Well, now you have seen what Austrian teenagers have to say about American Foreign Policy and the war in Iraq. Your assignment is to put in your own "two cents" about this issue and respond to this blog. One of the purposes of this assignment is to get you to think about your opinions and what you believe and why you believe it. The point is not to "brainwash" you with the opinions of these teenagers, but to start a discussion and a forum. Soon you will be adults and you will inherit more responsibilities associated with the direction of our country. In 3-4 short years you will be voting and will be complete members of the American Democracy. Today you have the opportunity to make your opinion noted.
It should be noted that as we were filming this documentary, we were hoping to find at least one teenager who supported the President's decision to attack Iraq. Unfortunately, we were not able to find anyone who could take this position and therefore this section of the film seems to biased. The intention of the filmmakers was to show sentiment of the Austrian youth, whatever that might be and not to take sides.
Please respond to this blog by considering the following:
1. Do you agree with the perspective of the Austrian teenagers? Perhaps you agree with some of the things stated by not others. Please explain why or why not.
2. Pretend that the President of the United States will be reading your opinion. What would you like to say to him about the war and the direction our country is headed? If you support the course of action explain why. If you think it needs some changes, you should state those changes and explain why. Maybe your opinions are in complete contrast with the Government's plan of action. Again, explain why.
3. For privacy issues, sign the blog using only the initials of your name, so I can give you a grade, yet others will not know who you are.
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47 comments:
In opening, I would like to state that the Austrian Citizens have no reason to protest on matters that don't concern them, no matter their past. If they wish to be neutral in this war, then they should keep their opinions private and contained. Why should they protest when they have nothing to protest against?
On the matter of the war itself, I feel that we are helping another country help itself. We may have made a mistake in the first place, putting all those groups together, but we are not the only ones to blame. That was a U.N decision. We just seem to be their errand boy. Back on subject, Osama was the base of the terrorism, and from what I understand, Suddam Huisane was a supplier and accomplice. We helped Iraq overthrow Suddam and the faulty government system, and are now trying to establish a new government for them. The reason this is a war, is that certain groups are trying to keep Iraq from advancement because of their hate for Americans.
As far as the argument that President Bush is in this for the oil, I believe this is completely false. America doesn't even need The Arabian oil. We have plenty all over the world, including here. It is the same as thirty years ago. The "government", here meaning senators and representatives bribed by Large oil distributors, are spreading the rumor that we are leeching the world's recources, and that the oil will be gone in twenty to thirty years. They have even started a "global warming" prospect. This is a doomsday aproach that keeps us panicked, blind sighted, and, most importantly, paying top dollar. We haven't run out of oil yet, and we're not going to any time soon.
On the subject of American Politics, I think we are heading in a rapidly declining situation. Our system is sound, I believe it is the best in the World. It is just the way people are undermiming the Constitution for their own gain. If we don't turn ourselves around, not just the government, but the nation as a whole, I think someday America will be unrecognizable.
To close, I will state that this war is not a bad thing. We are fighting to help another country. We are doing this relatively alone, and we are doing one heck of a good job. We shouldn't believe all that is on the news. They are only interested in spreading stories of destruction and death, showing America in a bad light, demonstrating once again the lust for money.I leave you all to ponder these words, and to think of what you will believe, and what you will do to affect the direction the United States of America is going.
I think that Austria shouldn't have a reason to say anything about this war. I think that only Iraqi and American Citizens have a say because they are in the war. In my opinion we are doing something good for Iraq. We have given them schools, hospitals, fresh water, etc. This is basically a Civil War for them. They now have a good government, but Bush shouldn't be telling them what to do and how to run their government. The Iraqi governemnt should meet and fiqure out how they want to run Iraq without anybodys help. Most of the citizens their are happy and glad that we captured Sudam. I think that they were scared if they were going to killed by him after he killed 10s of thousands of his own family including his own family and parents. The news needs to show all of the good things going on not the bad, and America will then start supporting the war the real way not the fake way by wanting the troops to come back home.
1. Austrians can comment on whatever they like. It may not be their nation that is involved, but it is their world. Let them respond to world issues.
2. The reason that we are now involved in Iraq: the belief that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. After Iraq was invaded there were no such weapons found. After Saddam Hussein was captured, the already unstable country fell apart. We removed their leader from them; we are responsible for their lack of government.
We should have never gone to Iraq in the first place. We would have found out whether or not they had weapons of mass destruction anyway. If it came to the attention of the world that Hussein had those weapons, the US would not be the only ones trying to stop him. President Bush had a thirst to prove himself. He was looking for an opportunity to do something that would seem great in the eyes of the people. He just jumped on the wrong opportunity.
