Monday, June 16, 2008
Article #6 from Volume 1, Issue 4: Your Media, Your Human Right
“Iraq and Justice”
Ben Schock
On March 19, 2003, the United States invaded Iraq in order to bring peace and according to President Bush “restore control of that country to its own people.” It has been nearly five years since the US military entered Iraq, and there are still approximately 140,000 US soldiers currently stationed there. Since the invasion, roughly 151,000 Iraqis have died; 9 in every 10 of these are due to US military operations.
As well, the number of US troop deaths has almost reached 4,000. The amount of money spent each month in Iraq is equally unfathomable - about $8 billion.
No, this is not another antiwar slam, or political stance, I simply want you to stop and think about our country’s role as a military power and its effects on the world. The topic is justice, and when applying that to the war in Iraq, one must wonder what sort of “justice” we’re bringing to Iraq and the rest of the Middle East.
No weapons of mass destruction were found; the dictator Saddam Hussein fled, was found, captured, and hung publicly; and yet the US military is still there. Understandably, the US military is there to keep peace and retain order, but there have been few talks about restricting military presence in Iraq or helping to create political order from the US standpoint.
Many say that we’re bringing “justice” to Iraq, but if that is the case, shouldn’t we then look to other poverty- and war-stricken countries of the world and bring justice as well? Many say that the US plays Big Brother to the rest of the world, due to its military strength, corporate power, and an intricate political system.
However, many of the past US military invasions have been out of concern for American prosperity: Vietnam, Korea, and the first occupation of Iraq in the early 90s (which lasted less than a year). These are all examples of military “justice” extended by the United States.
In Iraq today, the occupation of thousands of troops is yet another extension of what the United States believes to be justice. This justice, which freed the Iraqis from a dictatorial rule, shall supposedly provide a new future for those living in this country and become an example of American influence and political support.
Ben Schock
On March 19, 2003, the United States invaded Iraq in order to bring peace and according to President Bush “restore control of that country to its own people.” It has been nearly five years since the US military entered Iraq, and there are still approximately 140,000 US soldiers currently stationed there. Since the invasion, roughly 151,000 Iraqis have died; 9 in every 10 of these are due to US military operations.
As well, the number of US troop deaths has almost reached 4,000. The amount of money spent each month in Iraq is equally unfathomable - about $8 billion.
No, this is not another antiwar slam, or political stance, I simply want you to stop and think about our country’s role as a military power and its effects on the world. The topic is justice, and when applying that to the war in Iraq, one must wonder what sort of “justice” we’re bringing to Iraq and the rest of the Middle East.
No weapons of mass destruction were found; the dictator Saddam Hussein fled, was found, captured, and hung publicly; and yet the US military is still there. Understandably, the US military is there to keep peace and retain order, but there have been few talks about restricting military presence in Iraq or helping to create political order from the US standpoint.
Many say that we’re bringing “justice” to Iraq, but if that is the case, shouldn’t we then look to other poverty- and war-stricken countries of the world and bring justice as well? Many say that the US plays Big Brother to the rest of the world, due to its military strength, corporate power, and an intricate political system.
However, many of the past US military invasions have been out of concern for American prosperity: Vietnam, Korea, and the first occupation of Iraq in the early 90s (which lasted less than a year). These are all examples of military “justice” extended by the United States.
In Iraq today, the occupation of thousands of troops is yet another extension of what the United States believes to be justice. This justice, which freed the Iraqis from a dictatorial rule, shall supposedly provide a new future for those living in this country and become an example of American influence and political support.
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Labels: ben schock, human rights, iraq, justice, newsletter, university of washington, uwjhr
Labels: ben schock, human rights, iraq, justice, newsletter, university of washington, uwjhr
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