To me, we really are never going to get out of Iraq. There is no way we will end up leaving Iraq without making sure there is a perfect democracy, one that mimics the one we have here. But that will never happen. Honestly, even if we try to put someone we believe can lead Iraq in the right direction, in a place as violent as Iraq, there is no way corruption and civil war will not occur. Think of Vietnam, we left Vietnam after the war thinking it will be fine, and is it? Instead we look back at Vietnam as a loss because we were not successful implementing democracy there.
This may seem very farfetched to many people, but I believe that we made the biggest mistake bywas not going into Pakistan. First off, this war began with the search of Osama Bin Ladin, which basically seems like a lost goal as of right now. Bin Ladin would have never reached Iraq without being caught. Geographically, Iraq is extremely far away from Afghanistan. Pakistan on the other hand is Afghanistan's neighbor. Not only that, Pakistan is the most densely population area of muslims. Bin Ladin would have had so many supporters that he can easily still be staying there and living his life the way he wants too. The reasoning for not going to Pakistan is that they do not have weapons of mass destruction, but that is totally a lie. Pakistan definately has WMD mainly because it is trying to rival India. Pakistan will do anything India will, and vise-versa. It is known that India has WMD, and so Pakistan will do it. As of right now, both countries are still fighting a 50 year old war about northern India called Jumma and Kashmir. They are at a military standstill, but still they try to out do the other at the border. Our biggest mistake was not going to Pakistan.
I understand there was a belief, again a belief, that there were weapon in Iraq, but this war started by wanting to capture the ones in charge of 9/11. Rather it turned into wanting to taking down Sadam and now resturcturing a country that has 3 different sects. 1 of these, the largest, is the most dangerous, and also the one that are against Americans. The lesser 2 are for American support only because they are not strong enough to take down the strongest force. We are basically in a civil war that should be fought between people in that country, and not with American soldiers and lives at risk.
I have been against this war from the beginning. I only supported the attack on Afghanistan and the Taliban, but when the attention turned away from that, I realized that this was a lost cause. Right now, the country is torn apart because we want our soldiers back, but as of right now, pulling out will later result in the blaming of our country for something we started, and something we didn't finish. It may seem like a victory, but it will be remembered as Vietnam Part II.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
How The War Affects Me
Although the war has been a major topic for quite some time, I have not followed it very closely particularly because I have no family or close friends presently involved in the war. Over spring break, however, my friends and I had a get together to catch up and I found out that my friend, Josh, will most likely be sent overseas sometime next October. I always knew there was a possibility of this happening since he voluntarily enlisted, but hearing him say that it will actually happen, and happen so soon, made it real. He will be the first person that I am close with to be deployed to Iraq and the possibilities of what could happen to him while he is there constantly run through my mind when I think about him- regardless of the fact that it is several months away. What concerns me most is how he will be when he returns from his deployment. A few weeks ago, my friend and I watched a special interview of soldiers who returned from overseas. They talked about their personal tramatic experiences and the horrific things they were exposed to day after day. None of them told a positive story from being over there, and many described scenes that they said will haunt them forever.
Knowing that my friend will soon be experiencing first hand the horrible things I have read and heard about on the news makes me worried and scared at times, but the fact that he is doing it makes me proud. I think his going to Iraq will encourage me to learn more about the situation rather that change the channel or skip over an article when I get to points about things I do not want to face or think about.
Knowing that my friend will soon be experiencing first hand the horrible things I have read and heard about on the news makes me worried and scared at times, but the fact that he is doing it makes me proud. I think his going to Iraq will encourage me to learn more about the situation rather that change the channel or skip over an article when I get to points about things I do not want to face or think about.
No effect.
Honestly the war has not directly affected me except for the longer lines in the airport, which to me don't even seem that bad (I just don't like taking my shoes off when walking through the metal detector). I knew a few distant people that went to Iraq, my best friends cousin, and a distant friend but that still never bothered me, it just didn't seem real because it is so far away.
I was recently in Cancun for winter break and my friends and I met a bunch of people from all over. Two of the guys we met, that were from the US, were soldiers in training and one of them had recently come back from Iraq. He told us stories of how a bomb blew up right next to him and he had some serious scars on his shoulder. His friend had a limp and walked with a cane because he hurt his ankle jumping out of a plane during practice. Both guys were only 23 years old. When I found this out, I was so surprised that they had recently come back from war, and they are so young with so much potential yet they risk their lives for other people.
The other two Canadian guys we met were also in the military and were going to be shipped off to Afghanistan a few weeks after they got back from Cancun. My friends and I still keep in touch with them on facebook, but I still don't think this war has really affected me that much. I must admit though I don't really keep up with the news so that could be a part of it.
I was recently in Cancun for winter break and my friends and I met a bunch of people from all over. Two of the guys we met, that were from the US, were soldiers in training and one of them had recently come back from Iraq. He told us stories of how a bomb blew up right next to him and he had some serious scars on his shoulder. His friend had a limp and walked with a cane because he hurt his ankle jumping out of a plane during practice. Both guys were only 23 years old. When I found this out, I was so surprised that they had recently come back from war, and they are so young with so much potential yet they risk their lives for other people.
The other two Canadian guys we met were also in the military and were going to be shipped off to Afghanistan a few weeks after they got back from Cancun. My friends and I still keep in touch with them on facebook, but I still don't think this war has really affected me that much. I must admit though I don't really keep up with the news so that could be a part of it.