The fact remains that we went to Iraq. We should have never gone, but now that we are there, we can't just leave. As stated earlier, the US is responsible for the situation of the Iraqi government. We have to help them now, because it is our fault. We cannot force upon them our way of government, however. They are not like us, and that is one of the hardest concepts for President Bush to grasp. A solution has not yet been found, but Bush had better find one quickly, otherwise the next president will pull out the troops and Iraq will be in more chaos that it already is.
what up dean?
i think the war is not about oil. i think that bush sent the troops over to restore oder over there, set up a good goverment in iraq. when suddam got capture the iraqies cheered that he was gone. we should take them out and see what happens to iraq know. i think 9/11 played a big part on the desicion to go over to iraq. the austrians don't know what happen over here. but they do have a point. yeah dean so that is what i think. well see ya dean.
km
I think that the Austrians shouldn't protest the war because they aren't American citizens. I think that the war is perfectly justified because fighting terrorists and Osama is going to happen one way or another. I think that helping another country is great even if there is opposition, and if we help Iraq then they will most likely be our ally and then we will have another country in the middle east fighting terrorism. I think that president Bush is handling the situation as good as anyone can. But i think that we should use more elite forces to constantly try and target major terrorist leaders.
DKG.
Austria has plenty of reason to have opinions about the war and is welcome to share them. This is a world issue and I don't think any of you would be criticizing people in america for having opinions about other wars. Say austria was in a war with germany, I'm sure we would all have a lot to say about it and probably publicly say it. About the war in Iraq, I agree with what Cache says about Bush trying to prove himself, and I also believe this is partially a war on oil. We have also invaded another country when they had no weapons of mass destruction and no connection of Al Qaeda. A lot of people think that Iraq were the ones that bombed us when it was really Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. Iraq is right next to where we get most of our oil, after we found no signs of weapons of mass destruction, why did we stay? Yeah, maybe there was a faulty government system, but Hussein had more order than we do now. And besides, we were the ones who helped put Hussein in power twenty years ago. We have entered another country and totally screwed up their government more than it was. Yeah, maybe eventually we will fix it, but at the moment we are trying to force a belief system and all these views on a counrty that may not even want it. How would we feel if Iraq invaded us and tried to force someone like Hussein on us back when he was in power. Look, I'm not saying that Hussein was good, but he kept the country in order, and who are we to judge other people. I mean, yeah, Hitler killed a lot of people, but he brought Germany out of a depression. I don't support Hitler or the way he brought Germany out of its depression, but he still brought them out of it.
sv
Hey wats up Dean
I think that the main reason that we went to iraq is because of oil. But I also think that Bush sent over the troops to cover up 9/11 because after 9/11 we were looking for osama bin laden. But then we couldn't find him so to get are minds off that we couldn't find him we went to war. But now we aren't even going back to looking for him. But I do think that the austrians are somewhat right about that it is for the most part about oil.
btj
i dont think the austrians have no bussiness protessting about stuff they are not even in it. i know why they do it but still.
i dont think that bush is not adicted to oil. i think that it was a good idea to go to iraq. i think that he made the right desicion and i think that i would do the same thing if i were in his situation.
I think that the Austrian citizens can state there opinions about the war because it does involve them. It involves the whole world to be able to state there opinions on it as well. I also think that Bush is doing a good thing over in Iraq, were not exactly fighting against the Iraqis we are trying to help them build a strong, good government. They want to be free over there and Bush is just trying to help them. He might need to back off a little and have the new Iraqi Government make there own decisions for what they think will make the people happy over there.
I think that the war in Iraq is a good thing. We are helping this country which had a bad government of force in which the people had no say in any matter, to establish a good form of government in which they do have a say in what happens to their country. They can elect their leader and choose which one they think will represent them the best and make the best decisions about their country.
MS
First off I'd like to say that I think the Austrian citizens have the right to speak their opinions because this war in Iraq does involve them. It involves the whole world. I like what President Bush is doing over in Iraq. It's okay maybe he needs to lighten up just a little but he is helping a country that needs helping. We might think that it is wrong what Bush is doing but I think that he is just trying to help a country that doesn't have a very good government. If we get the Iraq people to form a good government than they will become our ally's and will fight with us against terrorism instead of against us for terrorism.
I don't think that the Austrians should should say that they don't like the war that we are fighting. Its not even their war to begin with. My opinion is that we should still be in Iraq. If we leave right now, then Iraq will just totally fall apart. We are the only ones keeping them together. I think we should stay until they can organize themselves enough. We don't have to listen to what the Austrians say about the war and Bush. They shouldn't even care. They can have they're own opinion if they want to but they shouldn't protest to us about it because they are not even american citizens. MJ.
Hey, Dean!
I really can't agree or disagree with what the people had to say, because I'm not fully aware of the circumstances. If I knew what was going on, exactly what Bush was doing, etc., I would voice (in this case, write) my opinion. My mom, though, believes that Clinton left this huge mess for Bush. I, myself, have no clue on that matter. I am totally unaware of anything that's going on over in Iraq! But, I don't think a war is the smartest thing to go for. Wars are stupid and pointless and a waste of time and lives. I mean, if everyone said "Sign up now to die!" I doubt there'd be very many people in the military, so they always say "To defend our country..." blah, blah, blah... All war is about is land, usually, and in this case I guess everyone thinks it's about oil, as Spencer made clear.... :) So, all in all, I guess it just doesn't matter. They can protest, whatever. All the same, everyone's going to die. :)
Hey, how do you say "peace out"? Ha, ha, ha! ^___^
I personally believe that the Austrian Teenagers have a point, in the past we have taken oil from countries in the middle east where we've had wars before. However, I do believe that we should be in Iraq now that we're already there, we should never have gone there in the first place, but now that we're there, we have to stay. I believe that we're trying to do the right thing, but we're not doing it in the right way, when you have over 30,000 civilians, at least, dead, then something is not right. It can't be right. We should change our tac tics, I don't know what we should change them to, but they have to be changed somehow. -D Cannon
I am in full support of the war. If we had not gone to Iraq, all the car bombs happening there could of ended up in places like New York city, or the pentagon. We are just preventing deaths. Any one protesting this war is pretty much saying "We should pull out our troops so millions can die" There is no point in leaving Iraq until the threat is gone and they have a stable govenment so that more innocent lives are spared. I think people protesting the war know nothing about it because I don't think they are so cold-harted as to let millions die.
