The Iraq War
As you know, a rather pointless war in Iraq is going on right now. This has been an issue as of late, because no one can really find a reason for why it's happening. I'm here to decipher the issue a bit, and say what I think on the issue.
I think the whole issue is a obvious and silent attack on human rights, which I'll explain later. I'll focus on America for now, because if people protest in Canada, our government shouldn't be responsible for it all.
On that note, many people are left asking why? Why is this war happening? Many have devised ideas about why the US government is having it. I think that George Orwell's saying from 1984, "War is peace" applies here. The meaning behind this is if you are always waging war, the nation is always rooting for the government, although they're not really seeing what's happening. Basically, if you always have war, there is always something that everyone can root for and support, if the eternal war stops, then people start to see through the governments plans, which they don't want to happen. It's a matter of scapegoating. It's all a pretty dirty situation.
I think it's a combination of idea which include to get oil, the bigoted view the US has on other nations, previous negative dealings with Iraq, and events leading up from World War 1 as crazy as it may sound.
The obvious part of the human rights invasion is on the Iraq side. Beforehand, a cruel leadership suppressed the human spirit, and that created a pretty bad experience for the Iraqis, although it has been reported that the situation is not much better now.
The other, silent part of the human rights invasion is on the side of the protesters, specifically in America. Here are these people living in the wonderful "United" States, pouring their souls out to the government telling them how goddamn stupid they're being for attacking this place. Naturally, the government doesn't care at all. I think the ignorance that the government displays to half of it's population is insane. They claim that free speech is what they live by, but they don't listen to the free speech that is happening. The states will never be united if this massive devision is in place.
How could the US government fix itself up a bit? I think starting to listen more to their population would be a start and to basically get common sense. Of course there is a reason for why they're so ignorant. I think it's because of the personal experiences that they've had. Let's focus on George W. Bush. I think we could say that he leads a pretty shallow life, with his life containing a lot of confused wandering and probably shallow influence from his father. I don't think he's fit to lead a very troubled nation like the US is, but since he is, these problems are unavoidable. I don't think the nations problems are all at the fault of the current government. I think the main reason for all of it is the racist inertia that has been building since the beginning of the nation.
- Joel Penner
I think the whole issue is a obvious and silent attack on human rights, which I'll explain later. I'll focus on America for now, because if people protest in Canada, our government shouldn't be responsible for it all.
On that note, many people are left asking why? Why is this war happening? Many have devised ideas about why the US government is having it. I think that George Orwell's saying from 1984, "War is peace" applies here. The meaning behind this is if you are always waging war, the nation is always rooting for the government, although they're not really seeing what's happening. Basically, if you always have war, there is always something that everyone can root for and support, if the eternal war stops, then people start to see through the governments plans, which they don't want to happen. It's a matter of scapegoating. It's all a pretty dirty situation.
I think it's a combination of idea which include to get oil, the bigoted view the US has on other nations, previous negative dealings with Iraq, and events leading up from World War 1 as crazy as it may sound.
The obvious part of the human rights invasion is on the Iraq side. Beforehand, a cruel leadership suppressed the human spirit, and that created a pretty bad experience for the Iraqis, although it has been reported that the situation is not much better now.
The other, silent part of the human rights invasion is on the side of the protesters, specifically in America. Here are these people living in the wonderful "United" States, pouring their souls out to the government telling them how goddamn stupid they're being for attacking this place. Naturally, the government doesn't care at all. I think the ignorance that the government displays to half of it's population is insane. They claim that free speech is what they live by, but they don't listen to the free speech that is happening. The states will never be united if this massive devision is in place.
How could the US government fix itself up a bit? I think starting to listen more to their population would be a start and to basically get common sense. Of course there is a reason for why they're so ignorant. I think it's because of the personal experiences that they've had. Let's focus on George W. Bush. I think we could say that he leads a pretty shallow life, with his life containing a lot of confused wandering and probably shallow influence from his father. I don't think he's fit to lead a very troubled nation like the US is, but since he is, these problems are unavoidable. I don't think the nations problems are all at the fault of the current government. I think the main reason for all of it is the racist inertia that has been building since the beginning of the nation.