Five More Years
The answer to why we are in Iraq seems to change from year to year. Originally, it was about (or at least superficially about) Iraq having WMDs, weapons of mass destruction. Colin Powell presented all his evidence to the United Nations. He had an array of findings from satellite photos of suspicious trucks to diagrams of possible nuclear warehouses. The UN did not back us, but we went with our instincts and feel at the time and went in. The public still being in a post-9/11 mindset, we were still very supportive of our government and the war on terrorism. In the five years since the war started, support has dwindled and it has become less of a war and more of an occupation. If we have learned anything from history it is that occupations are never welcome, and Iraq is no exception.
The image of us being in Iraq has changed drastically since we toppled Saddam. We are now seen as a crumbling empire trying to greedily grab glory and influence while we still can. It has crippled us even more, though, costing billions a year and weakening an economy bordering on recession. It was supposed to open up trade and freedom in the Middle East, but it has isolated us from the rest of the world. It was supposed to get us oil and more resources. We still have not seen any.
Iraq has become a Catch-22 for the United States. We can’t stay because our soldiers are dying, and we have no business being there in many people’s opinions. We can’t leave either, because we could be leaving them to chaos and a worse regime than the one we got rid of. It is a complex problem that is not going to be solved easily. There seems to be no compromise in the situation that could happen anytime soon. Something has to change, though.
The image of us being in Iraq has changed drastically since we toppled Saddam. We are now seen as a crumbling empire trying to greedily grab glory and influence while we still can. It has crippled us even more, though, costing billions a year and weakening an economy bordering on recession. It was supposed to open up trade and freedom in the Middle East, but it has isolated us from the rest of the world. It was supposed to get us oil and more resources. We still have not seen any.
Iraq has become a Catch-22 for the United States. We can’t stay because our soldiers are dying, and we have no business being there in many people’s opinions. We can’t leave either, because we could be leaving them to chaos and a worse regime than the one we got rid of. It is a complex problem that is not going to be solved easily. There seems to be no compromise in the situation that could happen anytime soon. Something has to change, though.
An ignorant position?
Apart from being pulled aside in an airport and being asked my social security number because my name was on "The Terrorist List" I have in no way shape or form been affected by this war. Although I'm aware this is an ignorant statement and that of course through various repercussion of this war I have probably been affected in some minute way, I still pay little or no attention to this war on terror. To be perfectly honest I was surprised when I read that we have been in this fight for five years now. I remember watching the first couple of days unravel on the news but besides that the whole Iraq war has just been a blur of scandals, political debates and propaganda that I don't pay attention to.
Similar to many of the other posts I have no family in Iraq, I don't know anyone in Iraq and I don't know anyone who knows anyone in Iraq. Overall I'm pretty uneducated about this whole war. Do I feel like I am doing my country a disservice by being uninterested in a major world event? The answer is mixed, in some way I feel like even if I did get involved and did all my research what good would that do I'm still just a 19 year old kid with no real knowledge of this world. On the other hand I do feel like it is my duty to know what is happening in my country. So call me oblivious or call me naive but honestly this war is one of the least things on my mind.
A good question
Also like Andrew who posted below me. I had a great interest in joining a military academy. I had the application sent in as one of my first choice school, but due to medical reasons was not able to attend. I agree that the military brings one discipline and so many other skills that no other institution can offer. But I disagree that what the television represents with its commercial is all one big lie. In joining the military, one should know what they are getting involved in. Although the commercials, do not present the hardships of military. It does show that the military is not always what you hear and have seen about.
It does seem strange that in all these years we have been in Iraq, most Americans cannot answer the question: "why are we in Iraq" with confidence. The reason behind this can be seen because of different cause's. One being the media. As Gary had stated in his post. The perception of the war has been so convoluted because of how the media presents and the information they provide. Much of the public has lost interest or no longer have any reason to be interested in what is happening.
Looking at the actual question and why we may be in Iraq, from when we first began the war to what it has become to now. The media, my source of information has presented reasons from the discovery of weapons of mass destruction to building up a new government and stopping the dictatorship that had begun. We no longer know what the exact reason we are in Iraq anymore.
It does seem strange that in all these years we have been in Iraq, most Americans cannot answer the question: "why are we in Iraq" with confidence. The reason behind this can be seen because of different cause's. One being the media. As Gary had stated in his post. The perception of the war has been so convoluted because of how the media presents and the information they provide. Much of the public has lost interest or no longer have any reason to be interested in what is happening.
Looking at the actual question and why we may be in Iraq, from when we first began the war to what it has become to now. The media, my source of information has presented reasons from the discovery of weapons of mass destruction to building up a new government and stopping the dictatorship that had begun. We no longer know what the exact reason we are in Iraq anymore.
News to Me
When I was younger one of the things I always wanted to do was join the military. I loved the idea of discipline and a regimented schedule. I had thoughts on attending the US Naval Academy, but my parents weren't so kind to the idea. What I realized after my parents talked to me was that joining the military not only brings discipline and teaches new skills but it can also have the affect of disrupting a person mentally and physically. I see commercials on TV portraying the military to be a new world of exciting experiences. After reading this article and digging into what military men and women really have to go through, it feels like one big lie.
What I have been shown time and time again from people in the military and people who have fought in previous wars is that these people are fighting for a cause that is unknown to the soldiers and people alike. Standing up for American rights and the land of the free is no longer what our military is used for, but on the contrary, it is used for fighting battles that we Americans have no business fighting. The question "Why Are We in Iraq" is a very good question that the majority of people including myself don't know the answer to. This war is not only hurting the economy but the morale of people. Even though I don't know too much on the subject, I can come to the conclusion that this war is hurting America and its people more than helping.