O.k i think that we were totally justified in going into iraq. even if saddam isnt linked to terrorists,he himself is one. He was in the process of gainning materials to make weapons when we were there. and this is not new for him. He had used these weapons in the past on his own people. But he isnt the only reason we went in there. We are in the process of reastablishing a collapsed government, and at the same time preventing civil war. 3 different sets of the same religion are willing to kill each other at a minutes notice. And the final reason i think is because there is al queda in iraq. and we cant just let them go free. Afganistan also has al queda. they actually have a lot more than iraq does. but they dont have as much problems as iraq does. I understand the reasoning for why people want us to get out of there. we kinda bit off more than we can chew. the problems in iraq have more or less gotten worse since we have been there. and it kinda was our fault. but we were just trying to help out a country like we always do and things just turned bad on us. I also agree that it is turning into a lost cause. we either need to start doing some good fast, somehow make going over there worth it. or just leave a bunch of foreign embassies over there and get out.
so i really dont see any truly good reasons for austria protesting especially because whats there protesting gonna do anyways? is it gonna make their government come over and stop us or what? alot of them are comparing the war in iraq to hitler taking them over. i think that they are totally wrong. and i think that until they have an army the size of ours, and could somehow pull off what we are trying to do they should just be quiet and try to solve their own problems. : )
the end
I think that the Austrians have a right to say what they say and I agree with them in some cases. The war in Iraq is closer to them so it probably affects them more. I agree that the war is about oil. We shouldn't tell them what type of government to use, we should let them decide. I think that the Kurds, Sunnis, and Shi'tes should all sit down and decide what type of government they want to represent them. I also think that we should get there chosen government going and establish a military so they can fight for themselves and then we should bring our troops home.
First off I'd like to say that the Austrians are welcome to say anything that they want to about the war in Iraq. Anyone should be able to say anything they want to about the war in Iraq. None of us are perfect and I don't think any of us will be anytime soon, we can sure make situations a lot better and a lot less controversial by doing something that isn't going to cause conflict from a previously neutral 3rd party. My opinion on the war in Iraq is that it was the right thing to do, going in to it. The fact that Sadaam Hussein and the country of Iraq were supporting the people who brought on 9/11 is worrying enough without throwing in the fact that they may be carrying WMD's is enough to give people a heart attack, or me at least. I think President Bush was right to send the troops into Iraq to look for those weapons, I believe he is right keeping the troops in Iraq right now. We may have accomplished our previous goals, but by no means is Iraq ready to work things out for themselves, and it would be foolish to withdraw the troops without finishing the job that was started. One of the more brought up points is that the U.S. is in this for the oil. I find believe this false, the U.S. has enough oil reserves to last for a rather long time, and according to recent estimates, the world's oil supplies are dwindling and will be completely depleted within 50 years, i say only a handicapped person would fight a war to prolong the fact that the country needs to find alternate sources of energy. The U.S.'s System is sound and only greedy self centered politicians spread rumors that the U.S. is only in this for personal gain. Lastly I think that It's wrong for politicians, presidential canditates in particular convincing everyone that bush is wrong in staying in Iraq and that the war was a bad idea in the first place. I have talked to and heard from lots of soldiers and none of them have said anything negative about the war, they think it's a good idea, that it needs to be done; I personally would trust somebody who is over there, willing to lay down his/her life for a cause they believe in than a politician who doesn't really care about the outcome. I think this is a war that needs to be fought in order to get Iraq where they need to be and that if it stops, the U.S. will be in as bad a condition as Iraq is Currently.
I think that the Austrians have a say in the war. Because they are part of the world and I think they should have a say. I think it is a good thing we are involved in Iraq. Because I think it has reduced the terroist attacks. We aren't just going to sit here and be attacked and killed. We had to stop the attacks somehow. I think Bush has been a really good leader. We should give him credit for actually doing something about 9/11. So I think it is a good thing that we are fighting in Iraq!
i think that the austrians can have an opinion about the war. they have a right to know whats going on in the world and they can definetely say what they want about it. i do agree with the war. i think that president bush is doing the right thing here. if they're going to go and pull something like 9/11 then i think that we have a pretty dang good reason to go to war with them. i feel like were helping out the country. they should still be able to have complete control over themselves but have more reasonable laws and government.
