War in Iraq Essay Example for Free

War in Iraq Essay The United States Governments decision to invade Iraq was a mistake and so is the decision to continue to occupy the war-country. However, more than just a mistake, the war is of course wrong, and the reasons which the US declared for the rationale of the war are based on misinformed information. There are kinds of war that can be justified if the reasons behind them are morally right — the Iraq War is not one of them. The question whether the government knew this or not is not really known. Various sides claim different things regarding the rationality of the war, but one thing is for sure: This author is not for any kind of war, including the Iraq War. Iraq War in Under Fire There are a number of reasons why the war on Iraq is to be considered a bad judgment, if not a bad â€Å"scheme. † We could go on and on with a long list, but it would take a very long time. However, the main concern of the government was that Iraq had what they called â€Å"Weapons of Mass Destruction† (WMD) that are a threat to the security of not only America but also the rest of the world. There is reason to believe that misleading information influenced the decision of the president to go to war. In a press release posted on the Central Intelligence Agencys (CIA) website, Jay Rockefeller, chair of Intelligence committee said, â€Å"In making the case for war, the Administration repeatedly presented intelligence as fact when in reality it was unsubstantiated, contradicted, or even non-existent. As a result, the American people were led to believe that the threat from Iraq was much greater than actually existed† (qtd. in United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence 1). He was right; by the time the US and coalition forces was done ransacking the country, no WMD were found. There were also no threatening biological and chemical weapons found in Iraq. There were hints that Saddam wanted to create such devious weapons, but the findings suggest that the â€Å"imminent threats† that the government was so afraid about were non-existent. With these findings alone, the main justification of the US government for going to war with Iraq is nullified. Supposedly after the US was embarrassed by their Intelligence failure, the logical thing to do was to pull out of Iraq as quickly as possible and admit they have made a mistake. Yet, instead of doing this, the government even denied it, publicly declaring Iraq as an â€Å"imminent threat† to the US (Center for American Progress 1). Of course, pulling out of the Iraq would not be that easy especially because the coalition forces have done such a good job of virtually maiming the country. The chaos that the conflict created also meant that it would be morally wrong to just leave the devastated country after doing significant damage to it. The process of pulling out the troops, however, is taking longer than necessary. US troops have been in Iraq since 2003 and until now, tens of thousands of soldiers are still in the dangerous country. The longer the troops stay in Iraq, the more body bags the army have to ship back home. Apart from the unjustified nature of the Iraq War, the casualties that the conflict created and is still creating are one of the major reasons why this war is being contested. As of June 2, 2009, there have been 4,627 coalition deaths, and these only include the coalition forces that died (Cable News Network [CNN]). According to a recent research published in the New York Times, the civilian casualties that the conflict is causing may sum up to 600,000 since the war began (Tavernise and Mcneil). That is almost a hundred thousand deaths a year, which makes this war even more wrong because of the sheer number of casualties produced. Not everybody sees this war the same way. Some argue that if Iraq was not invaded by Coalition forces, Iraq may have developed the Weapons of Mass Destruction they were so eager to find inside Iraqi territory. However, since the time when Iraq was invaded up to this date, no Weapons of Mass Destruction have been detected, making this argument invalid. For others, the war on Iraq was a necessary move of the United States in order to defend itself from foreign threats, and it was a direct action to the seemingly increasing threat that Saddam supposedly had on the US. Former US President George W. Bush claimed that war was his last option. â€Å"I didnt want war, to assume that I wanted war is just flat wrong,† George Bush said in an interview (qtd. in Shakir). However, evidence suggests that he has already made up his mind long before the first coalition forces landed on Iraqi soil. Bush and then British Prime Minister Tony Blair have already met and decided on the matter as revealed in a memo dated January 31, 2003 (Norton-Taylor). Conclusion The Iraq War is just flat out wrong. The US government pretended and projected to the people that Iraq was an imminent threat despite the lack of real evidence. The rationality of the war is just based on misleading information, therefore making it a mistake. However, more important than the rationality of the war, the number of casualties that the conflict has created and is still creating is a strong enough reason to justify the immorality and irrationality of the war. Others may claim that the war was necessary, but the hard truth is that it was indeed a mistake. The failure to find WMD has caused critics to be suspicious of the real intent of the US why they invaded Iraq — Iraq is of course an oil well capable of generating enormous amounts of money that even the already rich US government could not resist. Works Cited Cable News Network. â€Å"US and Coalition Casualties: Iraq. † CNN. com/world. 2 June 2009. 4 June 2009. http://edition. cnn. com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/forces/casualties/. Center for American Progress. â€Å"In Their Own Words: Iraqs Imminent Threat.† Center for American Progress. 29 Jan. 2004. 4 June 2009. http://www. americanprogress. org/kf/QUOTES. PDF. Norton-Taylor, Richard. â€Å"Blair-Bush Deal Before Iraq War Revealed in Secret Memo. † 3 Feb. 2006. Guardian News and Media. 4 June 2009. http://www. guardian. co. uk/world/2006/feb/03/iraq. usa. Shakir, Faiz. â€Å"Bush Insists I Didnt Want War, Overwhelming Evidence Suggests Otherwise. † Think Progress. 21 Mar. 2006. 4 June 2009. http://thinkprogress. org/2006/03/21/made-up-his-mind/.

