The Green Zone, that huge, walled off section of Baghdad occupied by US military and civilian operations, has been renamed ‘The Emerald City’ after the fabled city in the movie ‘The Wizard of Oz’.
The Green Zone functions like a first world country having 24 hour electricity, water, sewage treatment and all the luxuries of the West that are woefully absent in the rest of the city and country.
Lying like an oasis of paradise in the midst of the ravaged land of Iraq, the Green Zone is tightly protected by castle-like walls, state-of-the-art surveillance, and a constant military presence, appearing to those outside like the fabulous city that Dorothy and her friends searched for.
Also much like the Emerald City of the children’s tale, the people there believe they are under the protection of an all wise, all powerful wizard who exists just to watch out for their well being, little knowing that he and his forces are really there to keep a firm hold on the oil from that part of the world. With Dick Cheney having retired as the old wizard, the Munchkins behind the scenes were hard pressed to find a new one, but are happy that Rush Limbaugh has stepped forward to fill the role. He is already busy. George Bush visited him asking for a brain, Cheney stopped by to see if he could get a new heart and most of the Democratic Party showed up wanting some courage.