Originally Posted by: GuitarJunkie23... I think we should be over there, since we are helping them, and they actually seem to want the help, but on the other hand, I say we shouldn't be over there at all, let them helpselves.[/quote]
Many people are honestly conflicted about it. Which illuminates the fact that there is a more fundamental problem: Help them do what?
Iraq did have an evil ruler (and government); a true dictator. Which most importantly means individual rights were being violated; people (the general population) were not simply free to live their lives and go about their business.
Since the US is a country which protects and enforces individual rights, the US has the right to kill dictators & their armies. It is important to note that the US is not obligated to go after every bad guy, but as long as the US is a defender of individual rights it does have the right to go around protecting individual rights.
One problem is that Iraq is not the only place in the world with a horrific, irrational government. The US army is only so big. So, how do we choose who gets helped? Why not one of the endlessly wartorn coutries in Africa? And as I stated before, help them do what?
The government & media made a big deal out of "establishing democracy" as the mission of what we are doing in Iraq to help. As a consequence, we saw many wonderful reports showing the Iraqi citizens with their colored thumbs after having voted.
But then the killing didn't stop.
The problem is that democracy is not a primary form of government. "Democracy" isn't even a good form of government; it is simply "mob rule". An uncompromising, principled, rational commitment to the protection and enforcement of individual rights is the only form of government that is proper to a truly free society. The US does this in the form of a Bill of Rights & a Constitution. As a consequence, the US has achieved the most individual freedom for it's citizens. More than any other country in the history of the world; which is truly a glorious achievement.
The idea that "democracy is a fundamental premise of government" is dangerously wrong. Without the foundation of individual freedom democracy is worthless. The only thing the US uses "democracy" for is the process of voting in elected political officials.
And THAT isn't even working very well for us, now is it?
Often it seems the only thing politicos from the right and the left can agree on is how much they would like to obliterate individual freedom.
The poor people in Iraq and in many countries the world over are still stuck in the Middle Ages. Hell, most of them still have not truly lived through, conceptually grasped or understood the Renaissance, The Enlightenment & the Industrial Revolution. Without this context how could anyone expect them to act like a modern, civilized county? Regardless of whether or not they can vote without being killed.
It is very discouraging that many in the US government & media either do not understand this or willfully ignore it. It seems the fundamental conceptual basis of truly the greatest country in the history of the world, the US, is either not understood or completely taken for granted.
[QUOTE=GuitarJunkie23]
Also, this isn't likely, but I plan on joining the Marines, I would actually like to go over to Iraq, as an MP, Military Police.. If you didn't know.
If you do, I wish you success & applaud your courage. You will have a distinction not shared by many other military men from other countries around the world. As a part of the US military you can proudly say you are a protector and defender of individual rights.
