Is Bush totally to blame for the Iraq war?

Question

I recently read an article that said that the failure of the Iraq war is not only just the fault of Bush but the fault of the American people. Why? The article said that it was the people who supported him, the congress that supported him, and with these support he went into Iraq. So is the people partly to blame for what is happening in the middle east because of American presence? Just want to see people's opinions.

Answer 1

I do not think one person could be to blame for an entire country going to war. I was drawn into the war out of fear from 9/11 and stopping terrorist. So maybe I am partly to blame, my INITIAL support. However, I do not think Bush is listening to the American people now, who really question intentions and length of time we have been there.

Answer 2

Absolutely not! The Media is partially to blame- because it swallowed the story about WMD's (remember THOSE??!)- hook line & sinker- without checking the "sources" out. Most of the other Politicians are partially to blame- because THEY "went along for the ride" without asking the probing questions NECESSARY- about WHAT we're going to DO with Iraq after we took it over. But MOST seriously TO BLAME- are the American People; who VOTED for a man who didn't have a CLUE how to run a Country- let alone start & manage a War !!! :( So- no; Bush is NOT "totally to blame for the Iraq war..." WE are. :(

Answer 3

The people who DID support him are obviously partly to blame, but remember that NOT EVERYONE DID! In fact, only about half did. And of course the Congress did, they're power-hungry tyrants just like him and they knew as well as he that this would all give them a tigher grip and more control over the people (i.e. the Patriot Act) and it would also line all their pockets very nicely. Stop lumping all the American people together, it's getting very old. Yes, there are plenty of idiot sheep bush-zombies around here, but there are also plenty of people who have the ability to think for themselves and have been arguing against this mess from day one. That warmongering retard is a lame duck and will be gone by this time next year.

Answer 4

Bush used fear to bully the American people and congress into supporting him on the war in Iraq. He knew what he was doing. He used the worst case scenario... more terrorists invading the USA. What the people and congress failed to realize is that it takes a heck of a lot of money to invade a country. Just look at how much it is costing the USA in Iraq. Terrorists don't have access to that kind of money.

So, yeah, it is kind of 50-50 between Bush and the people who supported him.

Answer 5

I would place the major blame on the U.N.
If that international body had stepped in either to depose Sadaam Hussein or to assist the U.S. in deposing him, the war would never have happened. The U.N. abbrogated its primary mission and I would like to see the U.S. totally disassociate itself from the U.N., it is worthless. I can think of no better mission for the U.N. than to step in to act as a buffer between the Sunnis, the Shias, and the Kurds. That is why it was formed.
And, my husband is active duty military, deployed to Iraq twice, my nephew just got back. We have many friends and family who have been there. LONG STORY SHORT.... THE MEDIA LIES!!!! The troops are appalled at what they hear on the news and see in the papers. It is so removed from the reality of what is actually going on in Iraq. It is evident that the media has an agenda, has a blame Bush hatred, and the American people have fallen for it hook, line, & sinker.
A lot of 'sheeple' in the U.S.
Is it for the oil?? Damn right but not for the Bush family oil interests. It is for the oil/gas in your car, for heating, the hundreds of petroleum based products in your home (plastics, rugs, clothing, razors, etc., etc.). Until we come up with a good alternative energy source (not wind or solar, they are only marginal adjuncts to energy), we will all dependent on oil.
The bigger problem in the Middle East? We did not fully understand that 30 years under a dictator meant that the people are clueless as to how to take care of themselves. They have always been told when, where, what, etc. Now that they have a chance to make their own decisions, they don't know how.
And, I do not care for Hillary but agree with her support of us going into Iraq. Her access to intel as First Lady meant that she had the same information, probably more, as Pres Bush. All of that intel pointed to bio weapons and all of the intel pointed to a huge threat to the region and to the U.S. We had no other choice.
Has the war been carried out correctly. History will judge that. But, any time you have politicians telling a well trained military how to conduct a war... there are going to be problems. We should have learned that lesson in Vietnam (and that is the only parallel with Vietnam).
As far as our military is concerned. They are ALL volunteers, no one drafted them. If you go into the military, you better expect to have to fight. It is not working at Walmart and no one promised you a rose garden.
PROUD MOM, PROUD SPOUSE, PROUD AUNT, PROUD DAUGHTER OF AMERICA'S FINEST!!! Oo-Rah!

