Thoughts on Iraq

Last Wednesday a poli-sci friend, who happens to be an editor of the school paper, asked me to write an article concerning the third anniversary of the Iraq War. Here's what I said:

In an effort to conjure support to engage in a preemptive war with Iraq, President Bush and the usual suspects like Cheney and Condoleeza Rice told the American people that a war with Iraq was necessary because Saddam hadWMDs and he assisted bin Laden in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. As a bonus,the administration told us that the war would be quick, relatively cheap,and the troops would be welcomed as liberators. As the Iraq debacle moves into its fourth year, it is painfully obvious that the administration’s claims were false. There was apparently no exit strategy, terrorist arenow pouring into Iraq, and the country is on the verge of civil war. The Iraq war has been handled incompetently and the administration lied.

Although the intricacies of the Iraq War are important, especially as more lives are taken with each passing day, it is far more useful to understand the Iraq War as symbolic of the foreign policy doctrine that has run amokin the White House. The Bush doctrine stipulates preemptivewar/peace-through-war and the ultimate goal of achieving Americanhegemony. The guiding principles of the administration’s decision toinvade Iraq were rooted in the belief that the U.S. should push for democratization in the Middle East. Of course, everyone wants a world where individuals can be protected by the securities that are provided by a democracy, but with Bush, there is a catch. The Bush doctrine advocates democratization brought about by the U.S. military, which will then allowthe U.S. to thwart any potential threat to its superior world power (American hegemony).

Students: For the 2008 presidential election, don’t let politicians running for president who adhere to the same foreign policy principles fool you. The U.S. did not invade Iraq in a good will effort to save the oppressed Iraqi citizens. The U.S. invaded Iraq because it was perceived as an avenue to further secure the U.S.’s dominant standing in the world.

James King
Centenary College Democrats, President
jking@centenary.edu

I didn't get any hate e-mail or nasty comments, which probably means that everyone who read the article completely agreed or changed their mind ;)