What I have been shown time and time again from people in the military and people who have fought in previous wars is that these people are fighting for a cause that is unknown to the soldiers and people alike. Standing up for American rights and the land of the free is no longer what our military is used for, but on the contrary, it is used for fighting battles that we Americans have no business fighting. The question "Why Are We in Iraq" is a very good question that the majority of people including myself don't know the answer to. This war is not only hurting the economy but the morale of people. Even though I don't know too much on the subject, I can come to the conclusion that this war is hurting America and its people more than helping.
The Difficulties in Gaining Perspective on the War in Iraq
It is tough for most to formulate an opinion on the war in Iraq simply because of the difficulty in deciphering the truth from the jumbled mess that American media sources portray. An easy way to differentiate objective news reporting from biased media sources is by watching international news channels. For instance, BBC News portrays the Iraq war in a completely different way; instead of focusing on casualty numbers, domestic political activism, and opinion (all of these elements allow bias into news reporting), BBC shows just the events in Iraq as they happened. This allows the viewer to formulate his or her own opinion on the progress (or lack thereof) of the war.
Another reason why knowledge on the subject is scarce among Americans is that the media does not cover the war extensively at all. Media sources realize that interest in the Iraqi War is at an all time low "As news coverage of the war has diminished, so too has public interest in news about Iraq." According to this article, the Pew Research Center conducted a study and found that the public has lost focus on the Iraq War due to disinterest and long term "fatigue".
Here is my take on this whole issue of media coverage and public interest in the war. The public lost interest in the war due to the seemingly repetitive reports from news sources about the "kill count" and unpopularity of the war. If more objective accounts on the progress of the campaign are aired, more individuals will follow the war. It irks me to find apathetic individuals who do not follow the news because of public opinion and incorrect information. Your views and positions should be based on facts, not opinion. Although I am not a fan or hater, we cannot pull the "blame Bush" card whenever a national issue arises.
Another reason why knowledge on the subject is scarce among Americans is that the media does not cover the war extensively at all. Media sources realize that interest in the Iraqi War is at an all time low "As news coverage of the war has diminished, so too has public interest in news about Iraq." According to this article, the Pew Research Center conducted a study and found that the public has lost focus on the Iraq War due to disinterest and long term "fatigue".
Here is my take on this whole issue of media coverage and public interest in the war. The public lost interest in the war due to the seemingly repetitive reports from news sources about the "kill count" and unpopularity of the war. If more objective accounts on the progress of the campaign are aired, more individuals will follow the war. It irks me to find apathetic individuals who do not follow the news because of public opinion and incorrect information. Your views and positions should be based on facts, not opinion. Although I am not a fan or hater, we cannot pull the "blame Bush" card whenever a national issue arises.
The Impact of Oil and War
My family does not belong to any military functions nor has any of my parents since my grandfather in the world war two with the Indian army. Since that time my family has steered clear of war and the military. My parents have been very simple in their views of the Iraq war, and they believe that the war is a waste and drain of American resources and money. The most common theme in my household is that I will be paying the brunt of the war's huge cost. All of my friends are from non-military families and do not have anyone over seas. The impact that hits me the most from the war is the cost of oil. Like most American's the hit at the oil pump is much greater on our daily lives than the common mess of Iraq. Instead of paying twenty dollars ten years ago like my parents did I pay the hefty cost of sixty dollars for my gas and my old car that does not contain the mileage needed for expensive gas.
The Media has been in the mess of the Iraq war before the war began and my views are pretty much held by the Daily Show. "Mess O'Potamia" as said by Jon Stewart, I watch the show as it says daily no pun intended. I choose not to listen to Fox or MSN anymore as their views are pretty much towards the right and do not give any information that is real or trust worthy anymore. Information in today's world is hard to take. Most of the news I do listen to is the BBC as they generally are about the news and have no political connections to the U.S. and their information is very good. The Brits know their stuff I have to say as I have never heard of them being wrong.
The Media has been in the mess of the Iraq war before the war began and my views are pretty much held by the Daily Show. "Mess O'Potamia" as said by Jon Stewart, I watch the show as it says daily no pun intended. I choose not to listen to Fox or MSN anymore as their views are pretty much towards the right and do not give any information that is real or trust worthy anymore. Information in today's world is hard to take. Most of the news I do listen to is the BBC as they generally are about the news and have no political connections to the U.S. and their information is very good. The Brits know their stuff I have to say as I have never heard of them being wrong.
The War
Personally, I remember where and what I was doing when I heard about the initial bombings that sparks the war. I was sitting in my 8th grade math class and the teachers were instructed to turn in the news and allow us to watch. We sat in silence and watched the devastation of the kamikazes. Calls came in for individual students and a lot of girls cried. I didn't really know what to think at first, not really being a violent person. I was pretty mad and upset, I wanted to suit up and arm myself in order to go take down the opposition but I knew I was too young. My family wouldn't allow me to join the armed forces anyway. I definitely changed my thinking of how safe everything was, but I also thought that it was taken out of control.
I still believe that the conflict remains due to the price of oil and if it was up to me, I would bomb the country off the face of the Earth and claim its remains to the U.S. I have no pity for their soldiers, their people obviously have a problem with us for one reason or another, it has been drawn out. Our army has the ability and technology to take out every last breathing being with so much as entering their radar. Its ridiculous that we still lose soldiers, this conflict shouldn't have lasted more than a week. If we were going to invade, then we should have did it in full force, without any remorse and taken the country as an American territory over seas.
