THE EFFECTS OF KUWAIT ON MY MENTAL HEALTH 1991

In this article I am going to examine a couple of the “facts”. These, nurtured in my head, while in Kuwait, during the period immediately after the war. My “facts” are of my own creation. They helped me form an opinion of this conflict and any other similar conflict for that matter. We must all remember that Kuwait was a former province of Iraq. It was, subsequently, “liberated” by the British and made an independent country. At about the same time it was determined that Kuwait held major oil reserves. Coincident, you think? In any event it appeared that Iraq wanted to reclaim its’ province. And, of course, bring it (and its oil) back into the fold with other Iraqi provinces.

After the passing of 40 years it may seem likely, that the oil resources may have also had a part in Iraq wanting to re-claim Kuwait. I am almost convinced that if Kuwait had been a barren bug infested place, with no oil resources. THEN NEITHER THE IRAQS OR THE BRITS WOULD HAVE GIVEN A CRAP ABOUT WHO IT BELONGED TO. So the premise of my opinion is that my ass ended up in a dangerous situation because of the world’s undying love of oil money. This war, in my humble opinion had zero, nada, zippo to do with saving humanity. (Or, indeed, the Kuwaiti version of humanity) from the madman Saddam Hussein. Rather, in my humble opinion, it was fought over greed, pure and simple.

The Kuwaitis had little to do with it, it could have been anywhere in the world. In any crappy little piece of dirt, that happened to have big oil reserves. Just how much the Kuwaitis loved their country was evidenced by the fact, that at the time of the war. More than 40% of Kuwaiti citizens had permanent residences and lived, overseas, mostly in Europe. In addition another 40% of Kuwaiti citizens fled to their vacation homes in Europe. Within a few days of the first signs of Iraqi aggression. Figure it out, that didn’t leave a lot of “loyalists” to face the oncoming hoards.

Of the Kuwaitis that remained in Q8 during the invasion, it is my opinion that they also would have left for Europe, if they had had sufficient financial resources. So I guess what I am saying is, that those left behind may have been somewhat less than leaders of the country or leaders of the resistance. Further my opinion is that, because the Kuwaiti government had almost 100billion USD invested outside of Kuwait at the time, they could pay someone else to fight their battles. that being the Allied forces of Great Britain, Europe, Canada and the USA. Essentially I participated in a conflict probably created by the big oil companies.

So, to continue this thread, I end up separated from my family, thrust into a very dangerous situation, scared out of ten years of my life and probably effected by nerve gas (at least that’s my excuse for any weirdness you might notice in me) to protect oil resources that could be exploited in later years as a source of huge, vulgar profits by the oil companies. To some this may not sound like Jimbo, however even my “conservative” leanings have an outer limit. Please forgive my moment of weakness, I’ll go lay down until it passes, HA.