after midnight on July 1st, 2002, and wedding celebrations were in full swing. Amidst dancing, music, cups of hot tea and revelry, some of the men were firing off automatic rifles into the air. Suddenly, an American AC-130 plane loomed over the horizon and launched a missile attack on the two adjoining compounds where the wedding was to be held early the next day. 48 civilians including many children were massacred and more than twice that number injured.