With watching the movie on the Austrians, it bugged me how they think we are only in this war for oil. They can't prove that we have been taking oil, so they should shut up. I think we should be in this war, we are helping out a contrie that was not free, and was being destroyed be Sudam Husane. I am not saying it is right that we should have gone in to Iraq because they werent the ones who bombed us, Alquada was, but we went in their and are trying to stop all their fighting, and if we pull out it will just get worse, you here about all the freakin bombs on the news allday, I think if we leave now it will make alot worse then in was in the past and now. I think people should stop saying how bad the war is, you can find both good and bad from it.But none of us really know what is going on. All the news talks about is the bad that has happened their, none of the good. I don't think anyone can really judge the war in less your in it, even the people with family members in the war. Now that we are iraq we have to stay their we cannot pull out now or i think the other middle east contries will think that we are weak and will attack us on are turf.
I think that Austrians have a right to express there opionions on the war in Iraq. It effects everyone around the world.
I think that Bush never had a good plan to begin with. The reason he went there was false, thinking that Sadam Hussein had mass distruction weapons. We started a war over something that was nonexistent. We didn't find anything of the sort. We did find plans about weapons but no weapons that have been made. It has created a lot of hatred towards American's world wide because Bush hasn't done it right. He continues to falter in making the right decisions.
Some people think that it is about the oil. We haven't taken control of the oil. We haven't used it to lower prices in the US. So I don't think that we are after that.
The Iraqis also don't want our way of government. We like the Democratic way where Religion and government are seperate, and where everybody has a voice. They still think that a government run by their Religion is right. It is not right. It is the opposite. I am not saying that forcing our government on them is a good thing though. I just think that they haven't opened their eyes to see what good a different way of running things can do to help them.
I think that Bush has not had a good veiw either. He keeps on making things worse, when he really needs to think things through. We have to help the Iraqis rebuild what they lost. By pulling the troops out we leave them to clean up the mess we made. We need to support our troops.
Well to start with I would like to say that everyone is entitled to an opinon even if there opinon doesn't argree with yours. Honestly I don't like some of the things the Austrian citizens say but you have to walk a mile in there shoes. So your a mile away from them and you have there shoes. I think though that in some cases its is better to keep your opinon to yourself. This war has pros and cons like any other war most of them are cons in the eyes of the people not in the war like the Austrians. I think all the austrians want is not to have a repeat of WW2. We all just need to support our country and not fight with one another in our own union we need to be a united people through thick and thin
1. k i strongly disagree with the austrians. they can just shut their trap about the stupid oil b.s. what they said was the only reason why the americans are in there is because they are stealing the oil. there is no proof of this. they are just thinking this. its september 13th i think its snowing outside... too bad all of you dont believe me. its cuz i THINK thats what the austrians are doing they are THINKING that we are doing this i THINK its snowing but oh i just looked out the window its not. they need to get their heads out of their behinds and look at the big picture. if a country is under a dictatorship and nobody does anything about it, all thats gonna happen is everyone will be miserable. once this is all over they will be happy and free. im proud to say i live in a nation that cares and does something about this crap that happens. i know the reason to go into iraq was to get the wmd's but we didnt find any. and we saw what kind of crap the people there were going through and decided that this was a freaking crap shoot for them. so we got rid of the dictator and got them started on a new government where people have a say in what happens. we are still over there building schools and helping with the government until things get settled down a bit. last off, i think the austrians should not have a word in what happens. if their nation was in iraq then yes they could say something. but they are not. maybe if it were a neighboring country they could but no they are not. i dont give a dang thing what they have got to say about this. they are not over there and not doing anything about it they are just talking. ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS!
2. dear mr. president. i think we are doing the right thing in iraq. i know lots of people say well we should just go out right now, but if we do that everything will just get worse and it will just go back to a dictatorship like before. a lot of people also say that we should have never gone in there. i know going in there was to get wmd's and we didnt find any. so instead of leaving we stayed to help the iraqis gain freedom. this brings up more problems but we are helping others. so i support this war. p.s. if we back out now these past few years all go to waste.
3.mm i would love to stay and write more but i have got to go to football.
I think that Australia should and does have their own opinion. Even though they are not experiencing it, and it hardly evolves them. Everyone has their own opinion about things, whether it is their problem or not. Even though some opinions are way off because their facts are set wrong, thats not our problem anyway. President Bush is doing a good thing by helping the Iraqi people, he is giving them oppurtunity to start their own government. It is their choice to take that chance and use it. President Bush probably needs to back off a little though also. I think as a world we need to work together. Take French for example, a few years ago the French gave us troops to help us fight in the war. We are helping eachother. The people over there bombed us (9/11) i dont think us Amerians are just going to sit back and watch from the sidelines. I am glad that we took action!
Privett-Out.
Everyone has a right to their opinion but I disagree very strongly, for this is not a war for oil, and Bush does know what he's talking about. What channel 4 and ABC don't report is that people in Iraq do want us there. we've put in schools and helped protect them. Yes, there are bombings and such but that's all done by the remaining Al Quaeda group. They are the ones who don't want us there.
Your personal poltergeist has left this anonymous message. Sorry it's late.
