Weapons of Mass Destruction and the Bush Doctrine

WMDs! WMDs! WMDs! And English Prime Minister Tony Blair tells us, "The document discloses that his (Saddam Hussein) military planning allows for some of the WMD to be ready within 45 minutes of an order to use them." President Bush tells the nation at West Point in June, 2002 that "...Containment is not possible when unbalanced dictators with weapons of mass destruction can deliver those weapons on missiles or secretly provide them to terrorist allies. We cannot defend America and our friends by hoping for the best. We cannot put our faith in the word of tyrants who solemnly sign nonproliferation treaties and then systematically break them. If we wait for threats to fully materialize we will have waited too long... Yet the war on terror will not be won on the defensive. We must take the battle to the enemy, disrupt his plans and confront the worst threats before they emerge." As we go through the Bush Administration's rationale for the war in Iraq, consider the main elements of the argument. Iraq and Saddam had WMDs and the capability to use them quickly to strike the west. Additionally, we have the right due to the Bush Doctrine's idea that pre-emptive warfare is just. Post a comment on both issues. Did Iraq pose a threat to the U.S. and the world? Is the Bush Doctrine of pre-emptive warfare and the creation of friendly democratic government around the world a "just cause" for war? Please post by Tuesday, March 19.

Lifeline

Read the story of Brendan O'Byrne and author Sebastian Junger. Junger said he wanted to answer the question, "What gives men the courage to fight and die for each other?" At the end, he says, "Courage is love. It’s a result of your affection for another person...It allows men to overcome their fear and inherent revulsion to kill another person." So after reading Junger's thoughts in the book and this article, answer the question on what gives men courage to fight and die for each other! What do you think about the courage of O'Byrne both in war and civilian life? Also comment about the courage of Junger himself. Give this thought and respond by Monday, March 11, 2013.

The Story of Pat Tillman

By Wednesday (Thursday at the latest), we will discussed the story of Pat Tillman. Here was a man who voluntarily gave up a lucrative football career to join the army because of a profound sense of duty and patriotism. He and his family understood the inherent risk of any war and accepted that death was a real possibility. However, it may be difficult to accept his death was the result of "friendly fire." The government publicly declared Tillman a hero and made it appear he was killed by enemy action. Should the U.S. government and military have kept the details of his death a secret to his family? Is this a violation of the rules of war? Or is this simply a violation of ethics? Please post a response by Friday, March 1 FOR BONUS POINTS.

War, part 3

Okay, there are still several things to consider. Comment on one of the following 2 ideas - either discuss your thoughts on the so-called "piss-tube moments" that Brendan O'Byrne talked about with Money or the humor soldiers use as a defense mechanism. Do these moments help the soldiers while in dangerous situations? Does the humor help give them better perspective on their predicaments? Finally, everyone should comment on the thought about what these soldiers do when they get home. What type of challenges do they face? How will they deal with those who did not make it back home alive? How will they deal without the constant adrenaline rushes? Let's make this one due on Wednesday, March 6.

War, part 2

There are several key ideas in this section of the excerpt (10-21). One of them is the idea of what makes soldiers react the way they do to insure the survival of the unit. For example, Junger writes that Sal Giunta had about 15 seconds to assess the ambush in which they were trapped and react. His heroic actions saved his fellow soldier and earned him a Congressional Medal of Honor. If the army can determine what makes Sal Giunta react the way he does, there would be many more positive outcomes for the U.S. Army. What do you believe is the key attribute for a soldier? Is it fearlessness? intelligence? instinct? or something else? Secondly, think about the IED (Improvised Explosive Device) encountered by Junger. Suddenly, the idea of a good soldier goes out the window. Death is a random event when your truck happens to go over the spot of an IED when a Taliban fighter touches the 2 key wires together. Comment on the psychological toll this weapon must take on modern professional soldiers with the best equipment in the world. That's a lot to consider!! Please respond by Monday, March 4.

War, part 1

Junger describes the civilian casualties of operations in the Korengal in the first excerpt. Are the casualties justified? Be sure to connect your ideas to the Just War theory. Please post by Wednesday, February 27.

A Rumor of War

Lieutenant Philip Caputo blames the Vietnam War for making his "thoughts and feelings...irretrievably jumbled..." Undoubtedly, fighting any war is extraordinarily difficult and unimaginable for those who have never experienced it. Despite all the training, the realities of war can create unbelievable stress. However, does this excuse him of the awful orders and events that resulted in the deaths of two innocent civilians? Should the just war ideas concerning discrimination between combatants and noncombatants apply in this situation? Should Lt. Caputo have been punished more severely for his terrible decision? Please post by Wednesday, February 6.