Judas

The bible relates the story of Judas and his fingering of Christ to the soldiers of Caiaphas in the garden of Gethsemane. Caiaphas then surrenders Christ to the Roman soldiers. The subsequent story of the trial and persecution by crucifixion of Christ is the beginning of the Christian religion.

History is replete with similar stories of spying by countries; double agents in time of war or confrontation. We even have a name for double agents: moles.

Now we have retired military officers who have been the willing conspirators in the war against Saddam and Iraq. Countless numbers of people have suffered because of the war. The United States has lost four thousand soldiers killed, thirty thousand wounded and unknown numbers of soldiers with perhaps permanent psychological problems. We will have to live with the results of this for many years. There is no account of the Iraqi soldiers and civilians who have been killed or maimed or lives ruined forever. Nor is there any account of the displaced families, ruined lives and permanent dislocation of social order. These retired officers were dined and entertained and made information media stars for brief moments, appearing on various news casts and telling a distorted version of the progress of the war. These officers are currently retired from the military with the usual remuneration that allows them to lead a very comfortable life style in addition to be allowed to visit the Pentagon and be kept abreast of the war.

For this action they received some five hundred to one thousand dollars a month and probably social status that comes from appearing on television as an expert.

Judas of course received thirty pieces of silver. I do not know what thirty five pieces of silver would be worth today, but according to what I have read, Judas refused to accept the silver when he learned what he had done. We of course all have our price. I would not settle for what the generals settled for, but maybe I’m just picky. Various versions tell the story that Judas kills himself or is killed by unknown forces or wanders the earth until he dies. Of course we do not know which version is correct, but they all seem to agree that he suffered for his betrayal. I wonder if these officers will feel remorse and return the money, or perhaps give it to the widows or families of our fallen soldiers or to the families of the Iraqis who were killed or forced to leave and become a member of the displaced. I do not think that like Judas, they will kill themselves.