Cooling off

It is starting to cool off here in Iraq. It gets to the upper 80ies during the day, and the 60ies at night. I really enjoy the brisk mornings. I hear that soon it will start raining so hard that I’ll never want to see rain again. It seems like we have no good seasons here in Iraq. It is either HOT and dry or COLD and wet. I know I’ll probably hate the rain eventually but I wouldn’t mind a few wicked thunderstorms, I hear that are pretty awesome here. The say the weather gets “Old Testament” when winter starts.

A few days ago my old bosses son was airlifted to the hospital here because of an accident he had with an up-armored Striker hatch. He was hurting pretty bad, but the hospital here is very good and he should be leaving in the next few days. I found out he was here from an email his dad sent me. He asked me to check on him and I have been every day since he has been here. He is good sprits and looking forward to getting back to work. It has given me a great opportunity to get the a soldiers perspective on what is going on over here, and to know what it is like outside of the wire. He has an interesting view on things here, and the military itself. He told me “if the military was half what I was hoping, I’d never leave.” JB is a smart guy, a lot more intelligent then most of the military people above him, let alone his rank.

He described the living conditions of most of the Iraqi cities he has been in. No building codes, electrical wires low enough to reach by putting your arm up, above ground sewage, falling down buildings. He went on to say, “The conditions are not even 3rd world, they are more like 5th world.” He then asked me, “So what I KBR doing to help rebuild Iraq.” I told him that we have built water purification facilities and sewage plants, but we are limited to what the government tells us to do and pays us to do. If we were allowed to contract with the Iraqi Government I believe we could do a lot of good outside the wire. My biggest beef, and JB was quick to agree, was that the US military is more interested in setting up an army then rebuilding a country. Maybe if we built schools and provided electricity and water we wouldn’t have as much trouble with the locals as we do now.

He also went on to tell me about the Iraqi culture and how it blew him away. Things I have heard from others, but were quick to disagree with, are actually true. Yes, many Iraqi men have sex with goats and sheep, men have sex with each other openly, and it is acceptable to poop anywhere outdoors. He described people “poppin a squat” in the middle of the street, pooping, and walking away; both men and women. I guess that is the norm in many parts of the world, but I guess me and him are both used to a completely different system.

Well the election is coming up, we are down to 11 days. Most people here have casted there absentee ballot and most of them voted for McCain. To each his own, but I not only want Obama to win because I think he would be an awesome president, but also so I don’t get ripped on for the next 8 months. It scares me to see how scared these Southerns are about Obama winning. You really see the hatred come out when the idea of a “brown president” come up. I got an email, that I wish I had kept, that said a black president was the sign of the Apocalypse. Not only that, but these people here took it serious. Like it was there mission from god, for man kind’s sake, to make sure a black man does not become president. I now second guess thinking everyone should the right to vote (just kidding). But seriously, these people have believed chain emails before about Obama being a “Secret Muslim” that wants to change out “National Religion” to what they call “Muslimism.” But now this? You have got to be shitting me. Its ridiculous how easy it is to scare these people from the South. Just use the word Islamic or the phrase “Gun laws” in a sentence and they start freaking out. They really think Obama wants to make guns illegal. They will believe anything you put in front of them, emails, or TV are like the word of god to them.

Frankley, all I care about is that our country goes in a new direction. I don’t care who does it, but someone who has voted over 90% the same as Bush doesn’t seem like the right guy for the job. However, if McCain wins, then power too him. This sentiment is not shared the other way around with the Texan and Louisianans. I have heard more then a few of them say, and I quote, “If Obama gets into office I hope he gets assassinated.” Now I wouldn’t be really happy if McCain went into office, but I wouldn’t want him dead. I am amazed by how racist and easily scared people are from the South. And I do admit, granted, these people do not represent the South entirely, but 100% of everyone I have talked to here openly have this sentiment (I thought at least one or two would feel different).

The BBC radio show I listen to in my truck that is broadcasted from outside the wire said the other day, “A survey in the United States shows 40% of Americans said they would never vote for a Black president no matter how his policies were.” I am ashamed to be an American when I hear things like that.

Sorry for the rant. Things are starting to boil up here with the election, and they like to pick on me often. I went to my supervisor and he laughed and said something along the lines of “good for them.”

O yeah! GO PHILLIES!!!!