Discussion on bonus-option-for-the-last-week-post-one-last-revision-of-e1-1-e1-2-e1-3-e1-b-e2-or-e3-here-by-12-19
JB
Bravo, Jorge
Ed O’Connel
English 101
15 December 2009
Essay # 3
What the Military claims to do.
The short play “Timon of Athens” written by William Shakespeare
depicts what can happen too many of us, when we are generous and grant
many people incentives for any reason. The main turning point of the
play was when Timon, who is always there for his friends when they
needed him and helped them out in any way possible as well as rich,
goes from rich to broke. In the brink of this terrible situation, his
so-called friends end up slandering him in the end. They give many
excuses, in reasoning with him to why they couldn’t help Timon out in
the end. Unlike how the play goes, the U.S. military also has some
sort of connection with this kind of scenario. Though at times, they
do help keep a somewhat decent job in keeping the citizens safe, they
tend to construct little white lies in order to help reach their
goals. And as many have seen or heard of, many of the members in the
military are deprived of their entitled benefits.
The military has many forms of advocating and convincing to help
recruit new soldiers into the army. Not what one would call
propaganda, but they do seem to cause many people to misleading and
confusion in terms of the benefits that one is entitled to both during
and after serving his/her appropriate time. According to most
recruiters, most of the benefits that one is entitled to are: health
care, survivor benefits, the g.i bill and many more benefits. To give
a brief overview of what the GI bill is and why it’s of importance to
many military veterans as well as those who are finished serving their
time, the GI bill basically allows for college or vocational education
as well as one year of unemployment compensation. It also provides
many different types of loans for the start of businesses and/or to
buy homes. (Wikipedia.com). After the September 11th attacks, a new
edition to the bill, known as the Post 9/11 GI bill, states and allows
for basically the same thing mentioned in the original GI bill, with
some requirements to be met before on is eligible for it. In terms of
what kinds of health care benefits one will receive enrolled or
discharged honorably while serving in the military, the most common
kind is health care for active and past members as well as the family
of these members being covered with health care as well. With benefits
like these, the saying “You scratch my back, and I will scratch yours”
can come into play.
As one already knows, the government is in charge of allocating how
much funds are spent into each subdivision of the entitled benefits
for the vast majority of military members. Like mentioned before,
sadly, in the worst of scenarios, some won’t be allowed to get some or
in the extreme of cases, any benefits that can happen as a result of
some sort of incident that occurred while in service. What many of
these military recruiters won’t tell you is the small exceptions or
the hidden details that most of these benefits limit one to. According
to the article “What the Recruiters Never Told You” written by Rod
Powers, he carefully explains what to avoid and what to look for when
you’re face to face with a recruiter and how to avoid being a victim
if benefits that you worked so hard and diligently for. (About.com).
He emphasizes how the recruiters are just playing a game that is set
up by a system. The higher the number of recruits enlisted by a
recruiter, the greater his class in position. So basically, the more
people signed up for the military by a certain recruiter, the more
superior he will be. In some cases, during the time period in which a
duty member serves his/her time, and is involved in an accident, he or
she may be discharged by force and will leave a bad mark on their
record. Such was the case with one military member, currently serving
time ion duty and a severe and fatal accident almost caused his
demise.
A good example of how the military shows their true colors is of a
soldier name Ben (actual name was not release to the public due to the
fact that his case is still an ongoing case in the courts.). Ben was
in Iraq, putting his life in the line to safe ours, when a grenade was
throwing into the car he was traveling in. he was injured by the
grenade was not able to be in the front lines of combat battles. He
was force to work in the medical field to help other soldiers who were
also injured, due to his injury. He completed his four mandatory years
with the military and was sent home. After a couple of weeks after his
arrival, he received a letter from the military stating that due to
his injury he was not able to accomplish his job with the military and
therefore he was not entitle to all of the benefits that were promise
to him like housing, food, medical, dental, and relocation/
transportation costs for him and his family. As we may see these are
all basic needs that soldiers are promise by the recruiters when they
are asked to join the military. This is just one of many examples in
today’s world were the military does not complete this part of the
contract with the men and women of this nation.
This concept can be compare to the short play “Timon of Athens” in
many levels. Timon the main character of the play can be refer as the
men and women who joined the U.S. military. And the military can be
protrade as Timon’s so called friends like Lucullus, Lucius, and
Sempronius. As the play goes on we see how Timon gives and gives
massive gifts to his friends. As he keeps spending his money on his
friends he does not notice that he is going poor as the days pass on.
When he is broke and has no economical funds to support his life style
he turns to his friends to help him in the time of need but all of his
friends rejects him for any reason they come up with like, “I just
spend my money on remodeling my house and I was actually going to ask
Timon for a loan for myself”, how there Timon comes and ask me last,
I, Sempronius, who was his best friend, I feel bad now and due to this
act of Timon I will not help him in his time of need for looking down
on me. This is just like the militaries action. The men and women who
joined the army, who can be compared as Timon, are being rejected by
the military as like Timon was by his friends. And the military are
making up excuses like Timon friends did, and the military has denied
the benefits of the soldiers who had finish with their contract with
the army and are waiting for their benefits.
In conclusion the military had rejected the benefits of the U.S.
soldiers like Timon friends had done to him. Timon has gave massive
services to his friends as the men and women who join the army and had
not received here benefits like medical, housing, and certain funding
for personal use. This includes income to pay house bills or to finish
their education. As the story goes on we know that Timon was left
alone to deal with his problem without the help of his friends and the
men and women who come back from war and find out that the military
will not give them the benefits that they deserve for completing their
contract with the military.
Minerva, A
English 101, 0459
December 19, 2009
Bonus Option. Revision on e1.1
Thomas Omestad’s October 29, 2008 essay, Is America really on the
decline? wrongly declares that America is just doing great despite all
the agitation that is currently taking the main articles on the
newspapers such as the economic crisis. America is on the decline.
There are thousands of laid of people, big firms are filing
bankruptcy, and some major banks are failing. There is no questioning
about the U.S. economic failure. Economic failure brings empires to
the ground and America will not be the exemption if action is not
taken. Government should create a strategy to give the economic crisis
a boost. For example, government should create more jobs so people
start buying again and the money flow will continue.
Omestad writes about America as being this super power especially
when he states, “sixty percent of the world’s reserve currency is held
in U.S. dollars”. He is wrong in this statement because the fact is
that our dollar is losing value and the prices for goods are on the
rise. With the economic situation America is facing now there are
other currencies that are climbing in its value such as the Euro and
the Yen. He also says, “One third of the world’s 500 largest
companies are American” another false illusion from Omestad. Many
American companies have fallen because they could not face this bad
economy situation. For example General Motors was ranking as one of
the top 500’s companies and its American Company title did not save it
from failing. There are many banks failing therefore no more loans
available to people. Everything is connected to one another since the
banks are not lending there are no people buying consequently there is
no money flow. If a company is American is not protected by the
American title against failure. Omestads also says, “Americas
military budget represents just under half the world’s total defense
spending and American popular culture penetrates into nearly every
corner of the world”. He portrays America as having so many assets to
face any military situation since the budget is so extensive. But he
does not discuss that the government investing in the Iraq war has
being one of the key factor as to this deficient economy. As Bacevich
says in his book The Limits of Powers, “Americans became accustomed to
think of their country as ‘the indispensable nation’” clearly contrast
Omestad opinion as American culture being in every corner of the
world. Bacevich is right about how the people used to believe that the
U.S. is indispensable. This egocentrisms is another reason why
America is on the decline because the majority of people as well as
government believe that this nation is indestructible and this is a
path to self-destruction. It is also important to include the war on
terrorism as one of the key factors to diminish American image before
many countries. The invasion on Iraq has portrayed a selfish America
that only cares about itself and ignores all the innocent people dying
in a war with no fundaments. America was a global financial super
power but it has fallen so critically that many Asian students that
come to the U.S. to study finance are in a disjunctive on what a
failing country could teach about business when its economic situation
is devastating (BBI, 2009).
