As America debates the issue of invading Iraq, it seems like we are making this a politically charged and divisive subject. I do not want to discuss whether we should invade Iraq. That is a complex issue that has already been debated in this and other newspapers. What I would like to focus on is the way that the Iraq issue is dividing our country. Almost everyone has a strong opinion about whether the United States should invade Iraq. While rational debates are healthy for the country, it seems like we could move toward a situation similar to the controversry surrounding Vietnam that divided the country.
However, the situation in Iraq is different from what happened in Vietnam. Saddam Hussein made it clear that he is a dangerous man, bent on acquiring the scientific capabilities to kill a lot of people in a short amount of time.
Whether this threat existed in Vietnam is a matter of opinion, but the politician-provided reasoning behind United States’ intervention in Vietnam was to stop the spread of communism from the Soviet Union to the rest of the world.
No political plague like communism exists in Iraq. It is simply a police state led by a man with a short temper and a happy trigger finger. The entire world saw how ruthless Hussein is during the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait, which led to the Gulf War in the early 1990s.
Even though the present situation is different, the reaction and politically-charged alignment of our nation and its leaders is similar to the controversy surrounding the Vietnam War.
Last Friday, Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) said that he thought war with Iraq should be a final effort after all other alternatives have been exhausted. Kennedy had a pointed quote that is similar to my take on this issue.
He said, “It is possible to love America while concluding that it is not now wise to go to war. The standard that should guide us is especially clear when lives are on the line.”
He hinted that he is seeing political divisiveness on the issue. “We must ask what is right for our country, not for our party,” said Kennedy.
The Iraq situation is a complex subject with many different perspectives. Many people in our nation are biased against any Middle East nation after the United States was attacked by terrorists from Middle East nations on Sept. 11, 2001. Also, the general feeling among many Americans is that we should have eliminated Hussein during our first military campaign in Iraq.
In world politics, definitive answers to the complex issues that are prevalent in relationships between nations rarely exist. Economic considerations are often a driving force in world politics.
Critics of American intervention in Iraq have cynically asked, if there was no oil in Iraq, would the United States take such an interest in Iraq? Probably not, which is why many people in other countries believe the phrase “the American way” means making a dollar by any means necessary.
However, Iraq is far from a harmless sovereign nation. It has a large military, though not near the size of America’s armed forces. Just by the fact that Iraq is trying to obtain weapons of mass destruction shows that it is not interested in peace. As the sole superpower in the world today, we have a responsibility to protect ourselves and the rest of the free world.
Whether we invade is not the most important issue at hand. The United States military is capable of winning any conflict with the Iraqi military. We have superior personnel and are more technologically advanced.
Also, our diplomats would likely be able to smooth any feathers that might be ruffled by an American intervention in Iraq. After all, Hussein is not a well-liked or even a respected figure in the international community. Most Middle East nations would be glad to see him out of power because he is a constant threat to their stability.
The key issue is whether our nation and its leaders will come together and have one strong position on invading Iraq. Otherwise, American lives will be in jeopardy over a cause with little support, similar to what happened with Vietnam.
Josh Johnson is a junior broadcast meteorology major.