Hey guys!
yeah i think that the Austrian's have a right to say what they think, but i don't agree with them. I mean, terrorists attacked us, it's not like we're going to sit around and let them hurt us even more than they have. We did something about it so we can keep our country safe. I think that war was the only way. I know that if we were to sit with them and try to talk it all out, it wouldn't work. It's not Iraq that we're fighting against, it's the terrorists. But most of the terrorists are in Iraq, so we have to stay there and make sure nothing really bad happens. The war will someday be over, believe it or not, so we have to stay strong. But most people don't realize that if we pull out now and cut the war, the United States of America is going to get attacked by terrorists. My dad was deployed to war for 15 months, and i missed him so much, but I still am for the war; once we have all the major terrorists (like Osama) than it might let up. We aren't fighting just for us in Iraq either, we are fighting for the good of the Iraqie people too. For their freedom. Not all of the Iraq people are bad. It's not just war; it's helping the good people there.
Hi,
I think that the Austrians can say whatever they want, because they have a right to voice their opinion, even if its not necessarily always right. And it's their world too. But I do agree with them. And you all have your reasons for arguing and everything, but think about it.
First-if Mr. Bush wanted to find out if Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, he could have just talked to them. I know that doesnt always work, abut at least we should try before we barge in on their country.
Second-We are over there, at this time, with 30,000 innocent people dead, and we still think this is right. How can you justify the lives of 30,000 people? And when judgement day comes, it wil be on Bush's head.
Third-Saddam Hussein. Yes, he was a cruel ruler. Yes, he killed many people. But not as many as we have killed. And he had a better government going than we have now. But now that we are in there, we cant leave. We have to fix it somehow. Without forcing our government upon them. They are from the East side of the world, they have different beliefs than us. We cant just force Western thought upon them. It doesnt work. It would be as if a bunch of muslims came over here and said, "Ok. You have to all become muslims. You have to follow our laws, even though you dont believe in them." No way! It just doesnt work.
Fourth-We are spending 2 BILLION dollars a week in Iraq. If you can look me in the eye and justify that, I'll be very surprised. We as a country are so far in debt that we will probably never be able to get out. Tell me how that can be right.
So what I'm trying to say is, WE NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE. But now that we are, we have to stay. Its like walking into your brother's room, dumping sand all over the floor, pulling all the books off the shelves, ripping up his bedsheets--and then walking away. We've got to fix it. And Mr. Bush has got to think of something before his term runs out or else it will be much much much worse.
-MJ
Well I would like to say is that if the Austrian citizen aren't going to support the war then they should just halt die klappe!
Well I think that bush is doing a great job, but it just isn't good enough. He wanted to be a president that everyone would remember, but he tried to take control over the nation after 9/11 and he since he wanted to be great he went after Al Quece (the base) or whatever and it wasn't the right time to do that. Iraq's history has showed that whenever some country comes in and seized control they Iraqi's think that the country wants to take over there country. So that is why they try so hard to get us out of there. I think that we should try to help just help only. If the people want us out we say "this is your grave you are digging" then if we get bombed we use a A-bomb. WE ARE GOING TO FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE. they'll get what they deserve for what they did to us. I think that they should just be happy that we haven't done that yet. I think that they should be grateful that we helped them overthrow suddam and let them gain control of their contry again.
Ok, so I think it's totally fine if the Austrians have there own opinions. But they don't need to criticize what were doing and what Bush is doing. I do think we should be over there. Were trying to help others who don't have what we have. If we just left, all of what we've done would have all gone to waste. Everyone (Austrians) think were only there for oil, but America isn't like that, we wouldn't risk tons of peoples lives just to get some oil. Yeah, so i do think it's good were there, and I'm good with what Bush is doing. If we just backed off, they'd just come again, and we'd have another 9/11. I don't know what the Austrians see in us being there, but i definitely don't agree with what there opinions are
You know, I think that going into Iraq was a personal, selfish thing to Pres. Bush. He wanted to go into Iraq to do something his father, the first Bush in office, couldn't. He wanted to show his father he was that he was a better president than his father. And as he went along he found justifications for his being there; like 9/11 or his beliefs of weopons of mass destruction (which weren't really there). now he did a good thing by stopping Saddam Huisane from killing off more of his people, but not else good. I don't think he is in there for hte oil. Also Al Queda wasn't in Iraq at the time, but they may be now.
I think we set ourselves up for another attack. because once we believe we gotten through this, Al Queda is going to come in and remind them of all the bad things we did to them, stirring them up in rebelion and hatred toward us. Maybe even start another war. which kinda seems like another Hitler thing, rallying people againt those they believe did them wrong to gain power over those wrong doers.
I really don't think that trying to force a new kind of government that is starge and unfamiliar to them is good thing at all. Iraq is used to having one person in charge of the country and accept it. Just because our government works for us doesn't mean that it will work for them. I mean we have a totally different belief system than they do. what works for us works for us because of what we believe which lead to laws that agree with our beliefs. same as them. I really believe talking through ambasitors would have been a better first step instead of just charging in.but now that we're in there and have started to instill our ways, we just have to push through and hope for the best.
