10 Years Later

Today marks the 10 year anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. As we have discussed in class, there is a lot of confusion about the motive for the invasion and if it was the correct choice. Though I don't want to delve into the motivation for the intrusion, I do want to insert a statistic about the approval rating of the war. In a Gallup poll taken between March 7 and 10 of this year, 53 percent answered that they disapproved of the war. Whether it be the confusion over the causes and intentions, or the length of our invasion there, this anniversary is marked with clear disapproval.

With America in its role as the global policeman, we are involved either physically or financially in most wars/conflicts that occur. The Iran-Israel conflict, the Syrian revolution, and many other conflicts are occurring right now, most of which we are involved in. What interests me is the motive for getting involved.

I know that the reason we are involved in conflicts is deep and complex, but I wonder why the US is the country that is involved. Why not Russia, England, or China? Why us?

I think this is the case because of our dominant economy and drive to be at the top. Every State of the Union Speech the President emphasizes how we need to be the leader. This rhetoric and focus on being on top spills over to our actions. Thus, we get involved in other conflicts, that sometimes the public does not even support!

What do you think, and why?