There have been many empires in history that have fallen. America is
not the exemption. America needs to put a really great effort to
surpass these bad times. Many Americans hide under the “we have been
there before” umbrella. This is just an excuse to make things look
easier than what they are. Americans and government are using the
defense mechanism of denial but this only worsens the situation. In
the article Fall of Rome, why did rome fall, The Roman Empire is an
example that even the biggest empires could fall. It started as a
small settlement in the middle of Italy and at the time of its fall
the Roman Empire covered most of Western Europe, North Africa, Greece,
and Asia Minor. Many factor brought this empire down being some of
them decadence, monetary, and military problems. Is there any
resemblance to how our America is looking now? The fact is that
government and the American people in coordination need to take action
to save the U.S or it will appear in history as one of the biggest
fallen empire. The action needs to start here at home (nationally)
and then reach out to our fellow countries and reestablish the
confidence that has being lost. This view has impacted America’s
standing in the world because the government had not only
responsibilities to their people but also the prerogative on political
and economic confluence on the world. At one point the US has was the
example to follow for other countries; therefore America has set
itself as the world’s protector. It is an illusion to think that the
world would collapse if the US
does not take care of the world’s political and economic issues.
America needs to change its national policy because what is not taught
at home will never cross our doors. The US government needs to focus
on domestic matters such as the economic situation, house market
fall, and the high unemployment rates. This economic situation should
serve as preliminary message to Americans about realizing that America
is on the decline and if no action is taken it would most likely fall
under the unbelieving eyes of the people who diminish the aggravating
situation.
YouSung
Moon, You Sung
Essay 3 Revision
December 18, 2009
In Timon of Athens by William Shakespeare, Timon and Apemantus
represent the military culture today. Timon represents the current
U.S. military spending. Like Timon, U.S. military spends too much
money wastefully on wars that has no meaning. By doing so, the U.S. is
borrowing money from others in order to meet its demands of sustaining
its military. If this continues, America will become bankrupt like
Timon who mortgaged all of his properties and borrowed massive amounts
of money to continue his extravagant lifestyle. Apemantus, on the
other hand, is what U.S. should be doing. Like Apemantus, U.S. should
not be motivated by its greed. It should spend money wisely and
moderately on things that help its economy. By following Apemantus,
America could fix its economic crisis. In his 2009 book Limits of
Power, Bacevich states that the U.S. is living with three illusions.
Those illusions are: reform the war into something more humane, fight
only when necessary, and support the troops. America should be
following those illusions yet it is unable to do so because of its
greed. If greed continues to motivate the U.S., then the U.S. will not
be able to get out of its current state.
According to the first illusion, the U.S. promised to “make force more
precise, more discriminating, and potentially more humane” (The Limits
of Power, Bacevich, 2009, pg 127). America is one of the superpowers
leading in technology. When compared, America and Iraq are on a
totally different level. If Iraq have wooden baseball bats, America
have guns. The war in Iraq started on March 19, 2003 yet it still
continues. In their 2007 article “Can You Believe This War Is Still
Going On?,” Hightower and Lowdown states that “Almost two million
Iraqis have fled the country and only 30% of kids can go to school.”
Even with such advances on technology, America does not seem to end
its war against Iraq. The war clearly shows who has won yet America
still remains. Because of America’s presence, Iraqi children are
unable to get educated. Is this the humane way to deal with a defeated
country? Because of this, innocent children of the future are
suffering. By prolonging this pointless war, all America is doing is
wasting billions when it could have been spending it on its economy to
create a money flow. In Timon of Athens, Time enjoys an extravagant
lifestyle. Even though he was warned by his servants about his
financial situation, Timon continues to squander his money away. He
soon came to his senses when he had no more money to spend. If the
U.S. stays any longer in Iraq, it will soon become bankrupt like
Timon. America should realize enough is enough and pull its troops out
of the war.
According to the Weinberger-Powell Doctrine, “the United States would
fight only when genuinely vital interests were at stake” (The Limits
of Power, Bacevich, 2009, pg 129). The reason why U.S. went into war
was because the U.S. suspected that Saddam Hussein, Iraqi leader, has
restarted the nuclear weapon program. If that was the case, America
had all the right to invade and stop Iraq’s nuclear weapon
development; however that is not the case. No evidence of a nuclear
weapon program has been found so far. In a 2004 article “Iraq war
wasn’t justified, U.N. weapons experts say,” Blix stated that “Our
inspectors had been there…taken a lot of samples…no trace of any
chemicals or biological things.” So if that’s the case, why is America
still at war with Iraq? The answer is greed. America has become so
obsessed with capitalism that it lead the country to lose all of its
money. Instead of stopping, America decided to borrow even more money
from others so that it can still continue its lavish spending. America
has become so blinded by greed that even after the loan money were
gone, America began to look at other countries. Iraq has what most if
not all countries want, natural resources. In Timon of Athens, Timon
was a wealthy man who loved to spend lavishly. No matter how much a
person has, it will soon run out if spent recklessly. This is what
happened to Timon, who mortgaged his properties so that he could
continue his lavish parties even though he had no money left. This
eventually caused him to go completely bankrupt, leaving him homeless
and penniless. This is the future of the U.S. if it does not stop its
reckless spending on things that do not benefit its economy.
According to the Third Illusion, “the military and American society
had successfully patched up the differences” and will “support the
troops” (The Limits of Power, Bacevich, 2009, pg 129). America should
support its forces fully because they are the ones risking their lives
so that their families at home can remain safe from harm. In her 2003
article “Campaign Unites Military Families, Veterans Pleading to Bring
Troops Home,” Wolfe states that “Susan Schuman’s son writes home from
Iraq complaining of poor living conditions, skimpy water rations and
dozens of daily attacks on U.S. troops that go unreported.” The
government does not seem to care about its own troops. These troops
are fighting with their lives yet their living conditions are not met.
People are giving more support to sport stars rather than the troops
who are fighting for the safety of Americans. In Timon of Athens,
Timon, after losing everything from his extravagant lifestyle, asks
his so called “friends” for help. Although Timon has helped them
without hesitation, his friends make up excuses why they could not
help him. This causes Timon to change from a happy, giving person into
a person who curses humanity. U.S. troops loyally do everything of
what the country asks of them. But when in the time of need, the
troops do not seem to get any sort of help from its own government.