So I can see why Autsrians can see this as another World War II. they don't like their past and want to prevent another occurance. plus who likes war? there is no winner in war. if you lose, well, it's self spoken. if you win you destroy a whole country's culture and lifestyle. So I agree with the Austrians that this war should have never begun. plus of they had a big enough army I'm sure that they would do something about this.:)
See you all when it's over.
I'm out.
The Austrian teenagers that were interviewed were all opposed to the war. I belive they were right in the current stages of the war being a waste of time, resources, and national and international popularity. We have successfully established a republic government in Iraq using the local people. The govermnent that has been established, however, has not been able to make many, if any, major decisions alone. We have heavily advised the government on every important decision. The point I disagree most on is the accusation of Pres. Bush being an arrogant politition. Everyone makes poor decisions. Bush is certainly no expeption. The fact that he has made some decisions that could've been better does not make him an idiot. If you or I was to go through one of the problems that Bush screwed up on, and made a poor decision, we wouldn't get as much attention as Bush unless we were in a prominent position in the public's eyes.
This war has simply gone on too long. Support here is growing less and less. The news is always showing a car bomb at this religious site or an attack on this convoy. I can easily compare this to the American Revolution. The British were the most powerful nation in the world and had the most powerful military in the world. America was a colony. Everyone said America would be crushed. Today, we are one of the most powerful countries in the world. Al Qaeda is a band of terrorists. We were projected to win this war in a short period of time and life would be peaceful in the States until we got into another confrontation. We need to let Iraq know we will be giving her and her government more independance. Bush said we can start pulling troops out of Iraq starting next summer. Please let me emphasize the word CAN. Can says we might be pulling out. There will be no guarantee. One of the reasons we havn't pulled out of Iraq is because of the public. If we pull out now, the public will say "Coward! Iraq still has terrorists in their borders!" If we keep our troops in Iraq, the public will want their troops home. We need to either finish this now, or finish this within the next 12 months.
hey dean I would like to start out by saying that mostly the war in Iraq is about oil, and that i cant believe bra3 typed something that long! wow.
Anyway this whole subject is for anyone to discuss like the Austrian students so if anyone wants to bag on them just because they don't like what they here, i find that very stupid. So anyway again i think that it is good what President Bush is doing and that we should support him because after all he is our leader and i mean if he does something really stupid like you know kill little children thats not right DUH! but i would like to say in closing that we should kill terrorist and stay awsome America go USA!!!!!
I think the Austrian teenagers have a pretty good point. They think that the war is unnecessary, and I agree fully. But this war doesn't affect them as much as it does to us. They aren't sending hundreds of thousands of troops to die for their country. I admit they do send some troops, but only because we asked them to. I think it wasn't the smartest idea to go to war with Iraq because only a few people attacked us. We shouldn't punish the rest of the country with war for something that they in general didn't do. Most of the Iraqis are innocent, and we're killing them off as we speak.
I really don't think Pres. Bush should have even sent any troops to Iraq in the first place. I know we're trying to help their country's government, but I mean, c'mon they can solve this problem by themselves! Why are we bothering with their government and trying to fix it when ours is just as big of a mess? The Iraqis didn't ask for help to run their government, we just assumed that they did. I admit that finding Saddam Hussein and killing him was a good thing, and may have helped the Iraqis to some extent, but there are still more Al Queda members out there who are planning another attack. We should have let them solve this, even though they attacked us first. We shouldn't have but in, because I think that caused more hate towards us as a country, and a greater chance of being attacked again.
I also don't believe that Bush wanted to invade Iraq for the oil, I think that is just a cover-up for what he really wants, and I don't think it worked at all. We have tons of oil, and use over 50% of the world's supply. It's so selfish, and I have no clue why we would need to bother another country for it. Even though we are a free country, I don't think it's right to invade countries to help their government just because we're free and we think we can do whatever we want. At least, that's what I think Bush thinks. He should have pulled out our troops a very long time ago, to avoid losing any more. Since my best friend's dad and a man in my ward have been deployed to Iraq/Afghanistan, this war is closer to home for me. Which makes me all the more against this unnecessary war.
K,
I think that the people in Austia have a right but then don't have a right to say what they think about the war. The war in iraq is a world issue that i think everyone has strong opinions on. But some of them are totally out of wack. Some of the kids in Austria might be on drugs. Who knows. But i think the people who should have the strongest opinions are, The U.S.A. and iraq. And i think those are the only ones that should be heard. It is the two countries that started this war. And us americans are trying to end it. They started it, we end it. I do think that the war in Iraq has somewhat to do with oil. Oil = Money, Money = Power. Everyone is fighting for power, that is what i think it is all about. And i dont know very much about sudam hucrazy and all them so i dont really have anything to saw.. But in closing.. i would like to say. Power to the people.. and sleep tight. amen
haha reading these comments makes me laugh.
k
i think that the austrian people have no room to talk. they are neutral. the war isnt about oil. the reason we went to afgahistan was cause of 9/11. if we didnt do something about it then they would think they could do it again. the reason we went to iraq was cause they wouldnt talk about there bombs they were making. the iraqis are glad we are there. why do you think they were cheering on the streets when his statue got torn down and when he died. we are there to restore order. if we leave now then everything we did would be for nothing. thats what i think dean.
kh
Austrians dont know what they are talking about they think we are in the war for oil or gas but we are not, If we pull out the troops then Al Queda will go back and probably come back and bomb us or some other country and then we will probably go back over there and we will have to restart the whole prosess again and I say we stay, I mean we will always be over there from just checking things out but we should keep our troops in there tell and help there government become strong then we can start tacking out troops out
I think that Austrians can't say anything about the war because they are doing nothing to help the war and they are just telling us how we are treating the war badly.
