Modern Grendel

I think the modern day Grendel is very subjective towards change, and usually it isn’t represented by just one person, but rather a collective, country or group. Not only this but the perspective and “sides” so to speak is very important. I think a very interesting area for this Grendel situation is the US and Western Powers or the “good guys” or “Beowulf” so to speak and then the “Grendel” figure of the Muslim Middle Eastern countries. Due to biased and misinformed observations and generalizations by our governments, media sources and age-old opinions fueled by ancient feelings of racism, anti-muslim, and a whole lot of misunderstanding the general Muslim collective there has been demonized by the West and portrayed as our “enemy.” One country specifically demonstrates this demonizing process the best; the country of Iran. For over a century Iran has been a victim of foreign powers, whether by the hands of their fellow Muslims or by some strange and distant Western colonial government. Before the 20^th century they were ruled by the Ottoman Empire. However once the great liberators of the UK and France defeated this regime it seemed that they would finally achieve freedom, right? Wrong. They simply traded one overlord for an even worse one. The UK ruled Iran without really showing much care for the people and extracted oil relentlessly to fuel their own interests. Then WWII strikes and the UK goes bankrupt, so they are forced to dismantle their magnificent empire and release most of their former colonies and territories. Iran is once again put into a false sense of freedom. Post-WWII the US is in desperate need of oil, so the leaders of the US take advantage of the disastrous political system of Iran and force in their own puppet figure to rally support and take over. They, no we, fuel this power-hungry dictator’s efforts by supplying him with weapons, money, soldiers and international recognition. This leader would become known as the “Shah” of Iran. He and his son would rule Iran until the 70’s. The US used this puppet as a tool to ruthlessly force Iranians to extract oil year in and year out for the new US leisure life style and war machines. Not only this, but the Shah maintained his power by having his soldiers (armed with US issued weapons of course) inhumanely control his citizens and enforce violent military rule. This made anger quietly brew within Iranians for decades until finally they revolted and a massive, and incredibly violent civil war broke out, followed by worse wars with Iraq and continued rioting and confusion. Eventually the people, tired of war and violence, rallied under their common banner, one that to them represented peace. The National Islamic Party won the election in Iran and turned the country into a Islamic Republic. Now not only on top of all the crimes the US has dealt to them, they also support Israel, which is an entirely separate but just as serious crime. But now that they’re no longer firmly under US hegemonic influence, they are considered a loose cannon. So the governments of the West label them terrorists and dangerous, unstable powers pursuing dangerous weapons with monstrous mindsets bent on destruction of all that is good and holy to us. Both Grendel and Iran are pictured by the “good” and “innocent” citizens of Denmark and the US as horrible monsters with no reasoning for their destructive tendencies. The truth behind their pain is forever lost though, as they are butchered by our armies and “heroes” defeating evil once again, preserving our regime of lies for a little longer.