<p>This is an honest question because 2002 was a long 5 years ago and the WMD rationale now obviously rings false. Whether Bush was either maliciously lying or dangerously stupid is irrelevant as there are people dying daily by the dozens because of the war. So, as in the case of any war, I think we should all be able to come to a general consensus on why exactly we're spending money and human resources on this effort.</p>
<p>To fix what we've broken. The question is, is that cause worth it?</p>
<p>"come to a consensus"</p>
<p>Good luck with that. There's numerous reasons why we're still in Iraq, I think most notably is to "finish the job" and provide the country with a somewhat stable structure/future. Whether this can/will be done is another story, but I think it's why we are still there.</p>
<ol>
<li>If we leave and the country becomes more messed up than it already is - our reputation will be further diminished.</li>
<li>If we leave and the country becomes more messed up than it already is - more terrorists could possibly be created.</li>
<li>If we leave and the country becomes more messed up than it already is - it could cost the US economy substantially if oil raises significantly in price.</li>
</ol>
<p>Those are the main reasons, I think.</p>
<p>
[quote]
1. If we leave and the country becomes more messed up than it already is - our reputation will be further diminished.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I don't think the reputation of America (or at least the Bush administration) can be sullied much further. Right now, America is like a sex offender trying to gain some goodwill by donating to charity.</p>
<p>
[quote]
2. If we leave and the country becomes more messed up than it already is - more terrorists could possibly be created.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>But by staying, the American forces are only creating hatred towards them even more. It's really a no-win situation.</p>
<p>
[quote]
3. If we leave and the country becomes more messed up than it already is - it could cost the US economy substantially if oil raises significantly in price.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I don't know enough about this to comment.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I don't think the reputation of America (or at least the Bush administration) can be sullied much further. Right now, America is like a sex offender trying to gain some goodwill by donating to charity.
[/quote]
Oh, our reputation could take a much worse hit. A Sunni holocaust happening after we leave would be bad...as would a full blown civil war (which would have a much different composure than what is currently happening).</p>
<p>The point is the situation in Iraq can get much worse. The worse the situation in Iraq gets, the bigger the hit our reputation takes.</p>
<p>Another reason is some people think their is a moral imperative to reduce the amount of Iraqi lives lost. I laugh when I here this.</p>
<p>(haha, this sounds like the exact post I wrote up and subsequently discarded, though I just wrote iraqi genocide instead of "holocaust.")</p>
<p>but how do you know that "by staying, the American forces are only creating hatred towards them even more. It's really a no-win situation."?</p>
<p>
[quote]
don't think the reputation of America (or at least the Bush administration) can be sullied much further. Right now, America is like a sex offender trying to gain some goodwill by donating to charity.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>If you don't think our rep can be further "sullied" then you're stupid. If we started going door to door killing everything we see that wouldn't lower our rep? How about if we dropped nuclear weapons? How about if we left and millions were killed holocaust style? </p>
<p>
[quote]
But by staying, the American forces are only creating hatred towards them even more. It's really a no-win situation.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>At least by staying though you have both a chance to turn the tide and keep em occupied instead of letting them roam free??</p>
<p>We obey the will of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.</p>
<p>Yo, Chaos, still hangin' around? Geez. I thought you'd have broken this addiction by now. =P</p>
<p>i'm not as informed about iraq as i should be, but honestly how does it differ from vietnam? it seems like the same situation where we're trying to act as the world police and feeling the need to stay in until we can leave with 'honor' but really hurting the country more than we're helping.</p>
<p>
[quote]
i'm not as informed about iraq as i should be, but honestly how does it differ from vietnam? it seems like the same situation where we're trying to act as the world police and feeling the need to stay in until we can leave with 'honor' but really hurting the country more than we're helping.
[/quote]
The parallels between Vietnam and Iraq are visible - but so are the differences.</p>
<p>
[quote]
i'm not as informed about iraq as i should be, but honestly how does it differ from vietnam? it seems like the same situation where we're trying to act as the world police and feeling the need to stay in until we can leave with 'honor' but really hurting the country more than we're helping.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>They are both very alike and very different. I kinda compare it to high school basketball and nba basketball....both kinda the same but both very different as well.</p>
<p>We need their oil reserves if we plan on running our cars another 5 years without having to drill in ANWR / North Pole. If we have the power to take and control them, we deserve them.</p>
<p>We need to bring back Imperialism.</p>