Jon Stewart on the power of narrative

If you didn't see it, get the chance to see Jan 22 The Daily Show, just the interview. Stewart makes the point that perhaps one reason we as outsiders could never help the Iraqis to form a stable society is that by writing their nation's narrative of its modern birth (I'm paraphrasing here), which we are doing through our military and political attempts to reform their country, we aren't giving them a narrative history in which they can see themselves as the the overthrowers of evil and injustice (Saddam)--no historical precedent for national pride, nothing on which a sense of patriotism can be based.

China, whether they knew it or not, made a wise decision in kicking out foreigners as it went through its modern birth pangs--whatever problems they face, the country it has become is one they've made pretty much themselves. Of course they borrowed lots of ideas, theories, etc. from the former Soviet Union and more recently have borrowed more capitalistic ideas from the West, but the leaders have always been careful to cast them as "such-and-such idea with Chinese characteristics" a term I make fun of, but which I'm starting to think plays an important role in a country's establishment of its own national myths.

Some might point to Japan and Germany as counterexamples--in the case of Japan, they already had a long and well-entrenched national mythos based in their Imperial system--Hirohito was not dealt with as Saddam was, and it's probably safe to say his reign was responsible for more death than Saddam's, but by leaving that alone, I think Japan maintained its sense of self despite the post WWII changes that came about. For Germany I think the history is tied tightly to its geographic neighbors, and is also culturally similar, two factors that may have helped it rise as a post WWII society. And part of its reconstruction process, which in a way is still ongoing, is figuring out how to view itself in the lens of history--that is, how to rewrite its historical narrative in a way that includes what Hitler had done and shows how he himself rewrote Germany's myths to suit the vision he had of what Germany ought to be.

So can Iraq become its own country without a compelling narrative behind its creation? I strongly doubt it.