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Iraq: Three years laterMar 19 '06 (Updated Apr 24 '06) Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line ... I often try my best to keep my political beliefs to myself, but sometimes I just can’t help it. This is one of those occasions. It’s now three years since President Bush declared “Operation Iraqi Freedom”: A military campaign and invasion of Iraq that was launched for reasons nobody’s really certain of anymore. No, that isn’t accurate: It was launched for reasons that are flexible whenever Bush finds evidence to the contrary. First it was to force Saddam to give up phantom Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs). Then it was to overthrow the dictator (Which was accomplished). Then it was to spread democracy in Iraq, which has been done with varying levels of success (Depending on how you define democracy) and then to the rest of the tumultuous Middle East while allowing the United States to fulfill it’s whole “City on a hill/leaders of the world” responsibility. Yeah, I’m confused, too. When I look back and think upon the whole Iraq situation, there are only three things that really bother me: 1. Saddam. Is the world better off that he’s no longer ruling Iraq? To an extant, yes. However, though he was a serious threat in the 1980’s and early 1990’s, Saddam’s threat was diminished significantly following Desert Storm in 1991, when he then came under constant inspections from and was watched carefully by the United Nations. He was still a pest, but nothing more. Did he want to possess WMDs? Of course. Did he ever actually posess them? Not sure. I do know one thing, however: North Korea has the capability and technology to make ICBMs. Iran’s also got a nuclear program, and India and Pakistan have nuclear warheads trained at one another around the clock. 2. Bush’s attitude. I like a President whom projects an image of confidence and strength to his country and to the world. But there is a difference between being definite and being delusional. Richard Nixon, when faced with impeachment from covering up Water Gate, announced his resignation, even though “Every fiber” of his being told him otherwise. Ronald Reagan has never been directly connected to Iran-Contra, but he still came out and publicly apologized for the whole fiasco. Bush? When asked if things are going wrong in Iraq and why poll numbers are low says that people just don’t understand and then makes a speech about the women and children in the region. When asked if a time table or at least consideration of decreasing involvement is being talked about, he claims that such things would be acts of cowardice. When asked what went wrong- after highlighting the positives- Bush points out that the “intelligence information” wasn’t accurate enough (Yeah, blame the CIA because they’ll never be allowed to defend themselves). Bush says phrases like “We can either ‘cut and run’ or ‘stay the course’.” What the course is, though, nobody seems to know anymore. A strong leader, besides being certain and definite, is also willing to accept blame, admit when they were wrong and, you know, LEAD. Bush definitely has ideals, but he lives in a world closed off from all criticism and disagreement. 3. Patriotism: “The last refuge of a scoundrel.” I will make this clear: I love our troops. I really do (I was appalled by that recent My Space group “F*ck the Troops”). A lifelong dream of mine has been to join the US military and I am strongly considering such (The last couple of recruiters I’ve known have been assholes, however), not to mention that I have several good friends (Including my best friend) in the military. At the same time, I HATE this war. Wait, is that possible? If you ask Bush supporters, it isn’t. They still live with a mentality that most people thought went out after Vietnam: Hate the war and you hate our soldiers. It’s just like when some bible bangers came to my house once and, when I said I wasn’t interested, they asked “Do you believe in Jesus Christ?” It’s fully possible to support our soldiers and hope for their safe return and that they fulfill their objectives, and to also voice discontent with the reasons and situations that they are in. In fact, by speaking out against the war, I could be even more patriotic. I do not like hearing news reports daily about American soldiers (Many not much older then I) and Iraqi civilians being wasted in a situation that has become vague and uncertain, and which has been used extensively as a political tool. Quite a few of my friends in the military have already or are preparing to be sent over to Iraq, and I do not care to read about one of them getting killed. Too many good people, full of potential and talent, have to face death on an hourly basis, and many are being sent home in body bags. You don’t need to wave a bloody shirt at me and shout “Support our troops” or “Remember 9/11” because, far as I know, there is little connection between the two. Don’t pump me up by talking about the sacrifices that they’re making, either: I appreciate those sacrifices, but I only wish that they were being deployed towards more fruitful causes and in areas where they could be better appreciated and beneficial. I know that we’ve got ourselves too steeped into this to simply pull out the soldiers and go home, but we’ve got to be given an idea of at least some downsizing or definite withdrawal, so I don’t have to read about a friend of mine getting killed over there. War is an evil thing, but there are cases when it’s justified or the last resort. I saw no justification for military action three years ago, and I see even less now. I am aware that there are a number of conservatives and very patriotic people on this site. If you want to post a comment to this, I encourage it. Who knows? Much like what I’ve tried to do, you could probably point out flaws that I’ve made in my own thinking and possibly force me to reconsider my opinions. I at least am willing to admit when I’m wrong.  |
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