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The war in Iraq is costly, both in dollars and lives. Since the invasion in 2003, there have been 3,441 deaths, 3,184 of whom were Americans. Taxpayers are supporting the cost, which now is more than $400 billion. What good is it doing?
President Bush keeps telling the population that it's getting better, movements are being made in the right direction, there's hope for the Iraqi people, hope for American troops and hope for the rest of the world to be free from terror.
Bush's new war policy, as stated in his State of the Union address in January, calls for more troops to be deployed. That comes as a shock to me as some of our allies have pledged to pull their troops out. The war on terror is losing support.
I don't believe we should immediately and abruptly pull our troops out. The end of this war should be fairly gradual, but deploying more troops is a step in the opposite direction. Our tax dollars aren't going toward a noble cause anymore.
The war on terror in the beginning helped regain American pride after the 9/11 attacks. Our nation was bruised, and retaliation was necessary to ensure that America would be taken seriously as a superior nation. That was unavoidable. I respect Bush's initial movement into this war. Without it, every other nation on this planet would have viewed America as vulnerable and unconcerned with national defense.
Now, four years after the initial invasion, Bush's approval rating has dropped to a mere 30 percent, according to a poll conducted by USA Today. Other polls have concluded that the majority of the population distrusts Bush's decision-making. He's lost support on both sides. So then, what is he fighting for?
He claims to be at war to stabilize a wild country and to make sure America is secure from future attacks. In my opinion, with all the damage that's been done in Iraq, I think Bush has made his point.
American continues to be the most powerful nation in the world, and Americans know that. So why can't Bush wrap things up and get our troops back home?
I'm not worried about future attacks on our country. We've proven to the world that we can take care of ourselves.
However, I am worried about the brave men and women who are risking their lives so Bush can attempt to save his name. He isn't concerned with our wellbeing anymore. He just wants to make sure that in the end, everyone will think he was doing the right thing, and to prove that he isn't a complete failure as president.
That said, I do encourage that everyone give support to our troops whether or not you support the war. They've made the choice to fight for our freedom, and we should appreciate them for that. Besides, without them, Bush would have to reinstate the draft to fill his army. So thank those troops who save you from being forced into military service.
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