The events of this summer have been disheartening. After years of the War on Terrorism, people seem to be getting tired of it and want it to end.
How did we come to this state of fatigue and confusion? A few years ago, not many of us questioned the rightness of the war in Iraq.
After 9/11, patriotism was at its high. We, as a country, had been attacked, seemingly without provocation. All those things that we hear about in the news from those Third World countries had just happened to us. Our view of the world-one in which we are completely safe from all foreign attacks-had been challenged. We were ready to do just about anything to get the world back to the way we liked it. The fear-or paranoia-translated into patriotism.
There was a problem, though. The terrorist attack of 9/11 was an act of war, but you can only make war with another country. We had the right to declare war, but bin Laden was not the leader of a country. Therefore, there was no country to declare war against. A manhunt for bin Laden and his followers was not satisfying. It just kept us confused and scared.
Hence, the War in Iraq.
It is a little strange that the War in Iraq is coupled with fighting the terrorism of bin Laden. A person who only half-hears the news could come to the conclusion that Hussein and bin Laden had a master plan against America and had brunch together every morning. Why did it happen all at once?
Here’s one thought that keeps springing to mind. Bush had the perfect opportunity to pour our pent-up patriotism and indignity into a war to establish himself as one of the great presidents of our time. A war to publicly show him defending American moral values.
And it worked for a time. Bush was known as the great Christian president who led our troops to glory.
Now, however, time has passed since the initial attack. The emotional response has died down. Now people are thinking about what has happened since 2001, and criticism abounds. Criticism is well-founded, too, ever since the various shocks we saw on the news. There were the reports of abuses committed by our troops to Iraqi prisoners. Then there were the beheadings of Americans, and other brutal fighting tactics of the terrorists. Coupled with investigations into the 9/11 response and general criticisms into the Bush administrations, what are we left with?
The conflict all began with ideals on both sides. Terrorists wanted to push their religion and issues-even agenda-into the forefront. Americans reacted in kind to protect themselves.
The word “jihad” gets tossed around a lot. Well, that’s what this is. A “holy war.” Or, rather, a war for the moral high ground. People supported the war because they believed they were in the right.
The recent investigations, atrocities and prison abuses have all shown the failings of both sides to win the moral high ground. America prides itself in doing things for the benefit of the world and all of humanity, so the idea of America failing in that aspect has disillusioned people from thinking that we are the “good guys.”
This was, of course, the perfect opportunity for the terrorists to claim moral high ground. They could have claimed the role of the injured party, making America into being the big bully.
This was not to be. The terrorists did not see this perfect opportunity. They did know how to strike back in some of the worst ways possible, and therefore invalidate themselves as people who deserve the sympathy and support of the world.
And, again, what are we left with?
Most people do not do well with moral ambiguity. Most people want a good guy to root for, and the good guy had better be them.
This summer has shown the breakdown of the war for moral high ground. No matter how the fighting is stopped or what governments are put in place in Iraq, the real battle is over. The winner: no one.
Angela Adair is a senior English major. She can be reached at [email protected].