This causes even more troop casualties yet all U.S. does is send even
more troops to replace the ones who has died in duty. Troops are dying
left and right yet the government does not seem to notice the cause of
it. Is this fair? No, it is not but life is unfair.
In order to fix its economy, America needs to stop its war in the
Middle East. By doing so, America could spend its money on things that
would benefit the country. By leaving, America would make everyone
happy on both sides of the war. But according to his 2005 article “Why
We Must Stay in Iraq,” Hanson states that “If we fled precipitously,
moderate in the Middle East could never again believe American
assurances of support for reform and would have to retreat into the
shadows.” This is not true because by staying what America is doing is
making the lives of Iraqis worse. Its presence does not guarantee
safety and ruins the social life of Iraqis. In her 2009 article “Iraq
War Facts, Results & Statistics at December 10, 2009,” White states
that “U.S. 2009 Monthly Spending in Iraq - $7.3 billion as of Oct
2009” and “All other nations have withdrawn their troops.” How much
more money is enough?
America is not in a financially stable condition yet it squanders its
money. America should follow the other nations by withdrawing its
troops and leave Iraq alone. Everyone else realized this war is
pointless, America should too. In Timon of Athens, Apemantus scorns
Athenian citizens for their act towards Timon. Although Apemantus
warns Timon not to be trick, Timon does not listen and becomes
bankrupt. America should follow Apemantus by spending its money wisely
and distinguish right from wrong. America is experiencing the
consequences of war; it should learn from it and stop before it gets
any worse.
America should stop its war in the Middle East. Staying in war will
only increase debts and hatred towards America. It will also lose
lives of many brave soldiers and ruin the lives of Iraqis. In his 2007
article “How to Leave Iraqi,” Duffy states that “U.S. could save the
$10 billion a month that it is spending on the war and rescue the U.S.
Army and Marine Corps before they both collapse.” With $10 billion a
month, the U.S. could fix its economy, improving the lives of its
people. In Timon of Athens, Timon was the wealthiest man in Athens.
But in the end, he became homeless and penniless. Instead of following
Timon’s footsteps, America should follow Apemantus’. By doing so,
America will be in a better situation. In order to avoid this economic
crisis, America should stop engaging in pointless wars. This will lead
to more money available to be spent on improving the country. Even
though the economy is not in a good condition, people should spend
money for that is what makes the world go round.
Bacevich, A. 2009. The Limits of Power. New York: Holt.
Duffy, M. 2007, Jul. 19. How to Leave Iraq.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1644877,00.html
ElBaradel, B. 2004, Mar. 22. Iraq war wasn’t justified, U.N. weapons
experts say. CNN.com.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/03/21/iraq.weapons/
Hanson. V. 2005, Sept. 4. Why We Must Stay in Iraq. The Washington
Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/02/AR2005090202678.html
Hightower, J. & Lowdown, H. 2007, May 26. Can You Believe This War Is
Still Going On?.
http://www.alternet.org/world/52290/
White, D. 2009, Dec. 16. Iraq War Facts, Results & Statistics at
December 10, 2009. http://usliberals.about.com/od/homelandsecurit1/a/IraqNumbers.htm
Wolfe, E. 2003, Aug. 13. Campaign Unites Military Families, Veterans
Pleading to Bring Troops Home. CommonDreams.org.
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0813-08.htm
YouSung
Bring freedom, safety, and security to Iraq act (King, 2009) proposes
that U.S. should help Iraq back onto its feet. That is what America
should not do. America would be helping the Iraqis, if America leaves.
Let Iraq become independent and handle its own affairs. By doing so,
America does not get too involved into other countries’ affairs. This
will lead to less hatred towards America. Iraq does not want the U.S.
in its country. All America does is bring fear and uneasiness. Also,
America is not in a financially stable condition. It should fix its
economy first before helping others.
King, Rep. S. 2009, Mar. 4. Chronicling the efforts of United States
and Coalition forces to bring freedom, safety, and security to Iraq
and recognizing the importance of the “surge strategy” in completing
that mission US House of Representatives.
Guadalupe R
Guadalupe Rodriguez
Ed O’Connell, Instructor
English 101 Section 0459
19 December 2009
Essay 3
Timon of Athens by William Shakespeare is a play about a
lord named Timon, whose wasteful spending lead him feeling betray by
whom he consider were his loyal friends, making him bitter towards all
humanity. Shakespeare play introduced us to Alcibiades and Flavius.
Alcibiades is an Athenian captain who is banished by the Athenian
Senate after he implore for the life of one of his soldier. Flavius
is Timon’s steward he is an honest and polite man that is determined
to continue to serve Timon even in the worse of adversities. Timon and
Alcibiades represent the incorrect course of action because Alcibiades
is a soldier who contemplates fighting wars as the only method for
solutions. For Timon he is inefficiently spending the gold he
discovers to aid Alcibiades war against Athens. The United States
military approach towards the escalation of US troops in Afghanistan
is an incorrect course of action as it will not only cause an increase
of soldier casualties but as well in money spending on a war that has
last more that eight years. Flavius is a more correct course of
action because he as demonstrated to be an honest man and know how to
efficiently distribute and manage money. The United States should
focus on the domestic issues in America. Develop a more reasonable
foreign policy by diplomacy rather that invasion and escalation. In
The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism written by
Andrew J. Bacevich in 2009 agrees that “strategy…has become a lost
art” (p. 165).
The current Unites States military crisis in Afghanistan
is the result of the government inability to defeat the insurgency.
President Barack Obama decided that in order to defeat insurgency in
Afghanistan he would send 30, 000 troops and withdraw the as soon as
July 2011. This decision is not appropriate because there has being
troops in Afghanistan for almost eight years and its not possible to
resolved the conflict in such short period of time. It is a waste of
resources both economical and military. Zakaria, F. 2009, March 1.
Interview with Prime Minister Stephen Harper: Foreign troops can’t
defeat Afghanistan’s insurgency. CBC News, Mr. Harper stated, “the
source of authority in Afghanistan has to be perceived as being
indigenous… if it’s perceived as being foreign, it will always have a
significant degree of opposition”. It is a fact that no country would
like to be governed by any other country. By forcing a government in
Afghanistan there will be opposition as they did not elect who will be
in office and opposition means insurgents to the establish
government. A military escalation in Afghanistan would not be the
solution it could aggravate the problem. As the insurgent could fight
harder and intensified the combat increasing the military casualties
as well as an increase in money spending.
President Obama new strategy which is supposed to solve
the current military crisis in Afghanistan is to escalate troops.
This is an incorrect course of action as it will only increase the
cost of the war and of solider casualties. The war in Afghanistan
started in October 2001 to present since then there has being 1,534
coalition deaths which 932 are Americans and 4,683 are wounded
soldiers. In Iraq the war started in March of 2003 and to present
there has being 4,691 coalition deaths from which 4,374 are Americans
and 31, 603 are wounded soldiers. It is incorrect that soldier die in
order to protect our way of life. Marsh, S. 2009, December 11.
Afghanistan Can’t Be Won By Military-German Minister. The New York
Times, German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg stated,
“Afghanistan will not be won with military means…military was still
necessary to protect civilian helpers and to train Afghan security
forces”. If the idea is to take over and govern Afghanistan by
escalation it will no happen. The United States need to start to
withdraw troops rather than sending more in hope to tear down the
Taliban and Al Qaeda. Afghan security forces should be train for them
to take over and be able to bring troops back as soon as possible.
