question for Americans from an American about the war?

Question

why are we spending so much time and money on this war trying to "help" another country instead of spending the time and money on our own country on so many things we have going wrong in America? This is a sincere question that confuses me and it might have been answered and debated already but I'd like some answers and opinions. Wouldnt it be in the Americans best interest to spend the Americans tax money to better the Americans in America?

I'd like some answers from people who are pro this war also...everyone is welcome to answer though...of course.

well this statement isnt meant to be heartless though it may seem like it....but when you talk about the misfortune of these people in a far away country and that we need to help them...yes, its a nice gesture...but why?? Leave them alone. its not really our business. People are dying of diseases everyday in other countries other than iraq. We help them a little and charities are helping a little...but we arent spending this much money on "the war on AIDS" or "the war on cancer" or "the war on gangs, drugs, homelessness, education for youth, health care, education to prevent less crime in cities, to raise our kids to where we can eventually live in less fear in America, parenting education (because mostly everything bad with people stems from bad parenting and careless parenting) research for new technology that uses RENEWABLE resources and NOT OIL.....ETC!!!!

Answer 1

Not necessarily. Liberal politicians in the U.S. have squandered trillions of dollars on social programs over the last several decades to no avail. It's never proper policy for a government to tax and spend on programs that people can handle themselves.

This isn't meant to discount some things that a government can properly do, but ask yourself what the government does that you think they do well.

It is, however, in the direct national interest of the U.S. to ensure that Saddam doesn't have free reign over a huge part of the Middle East to use as a base of operations for al-Quada and a renewed nuclear weapons program.

Answer 2

Everyone says it is for oil, and oil has something to do with it, but it is not the only reason. I think the administration (in their infinate naivite) truly believed that Iraq would have provided a huge return on a small investment of blood and treasury. When we attacked Afghanistan, Bush and CO figured that if we could overthrow Saddam, we would

A) get another powerful ally in the region
B) get lots of cheap oil
C) start a chain reaction that if other countries saw how well a moderate islamic could thrive under a democratic system, all of the other countries (Iran, Syria, etc) would have democratic uprisings and we would be really influential in the area, get cheap oil, and strike a major blow to Islamic Fundamentalism in the area.

That didn't happen. The Bush Administration were really simplistic in their views and proved they did not understand the world and in particular that area of the world and fought this war on the cheap. This is the fruit we bore instead. I hope our soldiers stay safe and come home soon....

Answer 3

Debett , I read one response . I am a military honorably discharged Veteran . Yes we do need to take care of our own
country and all the people in it . But as a country with great
power comes great responsibilities for the underprivileged
and freedoms for all who cry out to the world for help . We still
have troops in Kosovo from the Clinton administration plus
other NATO troops as well . We have NATO troops thru out
the world where Hot Spots or rebellions seem to flare more
often then not . Have you thanked a Veteran for his/her service to keep your everyday life and freedom secure and ,
asked them about Iraq ! The Iraqi's want us there for protection from neighboring countries , as well as the Saudis,
otherwise other countries will over run them and try to control
the worlds economy through its oil rich regions . All though
only about 10% of U.S. oil comes from that region , don't
forget that oil accounts for many different products , soap ,
any plastics , rubber , toys , electronic , utilities , the making
of and material developement as well food products etc.,etc., . Just about everything in our homes come from oil in one form or another and, to just trun our backs on a nations
cry for help would be a repeat of the Adolf Hitler era where
millions of people died , for what ! because it is not our problem , who cares they are on the other side of the world !
Or I might have to miss a meal , it will raise my taxes , I won't
be able to live my life style if my money has to go to helping
those people ,( live or die ). We as American forces are fighting for the freedoms of all people as our Constitution in
the USA reads . I fought in the middle east for 3 years and
if we do not show a strong presents there then we will soon
have bombs going off in our schools , movie theaters , shopping malls , hospitals , play grounds , you name it and
it will more than likely happen . This is a much bigger problem
than most people think ! I saw a bus blown up in Israel and
the people first hand . I visited the world trade centers in NY .
I have made friends in more than half this world and will if
needed miss a meal drive an old car instead of a new one
and will go to them if they call for my help, & do what ever
I can to help them . So Debett do not be confused , just look
at the big picture . We as Americans have enjoyed , well so
much of a good thing for so long that one day we will write a
new history in our books because , the world is not so big
anymore and we must help each other no matter of skin color,
race , religion ,or what ever else comes . God wants us as
His people to help each other first and it is right for us to do so . We can not just turn our backs and look the other way . Then their blood would be on our hands and all who oppose it.....

Answer 4

I'm curious to know exactly what problems you see in the US that would be solved by throwing money at them. Personally, the only one I see is the lack of funding towards the space program.

I mean, the last time somebody threw a whole bunch of money at NASA, we got computers. I fail to see why people don't see the space program as a sound investment.

