2008 Woodie Awards
March Issue: What should Congress do to end the war?
Chris Baity
Issue date: 3/27/07 Section: Issues
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After an unsuccessful search for weapons of mass destruction, the removal of Saddam Hussein from power and a growing insurgency, there is absolutely no valid reason to continue arguing for a United States presence in Iraq. With a president who is consistently unresponsive to public opinion, it is up to Congress to represent the wants of the people. Although Congress sets the federal budget and can cut funding for the war, this is not the best way to go about getting the troops home. In order to send a message to President Bush, Congress must return to its intended purpose: to legislate.
Although cutting defense funding may be Congress' easiest option, it is not in the best interest of the country. By cutting defense spending, Congress will leave the troops in a dangerous situation, one in which they will not have the tools needed to defend themselves. This is unfair to the men and women who have put their lives on the line to protect their country. There should always be a certain amount of trust between a military and its government. By cutting funds, Congress would widen the rift created by the president's lies.
As an alternative to cutting funds, Congress should pass a number of bills designed to attack the demands created by war. War profiteering has been a problem since the Revolutionary War. Congress needs to create a bill to prevent corporations from profiting from war and punish those who are. By attacking corporations who make money off of the deaths of soldiers and regional instability in Iraq, Congress will reduce the economic demand for war.
Secondly, Congress should place tariffs on oil imported from Iraq. This will further decrease the economic desire to remain in Iraq. The majority of Americans would be willing to sacrifice a few more cents at the gas pump in return for seeing family members home safe and sound. A tax on Iraqi oil will force the government to find oil from other sources that do not require the blood of American soldiers as payment.
The Iraq War is looking more like the nightmare of Vietnam and the government needs to learn from its past mistakes. In Vietnam, Congress decided to end the war by cutting funding to soldiers, and as a result more soldiers died while the war slowly dragged on. Not only would cutting funds send the wrong message to the American people, but it would also send the wrong message to the troops. Cutting funding would be a slap in the face to the current armed forces and to veterans as well. As people who put their lives on the line for their country everyday, the troops deserve only the best from their government. They deserve more than a yellow ribbon or a bumper sticker that says "support our troops." The troops deserve for Congress to do the right thing and to do it expediently and effectively.
Although cutting defense funding may be Congress' easiest option, it is not in the best interest of the country. By cutting defense spending, Congress will leave the troops in a dangerous situation, one in which they will not have the tools needed to defend themselves. This is unfair to the men and women who have put their lives on the line to protect their country. There should always be a certain amount of trust between a military and its government. By cutting funds, Congress would widen the rift created by the president's lies.
As an alternative to cutting funds, Congress should pass a number of bills designed to attack the demands created by war. War profiteering has been a problem since the Revolutionary War. Congress needs to create a bill to prevent corporations from profiting from war and punish those who are. By attacking corporations who make money off of the deaths of soldiers and regional instability in Iraq, Congress will reduce the economic demand for war.
Secondly, Congress should place tariffs on oil imported from Iraq. This will further decrease the economic desire to remain in Iraq. The majority of Americans would be willing to sacrifice a few more cents at the gas pump in return for seeing family members home safe and sound. A tax on Iraqi oil will force the government to find oil from other sources that do not require the blood of American soldiers as payment.
The Iraq War is looking more like the nightmare of Vietnam and the government needs to learn from its past mistakes. In Vietnam, Congress decided to end the war by cutting funding to soldiers, and as a result more soldiers died while the war slowly dragged on. Not only would cutting funds send the wrong message to the American people, but it would also send the wrong message to the troops. Cutting funding would be a slap in the face to the current armed forces and to veterans as well. As people who put their lives on the line for their country everyday, the troops deserve only the best from their government. They deserve more than a yellow ribbon or a bumper sticker that says "support our troops." The troops deserve for Congress to do the right thing and to do it expediently and effectively.
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