Barnes, J. 2009, December 10. Petraeus predicts intensified combat in
Afghanistan. Los Angeles Times, Senator Richard Lugar stated, “The
risk that we will expend tens of billions of dollars fighting in the
strategically less important Afghanistan… Taliban and Al Qaeda leaders
become increasingly secure in Pakistan”. If the United States
continue to send more troops it will increase the military expenses.
In a six year period that the Iraq war has lasted there has being a
spending on $657 billion. With President Obama new strategy of
escalation of troops to Afghanistan it will cost $1 trillion over a 10
year period. This will increase the current National debt of $12.1
trillion for which Americans and their future generation will end up
paying. Timon would inefficiently spend money of his so call friends
and later to aid Alcibiades war. Similar to the United Stated which
continues to inefficiently spend money on a war without a specific
action as well as motives.
In Timon of Athens, Flavius is the correct course of action as he is
an honest man that can efficiently manage and distributes money. The
United States military force is vital for the protection of the
nation. It is important the United States need to assess it current
foreign policy to determine which war are worth fighting for. Baker,
P. 2009, December 5. How Obama Came to Plan for ‘Surge’ in
Afghanistan. The New York Times, Mr. Baker stated, “Mr. Obama devoted
so much time to the Afghan issue”. Americans hope that all presidents
would dedicate time and effort into such important issues such as
war. President Obama decision was to send 30,000 troops to
Afghanistan as soon as possible and start pulling out by July 2011.
Americans are not pleased to hear that more troops are being deployed
to Afghanistan. It does seem that president Obama did not take this
decision lightly and that he took in consideration the advice of his
cabinet members. Bacevich, A. 2009. The Limits of Power: The End of
American Exceptionalism. New York: Holt, Mr. Bacevich stated, “Instead
of changing the military, why not change the policy? … pursue more
realistic and affordable objective… configure U.S. forces
accordingly?” Flavius and Bacevich are a correct course of action
because instead of modify the military forces the US should modify the
foreign policies. Fighting a war with a clearer objective and leading
the military forces in the right path.
The United States needs to seek more reasonable foreign policies.
Americans need to re evaluated their current life style and seek to
understand the current economical, political and military crisis. As
if American continues over spending and increasing the national budget
we all are in trouble and it would be every ones fault. The United
States is going the same incorrect course of action similar to
Alcibiades and Timon were he wastefully spend money on war and to were
Alcibiades see was as the solution for all it problems. Instead the
United Stated need to move towards a path as Flavius and Bacevich were
American efficiently manage their money and get involved with the
government.
Reference
Bacevich, A. 2009. The Limits of Power: The End of American
Exceptionalism. New York: Holt
Baker, P. 2009, December 5. How Obama Came to Plan for ‘Surge’ in
Afghanistan. The New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/world/asia/06reconstruct.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
Barnes, J. 2009, December 10. Petraeus predicts intensified combat in
Afghanistan. Los Angeles Times.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-petraeus10-2009dec10,0,3212510.story
Marsh, S. 2009, December 11. Afghanistan Can’t Be Won By Military-
German Minister. The New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/12/11/world/international-uk-germany-afghanistan-guttenberg.html
Zakaria, F. 2009, March 1 Interview with Prime Minister Stephen
Harper: Foreign troops can’t defeat Afghanistan’s insurgency. CBC
News. http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/03/01/cnn-harper.html
oc
Moon, You Sung
Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/02/AR200...
Hightower, J. & Lowdown, H. 2007, May 26. Can You Believe This War Is
Still Going On?.
http://www.alternet.org/world/52290/
King, Rep. S. 2009, Mar. 4. Chronicling the efforts of United States
and Coalition forces to bring freedom, safety, and security to Iraq
and recognizing the importance of the “surge strategy” in completing
that mission US House of Representatives.
White, D. 2009, Dec. 16. Iraq War Facts, Results & Statistics at
December 10, 2009. http://usliberals.about.com/od/homelandsecurit1/a/IraqNumbers.htm
Wolfe, E. 2003, Aug. 13. Campaign Unites Military Families, Veterans
Pleading to Bring Troops Home. CommonDreams.org.
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0813-08.htm
BONUS REVISION ESSAY 3
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/world/asia/06reconstruct.html?pagew...
Barnes, J. 2009, December 10. Petraeus predicts intensified combat in
Afghanistan. Los Angeles Times.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-petraeus10-2009dec...
Marsh, S. 2009, December 11. Afghanistan Can’t Be Won By Military-
German Minister. The New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/12/11/world/international-uk-germ...
Zakaria, F. 2009, March 1 Interview with Prime Minister Stephen
Harper: Foreign troops can’t defeat Afghanistan’s insurgency. CBC
News. http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/03/01/cnn-harper.html
Marie Bramwell
English 101
Mr. O’Connell
Essay Bonus Revised
The United States commenced military operations in Afghanistan in
Oct.
2001 in response to the September 11 terrorist attack on U.S soil.
The
states goal was to ensure that al Qaeda terrorist training camp and
military installations of the Taliban Regime were put out of
operation. Upon taking office in Jan. 2009, President Obama announced
that he was evaluating strategy plans toward Afghanistan and
Pakistan. Since his speech in March 2009, Obama has reevaluated a
new
strategy plan that added additional troops in Afghanistan.
Obama’s new strategy is correctly intended to rectify the previous
administration missteps in foreign policy by implementing and
aggressive and comprehensive multifaceted strategy that escalates our
civilian and military effort in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In his 2009 book “Limits of Power”, Andrew Becevich wrongly claims
the
US should get out of Afghanistan. Unlike Iraq, they too want US out.
Bacevich’s argument can provide common ground for fixing American’s
urgent problem before the damage becomes irreparable. American policy
he concludes must recover the lost art of strategy by distinguishing
strategy from ideology and recognized that the US military has both
limited resources and limited impact. Bacevich warns that there are
always unintended consequences of war that should keep us very
cautious in our political agenda. Although Bacevich places a large
share of the blame on the American people and say that nothing is
likely to change in regards to the well established American habitat
of Profligacy. I think Bacevich’s main conservative point is that if
we do this, we will be better able to protect American’s ideal of
freedom instead of being intertwined and behold to other countries to
determined our destiny. Becevich is certainly is correct in a sense,
the we haven’t seen much of an institutionalized challenge that the
policymakers monitor the military agencies involved or informed the
public.
The United States is an extremely powerful country and it has already
declared itself in the state of war.
In conclusion, there are no quick fixes to achieve U.S. national
security interest in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The danger of failure
is real and the implications are grave will require immediate action,
and sustain commitment and substantial resources the U.S is
recommended to working with our partners in the addressing the
challenges but essential security goal.
December 18, 2009
Timon of Athens
Final Essay 3
English 101 Section 3226
Professor O’Connell
Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens provides a metaphor to what is
happening
today, during this century in the United States of America and our
overwhelming relationships with other countries throughout the world.
