Is protesting during wartime unpatriotic?
This question was posed on MTV news the day that the bombings began in Iraq. I was watching television with my mother at the time. My mother, whose opinions are basically formed only on what popular American media tells her, replied absolutely. I was a little shocked at the quickness of the answer.
I, like many people in the domestic and international arena, am anti-war. I'm more liberal than most anti-war people are- I believe that yes, actions must be taken against Iraq due to weapons and gross human rights violations. I realize that these measures will most likely include military measures because Hussein isn't exactly a leader with his people's well-being at heart. The thing I object to is the way we're going about enacting these measures. I believe that we should have the backing of the UN in any measures that we take against Iraq, for acting against UN approval is foolish because we lose not only allies, but diplomatic and trade credence in the international arena as well.
I think that the US and UK waging war alone is an unwise and arrogant choice, not to mention a hasty one. We're supposedly "liberating" the Iraqi people, but there hasn't been nearly enough preparation of the humanitarian effort. While the media has been hasty to report every single coalition casualty known, very little has been reported about Iraqi civilian casualties. CNN.Com has a little blurb about it, and casualties reportedly outnumber 350. I doubt there will be much of a liberation if six times as many Iraqi civilians die than soldiers, you know? What's worse is that the American public has been kept in the dark about it, completely unaware of the gruesome marketplace bombings and incinerated families in Iraq. I understand that in every war, there are unavoidable casualties. My point is that more humanitarian planning would greatly reduce the number of those caught in the crossfire.
I explained these things to my mother. She really wouldn't listen to them at all- she was vehement that dissent was unpatriotic and disheartening to our troops.
So what- simply because there's a war, we should all just nod and keep our misgivings under wraps? That's how dictatorships begin in the first place. Furthermore, if the public should only support the troops during wartime, why does everyone ask why there was no major dissent in WWII Germany? Questioning the government is one of the best ways to express public opinion and hold one's government accountable for its actions. I would much rather people form their own opinions than nod mindlessly along with the American media. I tend to think that my mother is one of those sheep (note that I am not saying that all Pro-War people are sheep. However, those who legitimately think through the issues and form their own opinion tend to be more rare).
I don't mean at all to be disrespectful to those risking their lives on the battlefield. I certainly don't wish them ill. I simply disagree with the way our government is deploying them. I don't feel at all that expressing that disagreement is unpatriotic. As a fact, I feel that being called unpatriotic for having the nerve to formulate one's own opinion is an insulting attempt at censorship.
The next argument we had is the reasons behind the war. I feel that the proper reason for military action is that Hussein has murdered thousands of his own citizens, and that the gross human rights violations are reason enough for a regime change. My mother buys into Bush's reasoning just fine and does not even bother to look into any other possibilities that the US is involved in one of the most oil-rich countries on the planet. Perhaps I am too cynical, but I think not. I think it's a fair bet to say that to Bush, "Iraqi liberation" is simply a nifty side-effect to the war, and the main reasons have much more to do with oil and vendetta. I agree with liberation from an oppressive regime, but I find it rather incredulous that this only serves as a thin veneer over the whole truth. My mother simply rolled her eyes, because how on earth would could I possibly think that more control over oil distribution is a primary factor of our involvement? My lord, how unpatriotic. How un-American. If I want to protest, I should go to Iraq and stand in front of some of those tanks (yes, my mother did say that).
My mother represents to me many of the things that bother me about today's Americans. She believes everything that American media tells her. She believes that any dissenting opinions are ill-founded, always in the minority, and inconsequential. She believes that the US has the right to overrule the UN and that we shouldn't have anything further economically or diplomatically to do with any nations who don't support us. She believes that a dissenting opinion in a time of a controversial war is unpatriotic.
*Sigh* That was longer than I planned. Now it's your turn. Tell me what you think on the topic. Diverse opinions welcomed.
This question was posed on MTV news the day that the bombings began in Iraq. I was watching television with my mother at the time. My mother, whose opinions are basically formed only on what popular American media tells her, replied absolutely. I was a little shocked at the quickness of the answer.
I, like many people in the domestic and international arena, am anti-war. I'm more liberal than most anti-war people are- I believe that yes, actions must be taken against Iraq due to weapons and gross human rights violations. I realize that these measures will most likely include military measures because Hussein isn't exactly a leader with his people's well-being at heart. The thing I object to is the way we're going about enacting these measures. I believe that we should have the backing of the UN in any measures that we take against Iraq, for acting against UN approval is foolish because we lose not only allies, but diplomatic and trade credence in the international arena as well.
I think that the US and UK waging war alone is an unwise and arrogant choice, not to mention a hasty one. We're supposedly "liberating" the Iraqi people, but there hasn't been nearly enough preparation of the humanitarian effort. While the media has been hasty to report every single coalition casualty known, very little has been reported about Iraqi civilian casualties. CNN.Com has a little blurb about it, and casualties reportedly outnumber 350. I doubt there will be much of a liberation if six times as many Iraqi civilians die than soldiers, you know? What's worse is that the American public has been kept in the dark about it, completely unaware of the gruesome marketplace bombings and incinerated families in Iraq. I understand that in every war, there are unavoidable casualties. My point is that more humanitarian planning would greatly reduce the number of those caught in the crossfire.
I explained these things to my mother. She really wouldn't listen to them at all- she was vehement that dissent was unpatriotic and disheartening to our troops.
So what- simply because there's a war, we should all just nod and keep our misgivings under wraps? That's how dictatorships begin in the first place. Furthermore, if the public should only support the troops during wartime, why does everyone ask why there was no major dissent in WWII Germany? Questioning the government is one of the best ways to express public opinion and hold one's government accountable for its actions. I would much rather people form their own opinions than nod mindlessly along with the American media. I tend to think that my mother is one of those sheep (note that I am not saying that all Pro-War people are sheep. However, those who legitimately think through the issues and form their own opinion tend to be more rare).
I don't mean at all to be disrespectful to those risking their lives on the battlefield. I certainly don't wish them ill. I simply disagree with the way our government is deploying them. I don't feel at all that expressing that disagreement is unpatriotic. As a fact, I feel that being called unpatriotic for having the nerve to formulate one's own opinion is an insulting attempt at censorship.
The next argument we had is the reasons behind the war. I feel that the proper reason for military action is that Hussein has murdered thousands of his own citizens, and that the gross human rights violations are reason enough for a regime change. My mother buys into Bush's reasoning just fine and does not even bother to look into any other possibilities that the US is involved in one of the most oil-rich countries on the planet. Perhaps I am too cynical, but I think not. I think it's a fair bet to say that to Bush, "Iraqi liberation" is simply a nifty side-effect to the war, and the main reasons have much more to do with oil and vendetta. I agree with liberation from an oppressive regime, but I find it rather incredulous that this only serves as a thin veneer over the whole truth. My mother simply rolled her eyes, because how on earth would could I possibly think that more control over oil distribution is a primary factor of our involvement? My lord, how unpatriotic. How un-American. If I want to protest, I should go to Iraq and stand in front of some of those tanks (yes, my mother did say that).
My mother represents to me many of the things that bother me about today's Americans. She believes everything that American media tells her. She believes that any dissenting opinions are ill-founded, always in the minority, and inconsequential. She believes that the US has the right to overrule the UN and that we shouldn't have anything further economically or diplomatically to do with any nations who don't support us. She believes that a dissenting opinion in a time of a controversial war is unpatriotic.
*Sigh* That was longer than I planned. Now it's your turn. Tell me what you think on the topic. Diverse opinions welcomed.
Current Music: family
Current Mood: 
tired
tired5 comments | Leave a comment
amused