The United States seems as capable of barbarism as anyone else, as the abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison make clear. Much of the time the barbarism in Iraq goes unrecorded, as when American tanks sweep into Iraqi neighborhoods and kill dozens of innocents in the name of fighting "insurgents."
伊拉克战争的后果之一是（再次）将"文明"和"野蛮"国家间的虚假界线暴露无余。阿布格莱布疟俘事件显示：美国可以像其它国家一样原始野蛮。多数时候，伊境内的野蛮行为没有记载，比如美国坦克潮水般地涌入伊拉克居民区，以镇压"叛乱份子"的名义杀死几十条无辜的生命。令人毛骨悚然的美国人质斩首事件表明：野蛮的影子随处可见。