The United States of America was known as a “Superpower” to the
world,
with its wealth, extravagant fortune 500 Companies. Also the best
Navy in the world, with several fleets of ships to name a few types,
aircraft carriers, destroyers and landing ship tanks (they carry
thousands of troops, tanks, ammunition, food etc.). Highly
technological anti-air craft, sea to surface missiles, nuclear war
heads and torpedoes. The most sophisticated technology there is. In
Andrew J. Bacevich book The Limits of Power, he writes of our failure
“to meet the standards” (p. 124) the shortcomings in Afghanistan and
Iraq to “deliver a knockout blow” (p. 125). In an article by Russ
Hoyle (The Nation), Bacevich says “we can’t remake Afghanistan and
don’t need to. And Bacevich is bold to say “deny Jihadists the
wherewithal” and “stop shipping billion of dollars to the Arabs” and
goes on to recommend that we implement a serious energy policy
(something Obama campaigned for while running for office and is
dedicated to doing it). At the beginning of the play in Timon of
Athens, is America at what appeared to be the finest of times, but
both Timon and America fail. Bacevich warns Americans that we have a
military crisis, and one of the main dilemmas of the United States
military, according to the Weinberger-Powell Doctrine “criteria for
deciding when and how to use force” (p. 129). In Jennifer Lovens’
article (she is an AP White House Correspondent), Obama’s war council
focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan. General Stanley A. McChrystal
requested 10,000 to 40,000 more combat troops. At least Obama has a
methodical review of how to overhaul the war, and he did this with
his
war cabinet team, V.P. Joseph Biden; Gates; Secretary of State
Hillary
Rodham Clinton; Afghanistan/Pakistan special envoy Richard Holbrooke;
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; General
David Petraeus, commander of the region including Iraq and
Afghanistan, and by videoconference McChrystal. Timon is the main
character of the play; Alicibiades says “For pity in virtue of the
law, and none but tyrants use it cruelly” (p. 51). Bacevich argues
that America was going to war with the wrong plan, and Rumsfeld “tied
the hands of commanders while our troops were in contact with the
enemy” (p. 137). The apparent causes of action according to the
majority of Americans would require withdrawing from these unplanned
and careless wars. America could then refocus on its internal
problems, balance, adjust and focus on our nation’s future before it
spirals into a pit of destruction or collapse. Just like the
Senators
in Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens, who acted out of greed and abuse of
power when they affronted Timon and Alcibiades. And Alcibiades army
stood at Athens gates to destroy the land, the Senators with no other
recourse to prevent the imminent slaughter, admitted their
wrongdoings, pleading with Alcibiades to only seek revenge on the
guilty and spare the innocent. Alcibiades had to leave Athens and
make a plan to invade Athens so he could fix what he felt was wrong.
Likewise, the United States government should own up to its own greed
and the abuse of power that were utilized during the inception of
these wars. It became imperative to remove Americans involvement
from
these injustices’ and foreign states, time to reevaluate the
debilitating hardships of the war on our nation and focus on the
restoration of this country to a higher moral standard.
Bacevich is correct in his assessment that the solution for the Long
War, is not that a bigger army is required, but rather altering the
foreign policy and “…giving up on illusions of grandeur… [and]
reigning in the imperial presidents who expect the army to make good
on those illusion.” (p.169). Current United States government
behavior likens that of the character Timon, who, is overextending
his
wealth, learns to late the futility of his gift-giving that made him
desirable only as long as his money held out. Just as Timon’s
friends
deserted him like a bad habit because of the lack of fortune, the
effects of peacekeeping efforts of the U. S. military will dissolve
once the troops are removed. It will be argued that America has an
obligation to stay until conditions stabilize however, ultimately it
will be the responsibility of the Iraq and Afghanistan people of
those
states. We can compare the behavior of Alcibiades to the United
States
military as we too invaded Afghanistan and Iraq which did not ask for
our help. However, Americas agenda was to capture Osama Bin Laden,
and because this “war on terror” unnecessary and wrong fatalities to
both civilian and soldiers. The character Flavius wanted to lead
Timon in the right direction and warn him of his financial problems
and to be of service to Timon in any possible way, however, Timon
chose not to listen. Flavius was a noble and respectable man of good
character who was sincere in his efforts to help Timon. In the
beginning of the play Timon is on top of the world, a wealthy man
enjoying his life with many so called friends. Slowly, but surely
Timon is pained with incredible debt and becomes homeless. Sadly,
none of Timons’ friends were around when he needed them the most, and
he just couldn’t understand why none of his friends were willing to
help him. He began to view man through a new pair of glasses, as
animalistic and felt mankind deserved to be cursed because of a lack
of morals and values. Timon once enjoyed the gift of giving and
helping others, with the exception Apemantus. One of Timons biggest
mistakes was the ignorance of not budgeting or seeking advice on how
to handle his money. If the United States does not stop “confusing
strategy with ideology” (P. 165) the United States can and will
decline in its rich military stature.
President Obama stated on February 27, 2009 at Camp Lejeune, his
plan
for removing troops from Iraq, he claimed that “…by August 31, 2010
our combat mission in Iraq will end. The mission of the remaning
troops after that time will no longer be combat but rather, to
support
the Iraq government to achieve”… sustained diplomacy on behalf of a
more peaceful and prosperous Iraq.” Another way Timon and the
United
States relate is the wasting of money; America is in a recession with
about $200 billion a year spent on a war that appears hopeless and
aimless. America should follow the Weinberger-Powell Doctrine since
it was created to make sure another Vietnam would not happen, “the
United States would fight only when genuinely vital interests were at
stake” (p. 129). The United States should not follow the example of
Timon or Alcibiades. Alcibiades believed he could get justice by
invading Athens and Timon was wasteful and lost hope in humanity.
Flavius is the character America should follow to be loyal and
attempt
to help Timon make good choices. Our government had not planned on
being 11 trillion dollars in debt, Obama’s; budgeting plan is to cut
that number to 3 trillion in the next 7 years. Americans are waking
up, by no choice of their own. So as Americans wake up, by losing
jobs, increases in college fees, more homeless people of middle
class,
we have to have hope and not give up.
When research that could be funded by neutral civilian agencies is
instead funded by the military. Knowledge is subtly militarized and
bent in the way a tree is bent by a prevailing wind. The public
comes
to accept that basic academic research on religion and violence
belongs to the military, scholars who never saw themselves as doing
military research now do; maybe they wonder if their access to future
funding is best secured by not criticizing U.S. foreign policy: a
discipline whose independence from military and corporate funding
fueled the kind of critical thinking a democracy needs is now
compromised; and the priorities of the military further define the
basic terms of public and academic debate.
As a proud American and Vietnam Era Veteran of the United States Navy
(1972-1975), it is my opinion that the Vietnam War and this Iraq and
Afghanistan war cannot be compared to each other. First of all
Vietnam was one country though divided, South Vietnam and North
Vietnam. Secondly the Taliban and Al Qaeda, are spread out in Iraq,
Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Yemen. Also, would not be surprised to
know they are here in the United States of America, they could be in
other Arab countries as well as Great Britain. We can not have it
both ways, Americans are spoiled and we are use to having it our way.
