Paul J. Balles argues that the American Halloween practice of “tricking-or-treating” has become embedded in US politics, and that "trick or treat" has in some instances become "do our bidding or we'll blow you up" while in others it translates into "do what we want or we'll cut off support".
Judging from the pumpkins and masks in some of the local shops, the basically American day, Halloween, has infected parts of the Middle East.
With roots in Celtic lore, Halloween costumes are traditionally those of monsters such as ghosts, skeletons, witches and devils, used to scare off demons.
The telling of ghost stories and viewing of horror films are common fixtures of Halloween parties. Episodes of television series and Halloween-themed specials (usually aimed at children) are commonly aired on or before the holiday.
In some parts of Ireland and Scotland, children still go guising. In this custom, the child performs some sort of show, i.e. sings a song or tells a ghost story, in order to earn their treats.
On Halloween in America, children go in costume from house to house, asking for treats such as candy or sometimes money, with the announcement, "Trick or treat!"
The word "trick" refers to a (mostly idle) threat to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given.
The practice of tricking-or-treating seems to have become embedded in American politics. In some instances, trick or treat has become "do our bidding or we'll blow you up." In others, it translates into "do what we want or we'll cut off support."
One of America's favourite tricks involves sanctions. In Iraq alone, 10 years of sanctions killed a half-million children. The treat they demanded was to give up Saddam and control of Iraq so it couldn't develop weapons of mass destruction.
Was that trick worth it? UN ambassador (and later Secretary of State) Madeleine Albright, when asked about these numbers, coldly stated, "The price is worth it." Trick or treat!
How many Iraqis have been slaughtered in the unjustified invasion and occupation by America? According to Just Foreign Policy, 1,339,771 as of Halloween 2009. Trick or treat!
Can you imagine what would happen if any force managed to kill 1,339,771 Americans by playing trick or treat with America? Only 3,000 deaths on 9/11 led to the wrath in Afghanistan and Iraq.
As long as we condone murder, whether in Iraq or Afghanistan, in the name of democracy and as long we cite “women’s rights” as a reason to drop bombs on Afghan women, then we are the ultimate pathological bigots.
In Pakistan, Hillary Clinton's Halloween treat was to criticize Islamabad for its failure to capture or kill Al-Qaeda's leaders. She found it "hard to believe that nobody in your government knows where they are and couldn't get them if they really wanted to."
Trick or treat: it's up to you Pakistanis to do the job of finishing off Al-Qaeda and the Taliban that we failed to do during eight years in Afghanistan.
Journalist Asma Shirazi called Clinton on America's ghoulish Halloween mask by saying, "We are fighting a war that is imposed on us. It's not our war. It is your war…"
The latest in America's trick or treat arcade, of course, is Iran. We won't impose drastic sanctions or bomb the hell out of your nuclear sites (trick) if you give us your enriched uranium (treat).
The "mostly idle" threat to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat was given belonged to the children. When they grew up, the threat was no longer mostly idle. It became a cultural icon.
When childhood play becomes a cultural icon, it's no longer fun. With Halloween, the pumpkins, broomsticks and witches’ costumes evolve into tanks and warships with missiles.
Its planes and drones carry and drop real bombs on real people whose only treats they have to give are their lives.
Paul J. Balles is a retired American university professor and freelance writer who has lived in the Middle East for many years. For more information, see http://www.pballes.com.