The war is a waste of the U.S.'s money, it's a waste of tax money, it's ridiculous what it has done to the prices of gasoline, and frankly it's crazy that we still lose lives to their militias to this day. If it was up to be there wouldn't have been an Iraq on any maps post 2002.
Accept Defeat or Stay the Course?
The first article I chose to analyze was written by Jeff Jacoby of The Boston Globe. This article was written in 2006 shortly after the assassination of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. He was believed to be a major terrorist leader. At the time, Americans were overjoyed by the event and felt that this was a sign of success of the war in Iraq. As a Middle Eastern journalist describes in the article, many positive signs are happening that are not being published by the media. Some of the positive signs that he has observed is the decrease in number of refugees, a decrease in the number of pilgrims to Shi'ite shrines, and the increase in small business activity such as agriculture.
A possible bias to this article that the information comes from a Middle Eastern journalist as opposed to an American. I feel that this article contains reliable information since it comes from a first hand source.
The second article was published in a 2006 edition of Time magazine. The article is titled “Would Defeat in Iraq be so bad?” This article explains that “staying the course” in Iraq or just exiting the war is both going to result in some sort of defeat and ultimately chaos. The author of the article, Leslie Gelb, relates the war in Iraq to Vietnam. In Vietnam, after a war that lasted a decade and had tens of thousands of deaths, our nation accepted defeat. Gelb even believes that when Americans do leave Iraq, consequences will be even worse than Vietnam. We should begin to accept defeat, but also try to minimize the possible consequences.
Leslie Gelb makes many good points are gives Americans are scenario of possible consequences of withdrawing troops and ending the war. We find that many Americans believe in ending the war. But this simply can not be done overnight. A process like this will take time in order to complete it orderly.
Personally, I agree more with Gelb’s article. I agree that we are not being faced with defeat, but should find ways to minimize consequences. If the troops are not withdrawn properly, are nation could be facing dreadful consequences.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/06/14/signs_of_success_in_iraq/
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1546366,00.html
A possible bias to this article that the information comes from a Middle Eastern journalist as opposed to an American. I feel that this article contains reliable information since it comes from a first hand source.
The second article was published in a 2006 edition of Time magazine. The article is titled “Would Defeat in Iraq be so bad?” This article explains that “staying the course” in Iraq or just exiting the war is both going to result in some sort of defeat and ultimately chaos. The author of the article, Leslie Gelb, relates the war in Iraq to Vietnam. In Vietnam, after a war that lasted a decade and had tens of thousands of deaths, our nation accepted defeat. Gelb even believes that when Americans do leave Iraq, consequences will be even worse than Vietnam. We should begin to accept defeat, but also try to minimize the possible consequences.
Leslie Gelb makes many good points are gives Americans are scenario of possible consequences of withdrawing troops and ending the war. We find that many Americans believe in ending the war. But this simply can not be done overnight. A process like this will take time in order to complete it orderly.
Personally, I agree more with Gelb’s article. I agree that we are not being faced with defeat, but should find ways to minimize consequences. If the troops are not withdrawn properly, are nation could be facing dreadful consequences.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/06/14/signs_of_success_in_iraq/
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1546366,00.html
Severely Contrasting Views
The first article I read was featured in the New York Times and was basically talking about how President Bush continues to dive deeper into the war in Iraq and refusing to end the war. Opponents and members of Congress say they will not let Bush ruin our country like this and continue in the fashion he is currently moving in. What resonated with me the most about this article and President Bush was the fact that no one of the soldiers is ever honored or talked about. Men and women are giving their lives to this war and our nation does not think of the soldiers when we talk about withdrawing. It is always about the safety of our country or the economy or the cost of the war that drives us to want to withdraw. On the Iraq Veterans Against War Website there was a post “commemorating” the horrific milestone of 4,000 deaths due to the war. Justin Cliborn mentions the importance of honoring those whose lives were cut short by this war, “To those who have served and to those who are proud to call their family members veterans, 4,000 will never be a sufficient barometer of what our nation has lost. Each notch on the casualty list represents a name, a family, and a life.” I was most taken aback by how different Cliborn and Bush view the war. To Bush, it is more or less a fight to show who is stronger in the end, but to Cliborn, it is strength in men and women who give their lives for their country.
I feel these articles contrast in the weight of the subject matter. The war on Iraq means two completely different things to both audiences. Crazily enough, President Bush is fighting a different war than those who are currently there. As Blake Miller says in Rolling Stone, “’I mean, how do you soak all that in when you're fuckin' twenty years old?’… ‘It's like they were asking us, “Are you willingly ready to just fuckin' die?” You know what? No, I don't feel like it. Not yet. I started thinking then, ‘Did I really fuckin' sign up for this?’”(5). No one is able to feel the real threat like those who are risking their lives for a country that isn’t even sure when the war will end. This thought makes me feel like once as a nation we can clearly define the real reason we are fighting in Iraq and what we are accomplishing then we can truly set timetables to leave.
http://www.ivaw.org/node/3043
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/14/washington/14prexy.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=all
I feel these articles contrast in the weight of the subject matter. The war on Iraq means two completely different things to both audiences. Crazily enough, President Bush is fighting a different war than those who are currently there. As Blake Miller says in Rolling Stone, “’I mean, how do you soak all that in when you're fuckin' twenty years old?’… ‘It's like they were asking us, “Are you willingly ready to just fuckin' die?” You know what? No, I don't feel like it. Not yet. I started thinking then, ‘Did I really fuckin' sign up for this?’”(5). No one is able to feel the real threat like those who are risking their lives for a country that isn’t even sure when the war will end. This thought makes me feel like once as a nation we can clearly define the real reason we are fighting in Iraq and what we are accomplishing then we can truly set timetables to leave.
http://www.ivaw.org/node/3043
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/14/washington/14prexy.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=all
The War Against Global Jihadism
I was reading an article that I thought you all may find interesting.