I think that we are doing a good thing in Iraq though, because we are trying to restore order while Iraq sets up a new government. If never went to Iraq then it would be full of more terrorists and there would probably be a lot more attacks on American and neighboring countries. If we backed out of Iraq now then the terrorists might think that they have won this war and that we are afraid of them so they would start bombing the crap out of us! It is kind of unfare to some non-terrorist people in Iraq but if they want the terrorists out of there then they have to put up with it for a while until we can get them all out.
I think that President Bush is doing a O.K. job in Iraq, some things i don't agree with but for the most part i do agree with him. Therefore i think that we are doing a good thing in Iraq and i hope that we can stop terrorism.
GO AMERICA!!!!!!
I agree with the Austrian teenagers. I think that this war is mostly for oil. I don't think that we should be fighting this was. It is a waste of life's and money. It isn't helping our life's at all. I think that the Iraqis can take care of their government now without our help. The only thing that could go wrong if we left is AL Quida taking over and doing more terrorist attacks on us. i think that we should get him and then leave Iraq for ever.
Okay, so I do think that everybody has their own opinions but please, if you don't live in this country, and you aren't old enough to realize that everything you hear on television or what you hear from your parents (who might not know a lot about the war), might not be true, please keep your opinions to private. Or at least make sure you have some facts straight before you voice your opinion. Frankly, I think that this matter doesn't really concern the Austrian teenagers on the video. And I do realize that this is their world too, and if they’re interested in American politics/matters than great, people should know about what’s going on in the world, but unless you actually know what’s going on here your opinion wont count for much.
About the war it’s self, I don’t know everything about the war but really, do any of us? But I do think that going into Iraq was a bad idea. But too bad, that can’t be changed, get over it! If we pull out now we will have another 9/11. And also if we pull out of Iraq now we will have wasted the time that we've spent over there, the money, and the lives that have been lost trying to help the Iraqi people. We are in Iraq to HELP the people, not to steal oil. We have other ways of getting oil. We wouldn't have troops dieing every day in Iraq because of oil. But I do think that we had every right to go and help get the guy who took part in killing thousands of Americans. We are not just going to sit here and do nothing! The Iraqi people did not want Saddam there and everyone (for the most part) is glad he's gone.
And in conclusion I totally support the war in Iraq, and the troops serving there.
Support our troops!!!
- Katie S.
first off, i would like to say that i don't really care if other people have opinions on this war. But i do think that they should keep it to them selves. it is their world too and they should worry about too.
second, i don't really think the is on oil, i think we have plenty of oil here. people on tv just try to scare into thinking, "oh no, we're gonna die because we're going to have no oil left in 20 years." they just stupid and don't know anything. anyway, i just think this war is just because we're trying to help them out, and thats all i've got to say.
dsazxe
first off, i would like to say that i don't really care if other people have opinions on this war. But i do think that they should keep it to them selves. it is their world too and they should worry about too.
second, i don't really think the is on oil, i think we have plenty of oil here. people on tv just try to scare into thinking, "oh no, we're gonna die because we're going to have no oil left in 20 years." they just stupid and don't know anything. anyway, i just think this war is just because we're trying to help them out, and thats all i've got to say.
I think that the Austrians are entitled to their own opinion but should watch what they say because what they say could be taken in the wrong direction. I also think that the real reason that we are in Iraq is not for the oil but to keep Al Quida from making another 9/11 attack else were in the world. But I would suggest that another country be attacked to let every one know that this is not just for oil. I agree with president bush in fighting Al Quida and also with the governments ideas.
Warmest Salutations fellow runners of the human race!
On the subject of europe's opinions on the affairs of other countries, I would have to say that they have just as much right in their position right now to be able to at the very least an opinion of their beliefs and ideas. Too many people it seems are condemning them for have a thinking mind and an (if they find it uneducated or not) opinion. This is not just between America and Iraq as everyone here sees it, but it is a much larger ordeal that spans back much further than people realize. The Gulf Wars, Operation Desert Storm, and other such conflict have been dealing with that area of the world since the 80s, and it has been a constant hotbed of unrest since the end of the world wars when Great Britain decided to divide the Ottoman Empire into the unbalanced ethnic boundaries they are today. Things like this are more of a world ordeal, as more than one or two countries are involved, in fact many. Iraq and Kuwait are war-torn, with the escalating political problems with the U.S. in Iran, along with Afghanistan and Pakistan which have seen their fair share of warfare, and the UK, France, and other allies that have been (or at least were) helping us towards the beginning of Bush's "War of Terror".