There is hope with President Obama and his cabinet, our biggest
problem is with the House of Representatives and the Senate, they
cannot and apparently will not work together. It will only be when
we
come together as the great Nation we are and brainstorm, have open
communication at the Senate and House of Representatives, with all
Congresspersons, the Pentagon. It is no longer an issue of
Republicans, Democrats or Independents, it is an issue of saving our
great County America the Beautiful and set a wrong right and make a
safe and secure world for the future children of the world.
Reference:
Bacevich, A (2009). The Limits of Power. New York: Metropolitan,
Holt
and Company. New York.
Shakespeare, W (2000). Timon of Athens. (F.E. Dolan, Ed.). New York:
Penguin Books.
Obama, B (2009, March 27). Remarks of President Barack Obama –
responsibility ending this war. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Statement
Hoyle, R. (2009, April 1) The Nation “We Can’t Remake Afghanistan”.
Retrieved October 10, 2009, from http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090413/hoyle
Loven, J. (2009, October 7). Obama, war council focus on Afghanistan,
Pakistan. Retrieved October 9, 2009, from
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091007/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_afghanistan_93
December 18, 2009
Joe Omar Gonzales
English 101, Section 3226
Professor, O’Connell
Bonus Option E.2 with Short Story
America’s Broken, Corporate Greed and Consumption
The United States of America’s government once had a system to ensure
the best interests of the people. Interestingly, “every single
government regulatory department” (Adams, 2007) is now run by the
corporations it is supposed to be regulating. Take a look at the FDA
(Food and Drug Administration), USDA (United States Department of
Agriculture), the FTC, FCC, and the SEC to name a few. And, all
other
government entities, you will find Board rooms and other rooms full
of
politicians, bureaucrats and lobbyist who unreservedly abandon the
“People” while prioritizing the financial needs of influential and by
the end of our last President George W. Bush and his corrupt and
greedy Administration, the U.S. became “top heavy”. (Adams, 2007).
As
Andrew J. Bacevich argues in his book “The Limits of Power”; “The
Jeffersonian trinity summarizes our common inheritance, defines our
aspirations and provides the touchstone for our influenced
abroad.” (p. 15). Because of the Declaration of Independence written
by Thomas Jefferson, Americans are spoiled and have the freedom to
live and do as they please, as long as they are not breaking any
laws. Many Americans pursue their dreams in the arts; dance,
theatre,
writing plays, or books. Others write music, sing and or play
instruments. Many Americans join or create Volunteer groups or
clubs,
like the Boys and Girls Club of America. Others choose to
participate
in environmental groups, such as Heal the Bay (cleaning up trash from
and around our beaches). “From expansion came abundance”, “Documents
drafted in Philadelphia promised liberty. Making well on these
promises refused a political economy that facilitated the creation of
wealth on an enormous scale” (p. 22 & 23). Since the inception of
our
Country, the more Americans have the more they want, whether it was
property, money and or prestige, this is what has brought America to
where it is today. Americans appear to be living in fear today, a
war
against the Taliban, Iraq and Afghanistan, the high unemployment
rate,
increase in the cost of healthcare benefit cost or the lack of
healthcare.
Because of the overwhelmingly slant towards enriching the
corporations, our policies on national defense, health care, finances
and agricultural come to the expense of the people. Corporations
gained power, greed and influence over our government and the people,
because of “Campaign Finances” (Adams, 2007). It is extravagant the
amount of lobbyists who work for fortune 500 companies. Lobbyists
spend their time in and out of Washington, leaving Congressmen/women
with money, luxurious gifts and vacations fit for a Queen.
Unfortunately it is Wall Street (fortune 500 co.) who controls
Congress today (Adams, 2007). In the Senate of the United States,
110th Congress (2nd session) November 19th 2008 introduced by Mr.
Sanders, Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Boxer, which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. A
bill, to limit the amount of compensation for employees and
executives
of financial institutions assisted and the Troubled Asset Relief
Program and for other purposes. Also, known as the “Stop Greed on
Wall Street Act”, this is to make clear that no employee or
executives
from a bank or any other financial institution that was assisted
under
TARP, will receive in excess the salary of the President of the
United
States. This also includes and not limited to bonuses, stock
options,
deferred compensation and securities, including any other form of
compensation provided to an employee. This is an amendment to the
TARP bill and will put limits on Compensation. There is also the
House of Representatives, 111th Congress (1st session) March 17,
2009,
introduced by Mr. Conyers and 7 co-authors; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary. This bill would authorize the U.S.
Attorney General after discussion with the Secretary of the Treasury
to limit or recover excessive compensation paid or payable by
entities
that have received Federal financial assistance on or after September
1, 2008. Also, known as “End Government Reimbursement of Excessive
Executive Disbursements (end GREED) act”. This bill is extreme as it
will establish a uniform law on bankruptcy; authorize U.S. Attorney
General after consultation with Secretary of the Treasury. Recovery
of Excessive Compensation, Review of Contracts, Payments and Civil
action for Fraudulent Transfer. It will also give U.S. Attorney
General Authorization to issue subpoena.
There are so many ways for fortune 500 companies to do creative
accounting, moving money around, and finding ways of playing the
game. According to AFSCME (We Make America Happen), 38th
International Convention, July 28 – August 1, 2008, the Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of a Standard & Poor’s 500 company received
on
average $14.2 million in total compensation, which is nearly 400
times
the pay of the average U.S. worker according to The Corporate
Library,
a corporate governance research firm. Average family incomes are
only
15 percent higher today than they were three decades ago.
Countrywide
CEO Angelo Mozila, Citigroup Chuck Prince and Merrill Lynch’s Ken
Lewis were rewarded with hundreds of millions of dollars in payoffs
and golden parachutes. A “Golden Parachute Plan” is a term that
Corporate Human Resources uses for its top Executive Officers, Board
of Directors, CEO, CFO etc., it is another form of “Benefits”, long
story short, it will pay for everything (medical, dental, vision)
that
the normal benefit plan will not cover (it picks up the tab), it
usually includes cosmetic surgery, 100 pairs of prescription glasses
(bi-focal, tri-focal contact lenses, over the counter medications
etc., including but not limited to car insurance, life insurance and
this includes spouses and their children, including children in
college no matter what age. It will give them stock options,
bonuses,
stocks/shares, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOP), may include
100%
match of 401(k) no matter the amount and whatever else they throw
into
Golden Parachute Plan. In an article by Warren Buffet (2009)
published in his New York Times article “The Green Back Effect”, “the
United States economy is now out of the emergency room and seems to
be
on a slow path to recovery”, “after actions taken by both the bush
and
Obama administrations kept the financial system from a complete
collapse into a severe depression.” Buffet believes that the bills
passed to help the financial crisis may be temporary, but have long
term effects that we have to deal with now or America will collapse.
As Bacevich states “the foreign policy implications of our present
day
penchant for consumption and self indulgence are almost entirely
negative” (p. 16).
First Americans wanted bigger and faster cars, and the American dream
to own a home. Then they wanted a bigger house and a more or more
houses. Americans are never satisfied and wanted to keep up with the
Jones’. More and bigger seemed to be the appetite for most
Americans. What ended up happening over the past six decades are
more
Americans becoming wealthier, and what was considered middle class,
which was most Americans, has gone away. Because of this penchant
for
consumption and self indulgence. The middle class American is almost
non-existent, it appears we have become a country of the very wealthy
and the very poor.