The link is to long to copy and paste into this blog, so I created a tinyurl link.
http://tinyurl.com/2nghhk
The link is to long to copy and paste into this blog, so I created a tinyurl link.
http://tinyurl.com/2nghhk
Impact of the War
The war in Iraq has not had much of an impact on myself and my family. I am not from a military family, and I do not have any friends or relatives who are serving or have served overseas. It should be mentioned that my family relatively recently immigrated to the United States so I don't even have parents or grandparents that served in Vietnam or WWII, as some people who already posted do. I am pretty much as distant from the war as is possible while living in America.
That being said, I do care about the war and I have been against it from the beginning. I do not usually watch the nightly news, so I get most of my news from websites online such as Reuters and MSN, since it is my home page. I also try to read newspapers like the Wall Street Journal for information that I might not get online. Of course, I watch television programs like the Daily Show and the Colbert Report like most people my age do, but I do not consider that I get my news from them. I think that one would be severely misinformed about the country and the world today if TV shows like those were their sole source of information. They are not real news programs; they are only meant for a laugh, and that is what I watch them for. I'm sure that most news programs and websites have a political bias, but I think that it is virtually unavoidable. It is extremely difficult to find true unbiased reporting, so I try to take everything that I read or hear with a grain of salt.
That being said, I do care about the war and I have been against it from the beginning. I do not usually watch the nightly news, so I get most of my news from websites online such as Reuters and MSN, since it is my home page. I also try to read newspapers like the Wall Street Journal for information that I might not get online. Of course, I watch television programs like the Daily Show and the Colbert Report like most people my age do, but I do not consider that I get my news from them. I think that one would be severely misinformed about the country and the world today if TV shows like those were their sole source of information. They are not real news programs; they are only meant for a laugh, and that is what I watch them for. I'm sure that most news programs and websites have a political bias, but I think that it is virtually unavoidable. It is extremely difficult to find true unbiased reporting, so I try to take everything that I read or hear with a grain of salt.
Question from a student and essay on film...
I received the following question from a student today via email:
The challenge will be to do something original. Simply pointing out that a lot of music is influenced by the war on drugs won't cut it. The author will need to get into deeper connections...But it will be a great project if they can get inside the topic and ask "why" five or more times.
This week's New Yorker magazine reviews Stop-Loss. The review is a mini-analysis of film and Iraq and a great read. Find it here.
Project one requires that we make "an original argument concerning the impact of art on war, or conversely war on art"It's a great question, and very much in the spirit of the course. So the answer is YES!
Are we only using official wars, or can I use the war on drugs, or the war on alcohol and prohibition in America?
The challenge will be to do something original. Simply pointing out that a lot of music is influenced by the war on drugs won't cut it. The author will need to get into deeper connections...But it will be a great project if they can get inside the topic and ask "why" five or more times.
This week's New Yorker magazine reviews Stop-Loss. The review is a mini-analysis of film and Iraq and a great read. Find it here.
Most of the recent feature films about Iraq (“Rendition,” “Lions for Lambs,” “Redaction”) have not been very good, and the public has stayed away from them. But audiences ignored Paul Haggis’s sternly beautiful and moving “In the Valley of Elah,” too. Something more than the usual resistance to “tough” subjects may be hurting these movies. The Bush Administration told us that we were waging a war for our survival, but it also suggested that most of us needn’t make sacrifices or even learn much about the conflict. Then again, some people may be so angered by the war that they don’t want to be confronted by it as entertainment.
Through My Eyes
I am a girl that does not read the newspaper, does not really watch the news, and until a couple months ago I did not think that the War effected me at all. My grandmother has a big family and her niece signed up to become part of this War. The family was stunned and could not believe that she would go and make a huge decision without talking to anybody in the family. The only reason that she did not ask anybody, is because she knew how the family felt about the War and the Government. They feel that the War is not needed and the Government needs to start helping the people. Even though that is how they feel, they worry about her every day and hope she comes home soon.
Well my cousin is now in training and will be deployed soon. So, I will have a family member fighting in the war soon, but has it effected me any other way? The war has not effected me directly, but I feel that it has effected the United State as a whole. I feel that the people of the United States have been financially and some people have been personally beat up by this War.
And my answer to the last question, why are we in Iraq? I don't know, or I should say that I don't understand. I understand why this War started, but I don't understand why we are still in Iraq. The Government and some people might see good coming out of this fighting, but I through my eyes I see people dying, people being hurt, money being lost, and people being changed forever.
Well my cousin is now in training and will be deployed soon. So, I will have a family member fighting in the war soon, but has it effected me any other way? The war has not effected me directly, but I feel that it has effected the United State as a whole. I feel that the people of the United States have been financially and some people have been personally beat up by this War.
And my answer to the last question, why are we in Iraq? I don't know, or I should say that I don't understand. I understand why this War started, but I don't understand why we are still in Iraq. The Government and some people might see good coming out of this fighting, but I through my eyes I see people dying, people being hurt, money being lost, and people being changed forever.
My Own Little World
As for what seems to be the case with a lot of people, I live in my own little world. It works for me. I have my goals, my hopes, my dreams, and the life that I have grown to know and love here in the United States.