The above poster is ignoring the fact that unemployment is nearing all-time lows. Rather than linking biased sites, my source is the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Answer 5

We aren't there solely to 'help' another country but even if we were, I can't see questioning the need to save lives and aid in securing another nation's right to peaceful sovereignty. We stirred this can of worm and now, we owe it to the people of Iraq to stay until it settles down.

For us, it is an investment in our own future and national security. You have to be able to look down the road a bit to see it's value. Our biggest enemies reside in the ME and the more bases we maintain there and the more eyes we have upon them, the better off we will be. Positioning is everything and right now we are positioning ourselves to react quickly, proficiently and with a heavy hand to any threat originating within the region.

One must be patient. If we left now, the sum total of our investment would be lost and our opportunities forever thwarted. Plus, the new Iraqi government would revert to the ways of the old in cursing us and they would have every right to do so - if we abandoned them.

Answer 6

You are so right, too bad so much money got spent on destroying the Country of Iraq too... Imagine all of this money could have been used for the poor people living in the USA and even for New Orleans, to protect the people so hurricane Catrina wouldn't have done so much damage.

Answer 7

To better answer your question, i must give you a little background information about the ordeal.

First off, a certain administration that was led by a President, that had problems telling the difference between reality, and things he did during his acting career, supplied Saddam with chemicals and airplanes for "agricultural purposes".
Iranians began to complain that he was using them as chemical weapons on their people.
The administration that supplied them, largely ignored the complaints.
Not only did they continue to supply Saddam with these "agricultural" equipment, dispite iranian complaints, but they also authorized the ATCC to send him a culture of B. anthracis for "research" purposes.
The administration considered him a friendly, as long as they got what they wanted out of Iraq, and just looked theother way when he violated international law.
As it became obvious that the international community, was growing uneasy about his actions, it also became apparent that another country taking him out, not only would gie them a stranglehold on a large portion of the ME oil supply, but also lead to great embarassment for the administration involved.

Next, heated discussions about whether or not Kuwait was overstepping their bounds, by using advanced drilling techniques close to the Iraq border erupted. soon after, Saddam sent his military into Kuwait. That was the point of zero redemption.

While all this was going on, arab oil workers where demanding better pay, better working conditions, and better treatment from their employers. They began to form something similar to unions, but what power do they actually have when the next starving person is ready to take their place and do the job? They started to do the usual things of picketting, and staging sitdowns, and that had no real effect on their goals.
Eventually their strikes, became more violent, requiring security to keep them from beating their foremen, and other laborers. When that wasn't getting them anywhere the violence increased to the point that armed security, and eventually armed servicemen where needed for security, to keep operations running smoothly. soon people started coming to work finding bombs strapped to their equipment.
Oil companies were probably the first to employ terrorist alerts, because of this situation.
These labor organizations eventually became known as terrorist organizations, that threatened American "interest" in the ME.

As time progressed, and Saddam's supply of chemical weapons were shut off, to avoid a huge embarassment, Saddam used the oil for food program to obtain them elsewhere.

Now considering the above, what would be the most obvious reason for us to care about bringing freedom to people who could have just traveled across the border to another arab country to obtain it for themselves? Afterall, how open are iraq's borders? wasn't like there was a wall around it then, just like there isn't now.

Answer 8

I do agree with you. I don't like this war either.I have a son 4th tour over there and i do want him home but i want him to come home alive and a winner,a reason for going.. But we have never addressed America Problems wars or no wars. We are too worried helping feed other countries and do not feed our own . it is a real sad situation isn't it.Very good question.

Answer 9

Currnetly our main enemy is Islamic extremeism. They do not obey any rules of war ( Killing civilians for mass casualties, hiding in civilian buildings, Bringing vigilante justice to the countries they have immigrated to {Sharia Law}, stoning women, beheadings,fileting tounges) Our only option to keep them at bay is to set up democracies in the Middle East. Though it may be far to late. Saddam Hussien protected our enemies, killed his own people and attacked another country and threatened American lives in the region.

Reguardless of why we went in we went in for the best intrest to give the people of the middle east a chance to govern themselves and not be under brutal dictatorships or theocracies. The poeple of Iran, Iraq, Afganistan, even alot of them in Syria and Lebanon like Americans. The leaders of these countries start things like saying America is the great satan and responsible for all their problems while keeping the prosperity to themselves and effectively brianwash their citizens to beleive that if America and Isreal were gone from the world they would have freedom.

We are trying to give them that without having to go through cruel dictators who won't truely ever let their people have freedom. While protecting ourselves by taking out all the terrorist strongholds we can in the region so they cannot train and must be scattered and weaker.

Answer 10

I've wondered the same thing about Angelina Jolie. Why not adopt American children? Why not give sizable contributions to American charities.

Some things I just don't understand.

Answer 11

Yes, you are right,we are paying heavy taxes for the betterment of our country not to give so many funds to other countries or to spend it on some fire work in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In US there are thousands of jobless peoples. Why we do not spend this money to invest it in our own country for them.

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