war on Iraq?

The Following was my responce to a chain letter, I figured I'd post if because I want to see what other people like or unlike me would think about it

<b> please note, this post has been edited in that the sources of facts have been listed next to them within parenthesis begining with an asterix</b>
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I understand that a lot of people don't support war on Iraq, but It's innevetable. We've been bombing Iraq (*ColonelJ.T Russel, my Senior Army Instructor) and maintaining a no-fly zone over Kurdish territory for the last couple of years (*New York Times) because we're affraid of the weapons Sadam's building (that's why the UN sends weapons inspectors there). The irony is that we taught him how to build those weapons in hopes he'd use them on Iran(*AP US History class, and Military Science class). Much in the same way we trained Osama, with the "School of the Americas" which despite political pressures still exists, just under a different name. (*National Public Radio)

Knowing all of this I still support my country on its way to war not because of youthful naivity. On the contrary, I believe it is naive to oppose this war just because you oppose war in general. Doing so is like flushing a history book down the toilet for it overlooks an integral part of what humanity is. Nor do I feel exuberant patriotism. Rather I support this:

The Dept. of Defense is the largest employer in America (*First Seargent Juman, and government printed textbook for Military Science class). War means jobs, and economic infusions (*Professor William Dollard: war is a great industry for the US). I think that this kind of publicized war is a step in the right direction. At least we know what's going on through media coverage. The US has been involved in 500-some-odd military conflicts (*US Press Secretary Ari Fleischer) . The number of those that have been declared "war" and opened to the public for any form of scrutiny is pretty small. I'm certainly a fan of OVERT politics and ethics discussions rather than COVERT operations that used to be the norm for agencies like the CIA to carry out. It was those sort of COVERT missions that backfired, bringing the advent of Osama, and the Iraque conflicts.



In critisizm of the below quoted chain letter: I don't think a war today would cost 200 thousand lives (If anyone can post how many lives lost in Afghanistan I'd appreciate it a lot). And what of the $60 Billion? That's the kind of money we send Israel as a weekly allowance so that they can kill Palestinians. (*Rhetorical. I am informed that in fact we send $3 billion a year to Israel) . I'm sure that Islamic fundamentalists will reavaluate their qualms with the US If we stop funding Sharons genocide campaign (*when I watch CNN I see Israeli's with automatic weapons and palestinians with stones). And mailing post cards didn't seem to work against our recent campaigns in Bosnia, Rwanda, or Afghanistan. However isn't errata what democracy is all about, so If you have an oppinion about this war, by all means; support the US postal service!


----> >----------------
> > In a message dated 8/12/02 10:34:34 AM,
> .... @lehman.cuny.edu writes:
> >
> > <<
> >
> > President Bush is considering starting a war by
> invading Iraq. Many of
> us do not believe that this the right thing to do.
> (the cost would be an unknown
> > numbers of lives, two hundred thousand American
> troops and sixty billion
> > dollars.) In an effort to make our point of view
> heard, I am suggesting
> that
> > as many citizens as possible mail a post card to
> the white House asking
> him not to start another war.
> > So I am asking you to forward this e mail to as
> many people as you can...
...blah blah blah