When I look outside of this bubble I seem to be in I don't particularly like what I hear. Sometimes the things I hear inspire me and I want to help in any way I can. However, then my own personal goals get in the way and that willingness to help better the world at large gets pushed aside.
I could not honestly say I feel directly connected to the war in any way. Yes I am aware of the fact that the war impacts everyone's life, however it has not yet affected me in a way that I felt I needed to change the way I am living on a day to day basis. And it wasn't until very recently that I felt the true impact of what it means to be headed over into what I can only describe as a possible death sentence.
As I was sitting in the airport waiting for my flight to Florida, I had a little more then an hour of time to kill. My father, my sister, and I decided to get something to eat while we waited. We were seated promptly in the airport's Outback. Not long after being seated, the table next to us was filled with six men all dressed in military uniform. You could immediately pick up on the excitement of the table and my dad, being the outgoing person he is, asked them where they were headed. They all turned to answer but the man sitting closest to our table was dominate when he uttered the words "Iraq."
Picking up on the loss of speech that my father seem to temporarily have, the soldier went on to explain that this was this second time headed back along with four of the other men. The six one, looking to be about 18 years of age, was a rookie. My father then got into conversation with the gentlemen and when my dad asked if the man had kids, the soldiers eyes started to tear with the fact that he was leaving behind his two children age 5 and 8. The only thing my dad could say in response was "I pray to G-d you make it home alive."
The soldier said thank you and that was it. We had finished our meal and left.
Being in my only little world, I am not directly related to anyone fighting in the war. Witnessing that conversation though made the stories and all the things you hear, real. No one can believe everything they hear. But seeing that man in the airport who just left two young kids behind, that was real. The only thing I can say about whether we should be fighting this war or not is that it better be worth it.
An Unstable Iraq
I frequently read CNN’s website, and sometimes my newspaper back home, and the war is on both quite often. I am discouraged when I read that dozens or even hundreds of people have been killed by a suicide bomber or that marines get killed by roadside bombs. I know that it is a war, and that people get killed on both sides, but many Iraqi civilians are dying over there. Also, the stories of death squads roaming neighborhoods and killing people sounded like something unreal. Anytime I read about something taking place in Iraq, it’s often something I would be horrified to have happen in the US. I makes me a little more thankful to live here, in the world’s most powerful country, when I hear that others are being brutalized in such ways.
My family doesn’t have anyone serving in Iraq, and I would be afraid if any of them did. They don’t support the war very much, and my parents think that we’re over there for the wrong reasons. Personally, I think we have to bring the fight to the terrorists, and I think it was the right choice, considering even a ton of dems voted for it. It upsets me, though, that the Iraqi people are killing each other so much. Until safety is brought to that country, I think our troops need to keep fighting over there, so that we can fill the power gap that Saddam Hussein once filled and keep radical religious groups from killing innocent people.
Hero
During finals week, me and the rest of the residents on my dorm’s floor had plenty of free time. We obviously had a great deal of studying to accomplish, but we also had time to relax and spend time together. My roommate had brought some board games from home, so a group of about ten of us played one called “Loaded Questions.” Each player was given a notepad to write their personal answers to random questions that were drawn from a pile of cards. While some of the questions were superficial and humorous, others were thought-provoking and deep. The last question asked during our first round was, “Who comes to mind when you hear the word hero?” We all sat silent for a minute or so while we contemplated our response and recorded our answer. The leader collected everyone’s papers and read the answers aloud. Then, the person whose turn it was had to match the responses to the person who wrote them. As the leader began reading through the papers, my mom, my older brother, a plethora of celebrity icons were among the answers. The last answer she read to us was, “Soldiers.”
I waited for the person to guess which answer was whose. Needless to say, I was surprised when that answer belonged to our friend Marc, a funny slacker who was rarely serious. He then explained to us that one of his cousins was serving in the Middle East. I had never actually met someone who was so close to the war before. In fact, the only time I ever gave the war much thought was when I caught part of the evening news. Lately, however, the news has been more about the election than world news anyway. It is sad to think that many people do not appreciate those that are serving the country unless they actually know someone who is. Without a personal connection to someone in the military, it is difficult to comprehend the magnitude of a soldier’s devotion to their country.
My Connection To Iraq
I am not sure as to why we are posting directly on the war in Iraq. We are fighting a war against radical Islamic terrorist groups. The war against terrorism is not something that is solely an American problem. The entire western civilization is also fighting against this common enemy.
I would like you to go to this article on CNN and read quickly the 10 foiled terrorist attacks.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/02/09/whitehouse.plots/index.html
I am not going to say the "War in Iraq" in my posting because that is a poster name for the global war on terrorism. I am impacted tremendously by the global war on terrorism. When I go to the airport and have to wait 45 minutes to get my backpack searched for weapons, cant eat my meal on the air plain with a metal fork and knife, and have increased taxes to fight this global war, I am impacted everyday!
Where do I get my news from?
Well mostly from the radio, Reuters, WSJ, and Fox News.
Most of the news anyways is full of political agenda and opinions, so if you cant sort through the field and find out whats going on, you should not read the news at all.
If you take the news that the Daily Show and those other late night entertainers seriously then, my friend, thats a major problem.
I would like you to go to this article on CNN and read quickly the 10 foiled terrorist attacks.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/02/09/whitehouse.plots/index.html
I am not going to say the "War in Iraq" in my posting because that is a poster name for the global war on terrorism. I am impacted tremendously by the global war on terrorism. When I go to the airport and have to wait 45 minutes to get my backpack searched for weapons, cant eat my meal on the air plain with a metal fork and knife, and have increased taxes to fight this global war, I am impacted everyday!
