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Between Iraq and a Hard Placeby Ken Ilgunas |
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Saddam’s in court, Bush’s approval ratings are pitifully low, thousands of Americans are fighting for their lives across seas, and now over 2,000 soldiers are in coffins draped with the red, white, and blue. Much has changed in Iraq since entering the war in March of 2003, but an Iraq that is peaceful and free has yet to be realized. With a relentless Iraqi resistance, continued violence seems inevitable. With the 2,000th American military death, much of the media has used the milestone to shed more criticism on the campaign, questioning its potential for success, and reflecting on the war’s cost in human life. We have instituted free elections and have encouraged an Iraqi constitution, but will these improvements stand the test of time? Are they worth the lives of 2,000 American soldiers?
Name: John Curr III
Residence: Buffalo
Occupation: Acting Director of the NY Civil Liberties Union
Were you in favor of the war before it began? Have your views changed? No and no.
Do you think that those killed have died for a just cause? Absolutely not.
What do you think our pullout strategy should be? A pullout strategy should include the efforts of the United Nations. We should set an immediate timetable and beg the U.N to help get us out of this mess that we got ourselves into.
How do you think the Bush administration has handled the war? Considering that we shouldn’t have been there in the first place, I guess we’ve handled it as miserably as expected.
Name: Zack Finch
Residence: Buffalo
Occupation: Teacher/Graduate student
Were you in favor of the war before it began? Have your views changed? I’ve never been in favor of the war. From the very beginning when I heard about it, I thought it was an abuse of power and simply an opportunity for the United States government to expand its sphere of influence geo-politically and economically. They’re trying to create a false consensus among the American population here at home by beginning a war that would inevitably attempt to bring people together out of fear for a common enemy.
Do you think that those killed have died for a just cause? Personally, I think the just cause, as defined by the Bush administration, is the dissemination of freedom and liberty abroad. However, I don’t think that this just cause is actually “just” because I think freedom and liberty are misnomers and manglings of the words “freedom” and “liberty.”
What do you think our pullout strategy should be? At this point after 2,000 American deaths, and after tens of thousands of Iraqi deaths, I think the best the course of action would be for the United States military to be pulled out unilaterally and attempted to assist the emergent Iraqi government by participating in an international coalition which would aid the Iraqis in the process of gaining full agency over their own political process.
How do you think the Bush administration has handled the war? I think that the war has been a travesty and that all administration officials responsible for our contributions in Iraq should be considered for criminal indictment. I think the war is something that has been handled, mishandled, and handed to young people in a way that has had nothing but tragic consequences.
Name: Stephanie Johnson
Residence: Elmwood Ave.
Occupation: Figure Skating Coach
Were you in favor of the war before it began? Have your views changed? No. I was not and I still am not.
Do you think that those killed have died for a just cause? I think that those who’ve died were doing their duty. I don’t believe in the cause behind the war but I believe they died for their country. So in that way, it was just.
What do you think our pullout strategy should be? A careful one. I think it would be irresponsible to leave now without giving as much help as we can. But I think that we have to be careful as to what the people of that country actually want so that we’re not imposing a democracy on them that they haven’t asked for.
How do you think the Bush administration has handled the war? I question the actual motivations behind it. I think they were a little overzealous.
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Issue Navigation> Issue Index > v4n44: Permanence and Change (11/2/05) > Between Iraq and a Hard Place This Week's Issue • Artvoice Daily • Artvoice TV • Events Calendar • Classifieds |
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