The Concept of the Shadow and the 2003 Iraq Invasion
Many psychologists and other writers have explored the concept of the "shadow," which they have generally defined as the part of the psyche that is often blamed or attacked when individuals or groups feel a need to justify or vindicate their own behavior (Judge). Generally, individuals or groups do not recognize that the shadow as part of themselves. Rather, they perceive it as a separate entity that has sparked fear or anger in the individual or group. This paper explores the concept of the shadow in the context of the United States-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. The paper concludes that the impetus for the invasion was President George Bush's desire to attack the shadow of his father and the shadow of American foreign policy in the world. The paper also concludes that the American public's support for the invasion was also due to its projection of its own shadow onto Saddam Hussein and the Arabic peoples of the Middle East.
In his discussion of the concept of the shadow, Robert Bly discusses how many men have fought their dark "shadowy" fathers to overcome them. He also discusses how men try to rise above their fathers' achievements, thereby transcending them and leaving them behind (Judge). As President Bush seemed to be preparing the country for an Iraq invasion in early 2003, many people, primarily Democrats, contended that Bush was seeking either to avenge Saddam Hussein's assassination attempt on his father, the former President George Bush, or that Bush was attempting to finish what his father had started in Gulf War I (Scheer).
On the other hand, some political and foreign policy experts have contended that the terrorist attacks against the United States were "blowback" for American foreign policy (Cochrane). Foe example, former CIA consultant Chalmers Johnson has argued that bin Laden's involvement in the September 11th attacks was a demonstration of blowback, a CI...