Not saying the war is necessarily a "bad" thing, I have noticed progress, but it is slow and wont last if we continue to fight like this. We call it a war, but the troops act more as a police force. We are trying to fight a politically correct war, which doesn't work. Say a "RADICAL" muslim (since everyone nowadays believes all muslims are ravenous killers who like to see nothing more than the death of America, really, it is only a small group of "RADICAL" muslims) goes into a mosque and begins firing machine guns on the troops down the street. According to our policy in Iraq, we cannot fire back because it is a religious cultural structure. Soon, all the other radicals in the area figure this out and the mosque turns into an unfallible, protected base. To clarify, if that were a german in a cathedral during WWII, the cathedral would have been rubble in 10 minutes by heavy tank fire. Thats how WWII was won, we broke the enemy's resistance to fight. that's how you win any war, is the break their resistance, but since there are many new radicals joining all the time, and this never-ending phenomenon of converting radicals believe in fighting to death to destroy America with no surrender, it makes it a little harder. These people are ignorant, fanatical, and uncivilized. If there is any hope at all for peace (which may never come in our our our grandchildren's lifetimes), it will lie the more civilized normal society of Iraq.
On the subject of Saddam Hussein, he was a genocidal maniac that was needed to be stopped, but I still think he may have been more of a scapegoat reason for being in Iraq in the first place. Many people believe that Iraq is merely a means of curbing Iran, which is the true enemy to the American public. but that has only been since so long that that has been the case. As ambassadorial politics have gone in America: The enemy of my enemy if my friend. Because of this belief, America has had unsure footing on it's allegiences over there. do not forget that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejhad openly prayed to Allah for the destruction of America in a UN meeting. And the Supreme islamic religious leader, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is the one preaching that the the US are blasphemous infidels .
I do not strongly believe that oil was the main reason we are there, but it may very well be one of the bigger reasons, and if it were the main reason, I would not be surprised. Bush is more interested in sucking everywhere else he can get his hands on dry of it's oil, before he taps into his own resources. The Alaskan sea is chock-full of huge supplies of oil, but we don't seem to be tapping all that much into it. We as a culture are so involved in taking more than our fair share, and leaving the rest of the world with so little. we take 50% of the worlds resources, and don't even represent a 1/16th of the worlds population, leaving many countries in an impoverished, third-world state.
The money being spent in Iraq and this whole war is ludicrous (approx. 2+ billion USD in a couple weeks). If that money were to be used where it is needed more like uh.....i dunno....maybe back in YOUR OWN COUNTRY as wall as other places like the areas around Israel and Lebanon which still remain unresolved. If that money were to be used to feed the hungry refugees in Africa, it might do wonders.
Pulling troops out of Iraq would be a horrible idea. The Iraqi society is in bad condition as it is. With our absence, it would escalate to an even worse state of civil war than it is already. But we cannot try to enforce western thought and democratic government on these people who have gotten used to people ruling them like Saddam Hussein for thousands of years. Democracy is something that these people are incapable of understanding, and they never will. If a more stable government is to be established, more personalized systems fitting to the 3 main ethnic groups (Kurda, Shia, and Sunni) of Iraq, it would perhaps prevent all the violence that is being caused today.
As far as 9/11 being connected to Iraq THERE IS NO CONNECTION in my mind that can associate the two. The terrorists who attacked The World Trade center, pentagon, and such where trained in afghanistan, led by Osama bin Laden, in afghanistan, and the evidence that Hussein was hiding terrorists in Iraq is just that. Only evidence that cannot be proved true now that he is dead. As far as 9/11, some have actually speculated that the hole blown into the side of the pentagon by a commercial jet may have been created by a government Missile. If so, was 9/11 just a huge government conspiracy invented as reason to invade Iraq, or to be used in something bigger? We may never know. I however find the government conspiracy theory as less believable then the story we hear on the news, but you never know.
The assumption that Hussein may have had WMD's in Iraq is entirely plausible in my mind, as he tested chemical weapons on his own people by dropping and bombing their villages. However after that, we have only been digging ourselves in a bigger hole by staying.
Back on subject to the Austrian Teenagers, while some of their assumptions may be uneducated and naive, some of their theories are very quite similar to many americans and what they are saying. They have every right in the world to be heard, for the next generation will be stuck with bigger problems that will only get bigger by the selfish, polluting generation that inhabit the earth today, so their opinion should be valued with everyone else's. S O S T O P S C R U T I N I Z I N G T H E M F O R L E T T I N G T H E I R T H O U G H T S K N O W N , G U Y S! Their ideas are just as valuable as any others in the world, and I congratulate all of them for actually thinking and being concerned for world ordeals regardless if they are neutral or not. We are all in this together and the whole ideals america was set up on were of freedoms to do what we choose. one of them is freedom of speech. it sounds awful selfish of us to be graced with that right but despise others outside our country with using it. I hope we can change our attitudes and strategies in Iraq before it is too late and turns into Vietnam and Korea all over again. Austria deserves opinion. Try to remember that.
I think that the Austrian citizens have no right to say anything about this war. I don't think that President Bush is addicted to oil. I think why the reason for the troops coming over is too restore government. I think that 9/11 played a huge role in sending the troops over cause it was probly one of them that bombed us. I think that we should use more forces to target all the terrists in Iraq. So that is all I have to say about this argrument about this war.
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