<p>For nearly 2 years, our country has been engaged in a war in Iraq. During that time, over 100,000 Iraqi citizens have died, in addition to about 1,600 American troops. </p>
<p>As the young people of our nation, I believe that it is our responsibility to work to end this war. I am planning to begin an anti-war movement on my campus and would like to work with any students on other campuses who share my motivation. </p>
<p>If you would like to help or have suggestions, please reply. Thank you!</p>
<p>yea you're right. We should move all our troops out of the country and leave them in complete chaos. Good thinking. Whether or not you agreed origionally with the war, it should be acknowledged that now we must stay there and finish the job.</p>
<p>I agree. But honestly, an 'anti-war' movement can't arise without support from other organizations. Get in touch with progressive organizations on campus - a one person crusade can't do much without help.</p>
<p>I am not the only person on campus who feels this way. There are others who agree and are excited about working to start an organization. </p>
<p>Of course, it would have been better not to go in at all. Now that we are there, though, it has become increasingly clear that we are not helping to bring peace. In fact, it seems that the American desire to deem Iraq our democratic success is leading to more death there. If we just get out, they are perfectly capable of bringing peace.</p>
<p>"Within three years the Communist victors had slaughtered two and a half million peasants in the Indo-Chinese peninsula, paving the way for their socialist paradise."</p>
<p>i agree. peace is only an ideal. not achievable. civilian deaths are unfortunate, but they are a part of any war. it would certainly be worse if left alone. leaving iraq now would create a power vacuum for even worse dictators to step in ie. Germany after WW1 and Vietnam.</p>
<p>Exactly. Imagine a more powerful country coming into the US and bombing the hell out of us. One day you come home and there's a pile of rubble where your house used to be. Even if the country had good intentions, you'd still hate them and you might even kill some of the soldiers. Going into Iraq just made us more enemies. But Saddam had to be taken out, obviously, so it was a lose-lose situation from the start. Unless they managed to talk it out and make a deal. Saddam wasn't as Allah-crazy as some of these terrorists, he just wanted money.</p>
<p>What? He wanted money? Why didn't he try selling his oil to the United States? He was a power hungry mad man who wanted to be remembered in the history books as leading a great Arabic region against the Western imperialists. </p>
<p>Originally I agreed with the intentions to go to war. I was being told about the immediate threat of Iraq giving WMDs to terrorists and using them against our allies or homeland. This was proven false. I now disagree with the war however realize we must finish the job. If we were to leave Iraq now the country would fall into chaos, being left worse than Saddam run by thugs and gangsters. It would be a haven for terrorists and crushes US international legitmacy more. The key here is getting democratic elections and other functions to the people of Iraq as quickly as possible. That is the only way to restore some legitimacy to the government in Iraq and allow us to move out of the region. Can this be done? That is another discussion. Should we try to do it? Yes.</p>
<p>Just so you know, that civilan death total is ridiculous and nearly impossible to verify.</p>
<p>how about instead of an anti-war movement, you lobby for something that will actually have an effect on the world - like support for the reconstruction of iraq, or for the tsunami victims. i hate to say it - you have all the right to do what you will, but protesting the war is not going to help anything. whether or not it was a justified war, we must at least clean up the mess we made.</p>
<p>"Peace is the only acceptable solution, the death's of my people can not be tolerated, but I will not raise but one fist in protest to these atrocities." -Ghandi</p>
<p>Good idea Peaceplease..good point chalk...with the tsunami some of the attention is shifted as for Iraq..In my opinion, at this point, our troops really dont belong there...Its all about OIL and Bush's family ties to the oil industry. If there was no abundance of oil in the Middle East, would we be there? At the same time, i believe that they terrorism is a major threat to the US, but its actually a very complicated problem...btw..put yourself in the soldier's shoes..its scary</p>
<p>"it seems that the American desire to deem Iraq our democratic success is leading to more death there. If we just get out, they are perfectly capable of bringing peace."</p>
<p>... that's like saying no one should help with the Tsunami mess because they can rebuild themselves.</p>
<p>Dont judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.
- Robert Louis Stephenson</p>
<p>The quickest way to end a war is to lose it.
- George Orwell</p>
<p>and as for Ghandi quotes:
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
- Mahatma Gandhi </p>
<p>and as for the US:
"There is no greater burden than a great potential."
- Schroeder</p>
<p>unfortunately, there will never be peace in Iraq. EVER. So soccerguy, we should get out because we're losing thousands of American lives and spending billions of dollars on a hopeless plan</p>
<p>Chalk--I certainly agree that there are many other important missions as well. I do hope to do something toward tsunami relief. Just because other things are pressing needs as well does not mean that bringing the troops home from Iraq before more die is not a worthwhile mission.</p>
<p>This is my proposal:</p>
<p>Announce that the needs in India, Sri Lanka, etc. are so massive and so important to us that he is redeploying all the marines, special forces, and other troops in Iraq to go help with disaster relief and rebuilding efforts. The benefits:</p>
<p>1) 145,000 people would do an incredible amount of good in the regions struck by the tsunami... Would save many lives by taking food and water to places otherwise too isolated to reach, would get homes and schools rebuilt much faster, etc, etc. 145,000 well-organized people can do a LOT!</p>
<p>2) Would get the troops out of Iraq where more and more are dying each day. It does not seem that American troops are doing very much good there--just trying to force Democracy and, in so doing, leading to many more Iraqi deaths as well. Just bringing the troops home might create the impression we had failed (something Bush would never do), but no one could possible criticize sending them to help with disaster relief.</p>
<p>3) Would make a huge stride toward America regaining respect throughout the world. </p>
<p>4) Would help rebuild relations with the Muslim community</p>
<p>1) 145,000 well-organized people are already doing an incredible amount of good in a place ravaged by the dictatorship of a madman. Now, what the Communist News Network (CNN) and ABC, NBC, and CBS want you to believe is that about the only thing going on over there are bombs going off and our soldiers getting killed. This is, of course, not true. Our soldiers have done so much good for the country, and their people love us for it. Schools have been established and rebuilt from one room, dirt floor shacks to much better schools. Water lines and electricity are not only on for the people who have it, but reaching people who never had access to it before. Oil output is exceeding previous levels and now the money is going back to the Iraqi people instead of Saddam Hussein through the "oil for food" scam. (Unlike all of the conspiracy theorists want to believe, the money does not go to Bush and his oil cronies. Just listen to how ridiculous that sounds!)</p>
<p>2) In fact, fewer and fewer American troops are dying as the Iraqis start taking more control of their security. Now the terrorists are having to kill their own people, which only engenders more hate towards the terrorists from the Iraqis. American troops are doing a ton of good in Iraq (see above), and Iraqis WANT democracy, we aren't forcing it on them.</p>
<p>3) I don't really care about the respect of France and Germany. They weren't hit by 9-11. When they are, the will understand. (And they will be hit if they continue with their appeasement and contain-and-control policies. Sad but true.)</p>
<p>4) We are helping the Muslims right now by spreading democracy and freedom, probably the best thing we could do for anyone. If they don't see it now, they will thank us later.</p>
<p>I agree with heyitsme and angrod, and any other informed Republicans on this board. I am so tired of Liberal whining about this issue. I come from a school where I am one of about five Republicans (one reason I'm applying EDII to Washington & Lee). Bush is president for four more years, thankfully, and will continue to do a good job leading our great nation.</p>