You know, it's funny. Someone asked me whether I cared about the situation in Iraq, or if I was still at that age where politics didn't interest me, and you know what? Up until a few years ago, my answer would've been, war is a terrible thing, but there's nothing I can do about it, so why spend time worrying about it?
Now don't get me wrong; I know there's still not a whole hell of a lot I can do, but I've definitely changed. I really am interested in how and why this is happening, and I'm learning a lot as a result.
For instance, now that the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is no more, my statement about Americans dying is probably inaccurate (or at least hyperbole); after all, if things get ugly now, the States can always pull out without fear that the Commie dominos will continue to fall.
I was also surprised to discover that voter turnout in the States is very poor, often far below 50%. For a guy who's used to hearing shock and dismay about a 70% voter turnout (that's Canada lately, I believe), numbers in the 30's and 40's are hard to grasp. Couple that with how federal elections are run in the States, and my previous bafflement surrounding Bush's election in a democracy becomes a little less confused: Just because Bush won the presidency doesn't mean he won the popular vote.
I also wasn't considering that men like Cheney and Rumsfeld are not elected; the president appoints them. Over the past few weeks, many persons have said that Bush doesn't deserve my animosity; he's just a figurehead for men like I've just mentioned. I'm still digesting this. Hell, every time I turn on CNN he's talking about our glorious victory, or someone's quoting him to that affect. He opens his mouth, and I've heard enough. That aside, I am intrigued to learn that, even before the federal elections of 2000, Americans felt that Bush's choice of advisors smacked of his father's influence; even more chilling in the light of recent events, some felt that it confirmed his uncertainty in matters of foreign policy.
It all comes down to the motivation behind the action. I'm still trying to figure out what the president's advisors get from this war. I'm sure the system itself has many benefits; I know that some great men have been a part of it. For example, I have the utmost respect for Mr. Robert S. McNamara, the U.S. Secretary of Defense that saw things go horribly wrong in Vietnam. I certainly feel like I understand some of the motives behind that administration's actions. I truly do not feel that history will show recent events as the result of men doing their best with what they knew at the time.
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