Where do I get my news from?
Well mostly from the radio, Reuters, WSJ, and Fox News.
Most of the news anyways is full of political agenda and opinions, so if you cant sort through the field and find out whats going on, you should not read the news at all.
If you take the news that the Daily Show and those other late night entertainers seriously then, my friend, thats a major problem.
A Message of Hope vs. a Message of Defeat
The recent military action in Basra, an oil rich city in Iraq, has produced much debate about Shi’ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s efforts to disarm Sadrist militia. Shi’ite parties and Sadrist militias have been battling for power in Basra for many years. Sadr, the leader of the militia “gang members” is infamous for boycotting elections in 2005 and is a known opposer of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council. On March 25, 2008, Sadr ordered his militia army to attach Iraqi security forces. After a week long effort by the Iraqi security forces to disarm the militia insurgents, fighting has ceased. While some believe that the city of Basra is fairly calm and stable, others are fearful for future attacks.
There seems to be much difference in opinions about the effectiveness of the military actions, which can be observed by reading two articles, from different sources. The first article that I found from CNN is titled, “Iraqi city appears relatively calm.” The second was from Reuters AlertNet titled “Residents in Iraq’s Basra fear worse violence.” It is interesting to note how much these articles differ from their titles alone. The CNN article gives off a sense of victory, while the Reuter’s article sends a message of defeat. CNN’s article’s main point is now that the violence has ceased, the city is calm, with no threat of violence in the near future. It quotes a police officer saying that “despite the reports of ongoing sporadic clashes, a relative peace is returning to Basra.” It states that businesses are reopening and life is going back to normal. The Reuter’s article is contrastingly different because it does not convey an optimistic message for the city of Basra. Instead, it quotes people saying that Maliki did not achieve anything because the insurgents did not give up their weapons. The author of this article, Aref Mohammed, says that “Iraqis in the southern city of Basra . . . fear worse violence is to come.” Furthermore, he goes on to include the death toll for the operation. 210 fatalities and 600 wounded. The CNN article does not mention these figures, which helps bias their article with a more optimistic tone. Perhaps the biggest discrepancy between the articles is that the CNN article says that “they [referring to militia] lost control and ran away leaving their weapons on the street.” The Reuter’s article quotes someone saying that Maliki did not disarm the insurgents. Although the CNN article is biased, it is a lot more neutral than the Reuters article, because the Reuters article does not mention that some people are optimistic about the operation. The CNN article provides a more unbiased undertone in the end when it mentions that although Basra seems relatively peaceful and stable, some are not convinced and think that more violence is inevitable.
Comparison of these two articles provides a perfect example of how the media can manipulate facts in order to communicate their intended message. Without reading both articles, my opinion would have been automatically made biased based on what I read. Therefore, it is important to always find a second source, in order to be able to make an educated opinion about a particular topic.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L02833318.htm - Reuters AlertNet article
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/04/02/iraq.main/index.html - CNN article
Deployment
My closest cousin decided to enlist in the militray in August of 2007. He always attempts to reassure the family that he will be fine because he is a computer engineer, but I feel that no matter what your profession, at some point you will end up being deployed. It doesn't really matter to me if he was on the front lines, or behind a computer screen relaying information, the danger is the same to me. His reason for enlisting was that he wants to travel, he wants to see the world, but I tried convincing him that now is not the time to pursue those types of ambitions in the military. Right now he is living in Nevada not too far outside of Las Vegas, he enjoys his daily life. He goes to work, makes great money, and hangs out in Vegas and even flies to California on military plans on a weekly basis. In May, that will all come to a halt, there are plans for him to be delpoyed. He mentioned it very non-chalantly to me and I was instantly upset by it. After our conversation, he confessed to me that for the first time in his life, he is actually scared. My stomach sank even deeper. As a family we don't make mention of his rapidly approaching deployment, I don't think any of us have come to terms with it yet.
As for media coverage on the war, I never really felt the need to follow the news coverage. I think that before my cousin enlisted, I didn't feel any connection to the war, I felt like the war was something that had no effect on me. Now that I will have a personal connection, I think it will actually push me even further away from the little bit of news that I would watch on war coverage. I don't think I want to know what is going on in Iraq, the devestation is too great for my mind to comprehend.
The information that I do know about the war often comes from CNN reports. I've never been a fan of news channels such as 10, 6, or 3 depending on where you live. Watching CNN makes me feel more grown-up I guess, I'm not really sure what it is. I just feel like the reports are more accurate or in depth on CNN as opposed to NBC 10's 11 o' clock news. I'm sure CNN has some sort of political bias but I wouldn't be able to point it out because I'm honestly not big on politics.
As for media coverage on the war, I never really felt the need to follow the news coverage. I think that before my cousin enlisted, I didn't feel any connection to the war, I felt like the war was something that had no effect on me. Now that I will have a personal connection, I think it will actually push me even further away from the little bit of news that I would watch on war coverage. I don't think I want to know what is going on in Iraq, the devestation is too great for my mind to comprehend.
The information that I do know about the war often comes from CNN reports. I've never been a fan of news channels such as 10, 6, or 3 depending on where you live. Watching CNN makes me feel more grown-up I guess, I'm not really sure what it is. I just feel like the reports are more accurate or in depth on CNN as opposed to NBC 10's 11 o' clock news. I'm sure CNN has some sort of political bias but I wouldn't be able to point it out because I'm honestly not big on politics.
Ten-thousand different directions...