It is imperative that America live within its means and if we can
come
up with some alternative energy solutions. Also, make health care
affordable for all Americans, and putting caps on CEO’s and Executive
salaries will also help. Bacevich is right on what he says about
“Educating America”, this will be foundation to any and all children
for future generations to come; everyone should get the same
education. Public School students deserve a private school
education. It may be hard to change America the Greedy and help the
Needy, but I believe in America, all good things in life take time.
There is hope in this great Nation, and this hope must come from
within, it also must come from concerned parents and family. Our
churches (no matter what religion), our communities etc. It will
have
to be we the people. We must make our public schools a priority as
well as the teachers and professors who educate. It is time for our
great nation to come together and unite. Everyone has a voice and a
vote, we should all participate and work together as Americans no
matter our political affiliation.
References:
Andrew Bacevich 2008. Limits of Power: The End of American
Exceptionalsim. New York: Hold Paperback. October 2009.
http://www.afscme.org/members/24430.cfm
Adams, 2007. June 22, 2007. NewsTarget.com/Truth Publishing, Straight
to The Source
http://www.thomas.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c111:2:/temp/~mdbsrdLEyf::
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi/gin/query/C?c110:/temp/~c110CWXXIs
Buffet, W. 2009, August 31. The Green Back Effect. New York Times.
December 18, 2009
Joe Omar Gonzales
Bonus Option E.2 with Short Story
English 101, Section 3226, Fall
Professor: O’Connell
When I arrived at mom’s house that dark and dreary night, the house
was full of her Mexican, El Salvadorian and Guatemalan friends.
There
were drinking (which was normal), beer and dancing. The music was so
loud and everyone was speaking in Spanish. I only dropped by to find
out that my brother Andrew (the one I always worry about since he has
been HIV+ and has been for about 25 years now), was in a horrific car
accident, mom always gets the details confused. He was a passenger
in
a car, lost in Pomona (the driver was lost) on a dark street, don’t
know too many details. The car he was riding in was hit so hard and
when the cops arrived Andrew was a bloody mess. They didn’t think he
would pull through, he had after all, five blood transfusions, he was
told he would never walk again. Disappointing, since he was a
dancer,
he had surgery on his entire left leg. There were screws and pins
and
some type of long (maybe titanic plates). I didn’t go see him in the
hospital till the next day and wasn’t’ sure what to expect. When I
saw him, his leg was lifted in traction. He was unrecognizable.
They
had not had time to wash or clean all the blood from his face and
body. He had no front teeth, and he had bandages everywhere. Andrew
is very vain and loves money, clothes and thought his party friends
were real friends. The hospital was a bit creepy, with large rooms,
quiet and old. Even the people who worked there were strange. I
only
knew of hospitals that I grew up around, like the one where I lived
and grew up in Pasadena, CA, the Huntington Memorial Hospital,
(didn’t
realize that Pasadena was beautiful, with big homes, landscape and
trees), the real world is different. The Huntington Memorial is
clean
and sweet with beautiful landscape and orderly, the employees are
kind
and helpful. I lived and worked by Cedars Sinai in West Hollywood.
And Cedars is like the diamond of all hospitals in southern
California, nothing but the best.
After six months of grueling intense physical therapy, Andrew pushed
himself harder than most people. You see he was a dancer and
flamboyant to boot. In 1976 when I was honorably discharged from the
U.S. Navy, I stayed with my dad and Andrew (he was in high school).
The Vietnam war was over and no one gave a shit about us anyway, so
who cares, threw away my uniform (it meant nothing, maybe someone
would spat on us). I was usually loaded, high on pot, LSD and or
drunk, (LSD was a big deal in the early 70’s and in the Navy). I
never drank or used drugs until the Navy. Our whole family was
alcoholic: mom and dad, too. Today Andrew can walk and dance, he is
a
survivor, and he still loves money and loves to spend it on his so
called friends. He loves to buy silk ties for work. He works hard,
but where does his money go? Why does Andrew try to keep up with the
Jones’, is it because Americans
I n Timon of Athens, Apemantus and Timon provide a very important view
of Bacevich’s both first and third illusion of military crisis.
Apemantus’s main job is to observe and criticize Timon’s friends. He
does not have kind words to express to Athenians, because he believes
it’s not worth it. He has a negative response to every comment that is
made to him. He further concludes that humanity wants nothing more
but wealth, and wealth is everyone’s desire. It is due to greed that
mankind was able to fulfill their desires; because of greed the US was
able to develop high tech technology to further improve society. It is
believed that with today’s technology society is better. Francis
Fukuyama believed that with advanced technology society had reached
“the end of history” “According to Fukuyama, democratic capitalism
represented the final stage in political economic evolution” (The
Limits of Power, Bacevich, 2009, pg 128).Granted that greed has helped
the US further enhance society, there is a negative side to greed as
well. Too much of anything eventually leads to one’s own destruction.
For example, consider America itself. In a 2009 U.S. News & World
Report, Davin states, “We have become a nation obsessed by capitalism
and its failed promises that every American can one day be rich.”
America itself is lost, due to its very own greed of becoming a bigger
and better nation. America did not realize that along with the
advanced technologies, it’s also causing destruction which may not be
seen now but eventually will be clearer later on. In Timon of Athens,
all of Timon’s friends are greedy, and they only keep a relationship
with him due to his wealth, which they are slowly snatching away from
him. Timon was reluctant to believe Apemantus when he had told him his
friends were only there for him because of his wealth. In the
beginning of the story Timon is seen as a gullible and foolish
character, later on his sincereness turns into hatred for humanity.
Bacevich’s third illusion states “society both civil and political,
supports the troops emotionally, patriotically, and
financially” (Bacevich, 2009, pg 129). In Timon of Athens, when Timon
was in desperate need of help for financial issues, his friends were
not there for him, despite the fact that Timon was there when they
needed him. Although Timon was a gullible character at the beginning,
but towards the end his status is not of a happy healthy character.
Instead his status remains as a character who is extremely mad at
humanity and curses everyone. Timon’s madness for society further
complicates matter. Many who had experienced what Timon had, in anger
may have done the same thing Timon did. In a 2007 Capitalism Magazine
article Alex Epstein states “One does not support our troops by
sending them to fight wars of self-sacrifice and then thanking their
corpses.” Few seem to care about the troops, beyond the troop’s
families waiting for their return. The troops in Afghanistan are
trying their best to support America, and Americans should be thankful
for that. It is a difficult task for one to risk one’s own life to
save another. Living each day in fear that perhaps, today might be
their last day is indeed very dreadful. Each day more and more troops
die, and now the U.S. plans to send more troops to fight this useless
war. If America is still at war with Afghanistan, and America is
considering sending more troops, America should reconsider this
decision. War is not a solution, and sending more troops is not a
solution. The only solution is to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and
Iraq. If only U.S had done this before, America would not be in this
type of a situation. According to Bacevich’s third illusion “according
to Weinberger and Powell, the United States would fight only when
genuinely vital interests were at stake.” The United States was not at
risk before the war had started, but it was at risk when U.S. troops
invaded Afghanistan. The Taliban had warned the United States that if
the troops did not withdraw from Afghanistan then United States would
be at risk. It was believed by many that the United State’s main
reason for invasion was for the United State’s benefit, oil. Although
the United States asserts that the main reason for invasion was
because of the Taliban, it is unclear of why the United States invaded
Afghanistan in the first place. Many have pleaded and protested for
the troops to return safely back home, but they were ignored. In a
2003 article by Elizabeth Wolfe, Elizabeth discusses in this article
about the safe return of troops. “Susan Schuman’s son writes home from
Iraq complaining of poor living conditions, skimpy water rations and
dozens of daily attacks on U.S. troops that go unreported.”It is
devastating to know that the troops have to withstand this kind of
treatment, specifically when they are serving for the United States.