- Joel Penner
posted by featheredtar at Monday, June 13, 2005
5 Comments:
i couldn't agree with you more.
I am still pro-war in Iraq. This is why:
We know that our policy of appeasement with bad and oppressive Arab governments for oil has been disastrous. We need to find a way to change those governments without pushing them into radical theocracy. Providing an example of successful democracy is necessary to prevent neighboring Muslim states from choosing Iran or Taliban-like governments in lieu of their monarchies.
Iraq was in a special status as a nation that the other "axis of evil" countries are not in. Iraq has invaded two neighbors, and has used WMD's. We believed that they still had them, and Iraq was required to provide proof that they had destroyed them. Iraq signed an agreement to end the previous gulf war that required that compliance. Iraq failed to comply. Even so, the other two parts of the axis are not forgotten. North Korea has other states around it that are powerful enough to counter potential aggression, and is not an Islamic state that sponsors the specific terrorism that we are encountering now. Additionally, North Korea is not sitting on Nexus of the life blood of the entire world economy. Finally, Iran is now bordered by two states occupied by the US and is contained in a way that it was not in 2002 (and it has a strong democratic movement on its own that intervention would cripple, not help).
I think it is clear that the 12 years of sanctions were not working to enforce the cease fire agreement. The sanctions were weakening without Iraqi compliance, and I think it is likely that the effect of sanctions over 12 years are qualitatively and quantitatively worse for the innocent Iraqi citizens than the war has been. Combatants have to have the right to enforce cease fire agreements, or the victor will not accept anything short of unconditional surrender. If even the United States cannot rely and enforce such agreements, why would some third-world country agree to one? Even simply as a matter of enforcing this agreement, I think we were justified in the attack.
I believe that even if it fails, the attempt to start a democracy in Iraq was the right move. True democracies do not invade other democracies (at least, I can't think of an example). I believe that it is possible that with democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan, we could in the next decade possibly have a line of countries with half of the Islamic world in representative democracies. From Turkey, Iraq, Iran (which has the infrastructure for democracy now, just has to get rid of the ruling mullahs, and is possible), Afghanistan, Pakistan (which has had democracy, and can again), 200 million Muslims in India, and Indonesia. I think that would put incredible pressure on the rest of the Islamic world to start to change from their own populations, and that would be a good thing.
I think Iraq has an educated populous that is relatively industrious, and has a history of secular government and relatively good women's rights. It is closer to Turkey in temperament and history than Saudi Arabia. As a place to start seeding democracy in the middle east, Iraq is a good place to start.
In my mind, Bush has swung hard for the fence for a long term solution to middle east violence and oppression. I think it is going to work, but we won't know if it is truly successful for another ten years, or longer. Our own experiment in democracy fluttered along for 13 years before we even got our Constitution, and was probably not truly secured until after the Civil War. Expecting immediate results is unreasonable.
If ten years from now we all look back and say we failed, I will still support the attempt. There is no guarantee of success in world affairs, but continuing failed policies is a guaranteed failure.
preach on, brother. its murder down here.
and to jrudkis, you don't start a democracy via force. Remember, these are people. If Canada tried to force me to use coins instead of paper for my single dollar currency, i would revolt. Now, imagine that happening for EVERYTHING. Is it any wonder why the people there are upset and not lying down to American imperialism?
Your explanation for the war is a rehashed justification for it. The US went to war to get rid of the terrorists. Remember, Iraq had WMD's. Then...they...didn't. But look, we got rid of the evil dictator anyway!
All the US ended up doing is creating a bigger mess and sacrificing a lot of inocent people, soliers and citizens alike. But Haliburton got paid.
lol, yup, some people don't learn from the past. (ex. it's turning out like the cold war)
Post a Comment
<< Home