After reading the previous posts, my brain went off in about ten thousand different directions-- I couldn't pick just one thing to write about. Then I thought of what we initially are supposed to be talking about in these posts, the impact of the Iraq War on myself and my immediate family.
Honestly, previous to reading this blog I have never really contemplated the effects of the Iraq War; but this topic made me think of the current presidential election.
While on break, I had the pleasure of spending some time with my grandparents. While we were talking, the 2008 election came up; my sister went off on Obama this and that, while I pointed out that I feel that a Democrat will be elected into office. After I made that point, my grandfather pointed something else out-- he said that even though a majority of Americans want to get out of Iraq, we will probably not pull out. He also said that this country does not need another Vietnam on its hands; I agree with him. When we pull out of Iraq, I do not want to have another Vietnam; I feel that what happened there is unfortunate.
But back to the initial topic... overall, I really do not know how the Iraq War has impacted myself and my immediate family. None of my family members serve in the military, so we do not have the close tie that others have. I will admit, I do not watch the news nor read a newspaper. I feel that since Americans have these rights, to be able to freely do what they want; I am doing a disservice to my country, but that the same time, things seem to be getting along quite ok.
Honestly, previous to reading this blog I have never really contemplated the effects of the Iraq War; but this topic made me think of the current presidential election.
While on break, I had the pleasure of spending some time with my grandparents. While we were talking, the 2008 election came up; my sister went off on Obama this and that, while I pointed out that I feel that a Democrat will be elected into office. After I made that point, my grandfather pointed something else out-- he said that even though a majority of Americans want to get out of Iraq, we will probably not pull out. He also said that this country does not need another Vietnam on its hands; I agree with him. When we pull out of Iraq, I do not want to have another Vietnam; I feel that what happened there is unfortunate.
But back to the initial topic... overall, I really do not know how the Iraq War has impacted myself and my immediate family. None of my family members serve in the military, so we do not have the close tie that others have. I will admit, I do not watch the news nor read a newspaper. I feel that since Americans have these rights, to be able to freely do what they want; I am doing a disservice to my country, but that the same time, things seem to be getting along quite ok.
IRAQ WAR
As the news channels on TV talk about the war in Iraq at least once a day, I think to myself what are we still doing there? I understand that to go overthrow the government, form a new government and bring peace to a nation is easier said than done. I also understand that the country is not yet completely stable in any way, but doesn't it just seem a little fishy? Many extremists like to poke and prod at the Bush administration, which has not done the best job, and they say we are more or less in Iraq for the oil. Yet clearly many people just don't believe that and feel the real reason is to help a suffering nation and to stomp out a tyrant. Yet as the news blares on I can't stop thinking about how deep this Iraq War thing goes. There are so many things that our government and our lavish lives hides us from, the harsh reality that the rest of the world seems to hate us for not knowing. I feel that we are in Iraq for Oil and maybe other things but to cover up these dirty secrets we have done a good deed by helping a nation and dethroning a tyrant. I am afraid that the more stupid "American" things we try to do in the world the more problems we cause for ourselves. I really think that instead of being overseas we should put all that money and man power to do good in our country because if one really starts to look around "America" is not all it’s cracked up to be. I feel we could do the same amount of helping with a lot less war and violence. I feel that families are sick of war and have sons and daughters dying. American is done with war. We live in the Americas where we are surrounded by water, do we need to still need to be fighting wars overseas, as a first world and somewhat advanced nation with no real enemies around us, it seems like a illogical idea to be at war.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Side Note to My Original Post
This evening I was at home for dinner and my English class came up in conversation. I was telling my parents that this term would be about staying current and looking into issues involving the war. My parents being from the generation that experienced Vietnam and had parents who lived during WWII, they had some interesting thoughts on Iraq.
My father says, "I will always support my troops, I could never do what people did to the troops when they returned from Vietnam. Troops were spat on, cursed at, and completely isolated. Without the support of civilians, troops will have no incentive to fight for the freedom of those who could care less." My parents talked how our country was united during WWII, and how there has been a very apparent, steady decline in the support and patriotism of our country. Based on this Blog alone, I can see how the personal feeling of purpose whether one is a soldier or a civilian, is lacking. While I'm basing this opinion on 16 blogs, I can't imagine the public and particularly the youth of America to be much different.
Delving a bit more into the issue I discussed in my earlier blog about political media of the war, I see some attempts to bring the public together. But the questions I can't get out of my head are "Why has it taken over five years for a politician to try and bring our country together?" "Why do people not care?" "What made the country unite for WWII, but not for Vietnam, or now in Iraq and Afghanistan?"
I just wonder who or what could motivate the public and bring back patriotism and the support of the troops.
My father says, "I will always support my troops, I could never do what people did to the troops when they returned from Vietnam. Troops were spat on, cursed at, and completely isolated. Without the support of civilians, troops will have no incentive to fight for the freedom of those who could care less." My parents talked how our country was united during WWII, and how there has been a very apparent, steady decline in the support and patriotism of our country. Based on this Blog alone, I can see how the personal feeling of purpose whether one is a soldier or a civilian, is lacking. While I'm basing this opinion on 16 blogs, I can't imagine the public and particularly the youth of America to be much different.
Delving a bit more into the issue I discussed in my earlier blog about political media of the war, I see some attempts to bring the public together. But the questions I can't get out of my head are "Why has it taken over five years for a politician to try and bring our country together?" "Why do people not care?" "What made the country unite for WWII, but not for Vietnam, or now in Iraq and Afghanistan?"
I just wonder who or what could motivate the public and bring back patriotism and the support of the troops.
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