Answer 6

Well i liked the tone of your speech and it is noticeable that you talked out of heart not with any regrets or wathever. But i would like to question you on some issues:

The media lies. you have said so, they take sides, but how can one (you or I) be SO sure of Saddam Hussein's atrocities if the only source we have is... the one actually mentioned above, and treated as a liar... it seems to me all that is 'soooooo' wrong actually should be much better investigated than just gossiped about. But lets take this 'variable' out of the equation as neither you or i can make a point here.

"Is it for the oil?? Damn right but not for the Bush family oil interests. It is for the oil/gas in your car, for heating, the hundreds of petroleum based products in your home (plastics, rugs, clothing, razors, etc., etc.). Until we come up with a good alternative energy source (not wind or solar, they are only marginal adjuncts to energy), we will all dependent on oil."

well that enough is very much what i call a stupid politic. Need I say why? okay, then... say your US. You've got the best army, the most technologically advanced, the one with the better strategists against a bunch of 'low-teched arabs' in an open desert (very good for the powerful American Airforce to wipe out). And you dare to enter a conflict to get oil? Can't your freakin COUNTRY (i mean there is a people on it, not only ONE terribly powerful politic) do something else rather than invading to get petrol? OH WAIT wasn't it being delivered to everyone the same way before the war? It was not only being normally pumped and exported BUT also COSTED A HELL LESS than nowadays.

Seriously so it was because of not getting petrol that US invaded Iraq? I don't think so. I don't accept this argument because it is so terribly non believable, its not logic nor anything its a quite big load of Bull****.

ok i may take out the argument that Bush family benefited from the war on Iraq, perhaps no Bush has control over any Iraqi oil.
But there are a number of "1st world" country guys who are owning it and even many "3rd worldists". Does it matter? Isn't it just a bunch of money being used the wrong way? Like power, concentrated, to me it always attracts more problems than solutions, so actually i preffer standing against govts up until they convince me i'm wrong. If you would act as a Bush partidary and give to me (and everybody else here) the true reasons why the US have gone to war then we could continue talking. I and everyone else interested would take it as a serious statement not as a joke. I just warn you that i tolerate and even like " art for art's sake " or "the theoretical theorems of sciences" but i would never, for one second accept a " war for war's sake "

and about the alternative energy. In cars (which contribute IMMENSELLY to pollution) one can always use ETHANOL who's in the market for decades but the Petrol industry has never stepped off this market once this RENEWABLE, NON-POLLUTING energy source was brought up. There are many fuels made out of Hydrogen, Ethanol fuelled (E85 % in US, its not even pure), Electric cars but nothing is made against this.

What can be made against this powerful dictators of Industry is PRESSION from the population and the govt to impose FINES on it, make it not lucrative, find another industry to put the people working and wipe this polluting industry off.

PS.: It seems your Husband is in the army and is fighting now in Iraq and I understand any position you take.

Answer 7

Bushes money won the first election not the ballot box.
It seem that most americans don`t get the full story, so how can they be to blame.
The american media is not as free as it pretends to be.

The blame for the death of all those inocent Iraqies is with Bush and his administration.
I must ask our american cousins why killing women and children is called colateral damage.I was brought up to call it murder..!!

Answer 8

every party that took part in the decision to invade iraq is at fault and therefore should b blamed and held responsible. i personally applaud bush and his associates for ridding the iraqis of that monster saddam hussain.

Answer 9

Bush is an oil man. And make no mistake
about it. This is a war about oil. Buying oil,
selling oil, and protecting that very, valuable
oil region.

Answer 10

there was a lot of support

there was also a lot of protest

the war was sanctioned by the governments of more than US and UK

hindsight is a wonderful thing....................