Poor living conditions further increase the chances of getting an
individual sick. Water is being rationed. Water is an essential part
of life, approximately 70 percent of the human body is made up of
water, and without it our body can’t function properly. Rationing
water is not a solution. This will only make the soldiers feel fatigue
and dehydrated due to lack of water intake. If dozens of daily attacks
have been made and been unreported, the United States should better
equip the troops with better necessities for their well being. If the
government cannot equip the troops with better necessities then the
idea of sending more troops should be taken more seriously, America is
already facing a problem. It would be difficult for America to handle
another problem. In Timon of Athens Timon had spent his money on
useless friends, lavish style parties, and lending money to people who
considered his friendship important due to his wealth. Timon did gain
fame, but that fame was only gained due to his wealth. Similarly the
United States spent money on war, which proved to be useless. America
was repeatedly warned war is not a solution, but America ignored those
warnings thinking those warnings were foolish. America became so
obsessive in gaining power, which disabled America to see the negative
side of their purpose. Although Timons intentions were positive in the
beginning, his intentions were negative towards humanity in the end.
Apemantus on the other hand is seen as a critic, criticizing Timon for
his generosity, and criticizing Athenians for their lifestyle. Both
Apemantus and Bacevich criticize humanity, and both are ignored.
Although Apemantus is seen as a grumpy and unfriendly character, his
point of view can help the society. Appemantus’s decisions were
correct in the first place, and if Timon had taken his advice he would
have been in a better position. Appemantus had experienced what Timon
had before, and he was wise enough to not repeat those mistakes again.
Comparing Appemantus toTimon, Timon is more of a character who does
not think carefully. Even in debt Timon was willing to throw lavish
style parties, and lending money on credit. Timon failed to realize
the true nature of mankind. In the end Timon was left with nothing,
but a strong hatred towards mankind, while his betrayers continued to
live a lavish lifestyle. Although Apemantus is not rich he was in a
better condition than Timon, he is wise and is able to recognize the
difference between what’s right and wrong. In a 2009 article by
William J. Astore and Tom Engelhardt state “…the inability of our
leaders to listen to a genuinely range of options.” Sometimes an
individual becomes very obsessive with what they want to achieve that
they become blind to look at other opportunities that are offered to
them. Later that individual ends up regretting if they had listened,
perhaps they would have been in a better position. Considering this
fact if America had taught over of ending the war with Iraq and
Afghanistan, the economy could have been better. America wasted too
much time and money on war, which they did not benefit from. In a 2006
article according to Martin Wolk “The pentagon is spending about $6
billion a month on the war in Iraq, or about $ 200 million a day,
according to the CBO.” Money should be spent on education, research
that is beneficial for those who are diagnosed with a common disease,
and healthcare. Money should be spent more wisely, specifically during
a recession. As students, mistakes were made, those mistakes were
just a beginning. Teachers expect students to learn from their
mistakes, and those mistakes should never be committed again. Granted
life is random and filled with errors, but if one is wise enough those
mistakes can be stopped ahead of time. As adults it is our job to
correct children’s mistakes letting them know the right path and the
wrong path, and it is our job to learn from our own mistakes. Mistakes
are both good and bad for example, if the same mistake is committed
more than once than it is considered bad, if it is committed
unintentionally then it is good. It is difficult to live a life that
is flawless of error; in some situations mistakes cannot be prevented.
The United States has been through many situations in which those
mistakes should not be repeated but, somehow those mistakes end up
being repeated. Bacevich’s ideas and conclusions about the Iraq and
Afghanistan war are precise. Many think that Bacevich is wrong and his
ideas would only bring destruction instead of improvement for the
United States. “Rather than asking Americans to trim their appetite
for luxuries, he called on them to carry on as if nothing had
occurred”(The Limits of Power, Bacevich, 2009, pg 60). When Bush came
into office, he did not believe Americans should “curb their
appetites” for luxury. Bush demanded that Americans should look beyond
their goals in life. He carelessly spent money on war without
thinking what the outcome would be. Bush did not show effort in
trying to think of a better plan over the dispute of Iraq and
Afghanistan. Bush’s focus was more concentrated on the war rather than
the U.S. economy. It is essential to look at all facts before making a
decision, focusing on one area would not make matters easier. In
conclusion Withdrawing troops from Iraq and Afghanistan would be the
solution to our answers. Al-Qaeda had warned America in the first
place if they had invaded Afghanistan and Iraq the outcome would not
be good, but America was stubborn. War itself is not a solution, it
does not bring peace it brings catastrophe. America is not stable
enough to be sending more troops to Afghanistan and Pakistan, to
continue with this war. It has been 6 years since America has been
fighting Iraq, and in those 6 years America did not gain anything, in
fact America has been losing. It is better for America to accept
defeat and move on, everything in life is not about winning, and war
is not a game. Withdrawing troops from Afghanistan and Iraq would not
bring peace directly, it will take some time, but it eventually will
bring peace. Although it would be difficult in withdrawing the troops,
but America should not be sending more troops to fight this useless
war.
2009, October 27. Accounting for America’s Decline U.S. News & World
Report http://www.usnews.com/blogs/letters-to-the-editor/2009/10/27/accounting-for-americas-decline.html
Bacevich, A. 2009. The limits of power. New York: Holt. Elizabeth
Wolfe 2003, Aug.13. Campaign Unites Military Families, Veterans
Pleading to Bring Troops home Common Dreams.org
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0813-08.htm Martin Wolk 2006,
March, 16. Cost of Iraq war could surpass $1 trillion msnbc
HYPERLINK "http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11880954/" http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11880954/
Rick Newman 2009, Oct. 26. 9 Signs of America in Decline U.S. News &
World Report HYPERLINK "http://www.usnews.com/money/blogs/flowchart/
2009/10/26/9-signs-of-america-in-decline"
http://www.usnews.com/money/blogs/flowchart/2009/10/26/9-signs-of-america-in-decline
William J.Astore and Tom Engelhardt 2009, Oct. 12. Apocalypse Then,
Afghanistan Now America at War The Afghanistan-Pakistan- Iran Theatre
http://afpakwar.com/blog/2009/10/13/misreading-vietnam-why-obama-will-repeat-johnsons-mistake/
oc
http://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/06/opinion/hiroshima-50-years-later.html?pagewanted=1
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110007066
http://articles.sfgate.com/2009-11-01/books/17180018_1_eliminationist-genocide-masses/2
drena jones
--- On Mon, 1/4/10, oc <eng10...@yahoo.com> wrote: |