James Joyces Araby - Setting in Araby Essay -- Joyce Dubliners Araby

Setting in James Joyce's Araby  Ã‚   In the opening paragraphs of James Joyce's short story, "Araby," the setting takes center stage to the narrator. Joyce tends carefully to the exquisite detail of personifying his setting, so that the narrator's emotions may be enhanced. To create a genuine sense of mood, and reality, Joyce uses many techniques such as first person narration, style of prose, imagery, and most of all setting. The setting of a short story is vital to the development of character. In the opening paragraph, North Richmond Street is introduced as "blind," and "quiet", yet on it rests another house which is unoccupied. The narrator states that the house is, "Detached," from the others on the street, but that, "The other houses on the street, conscious of decent lives within them, gazed at one another with brown imperturbable faces" (379). This creates an image of isolation, and uncertainty, for the one uninhabited house. The image of the lone house, lays in the shadows of the crowd of other houses who stand so remarkably calm, and collected. This enhances the image of the adolescent narrator, and perhaps foreshadows, his blind inclination towards self discovery on the road of life. The image also evokes that of the uncomfortable affect a group of peers may cast upon the isolated teen. Will steady doses of rejection and alienation drive the narrator to darker days ahead? He lives with his aunt and uncle, and there is no mention of his real parents. Whether he was abandoned, unwanted, or orphaned remains a mystery. In fact it may be that the narrator simply has no outlet through which to exercise his fragile emotions and thoughts. He has friends, but none to any degree of intimacy, his playful innocence pron... ...y perception of the reader, with the placement of the physical aspects conveying double meaning. Briefly foreshadowed, the religiousness with which he experiences his boyhood fancy, has all but abandoned and betrayed him. He recognizes the, "...silence like that which pervades a church after a service" (382). The bazaar has been emptied all the life within in it and become a cold inhospitable environment. The narrator is left again in his isolation in the middle of the bazaar, failed and dejected. He states, "Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger" (383). Perhaps it is life itself that is the religious experience worth living for, but one evolving from the inner spirit of the self in a great moment of epiphany. Works Cited: Joyce, James. â€Å"Araby†. Kirszner and Mandell 226. James Joyce's Araby - Setting in Araby Essay -- Joyce Dubliners Araby Setting in James Joyce's Araby  Ã‚   In the opening paragraphs of James Joyce's short story, "Araby," the setting takes center stage to the narrator. Joyce tends carefully to the exquisite detail of personifying his setting, so that the narrator's emotions may be enhanced. To create a genuine sense of mood, and reality, Joyce uses many techniques such as first person narration, style of prose, imagery, and most of all setting. The setting of a short story is vital to the development of character. In the opening paragraph, North Richmond Street is introduced as "blind," and "quiet", yet on it rests another house which is unoccupied. The narrator states that the house is, "Detached," from the others on the street, but that, "The other houses on the street, conscious of decent lives within them, gazed at one another with brown imperturbable faces" (379). This creates an image of isolation, and uncertainty, for the one uninhabited house. The image of the lone house, lays in the shadows of the crowd of other houses who stand so remarkably calm, and collected. This enhances the image of the adolescent narrator, and perhaps foreshadows, his blind inclination towards self discovery on the road of life. The image also evokes that of the uncomfortable affect a group of peers may cast upon the isolated teen. Will steady doses of rejection and alienation drive the narrator to darker days ahead? He lives with his aunt and uncle, and there is no mention of his real parents. Whether he was abandoned, unwanted, or orphaned remains a mystery. In fact it may be that the narrator simply has no outlet through which to exercise his fragile emotions and thoughts. He has friends, but none to any degree of intimacy, his playful innocence pron... ...y perception of the reader, with the placement of the physical aspects conveying double meaning. Briefly foreshadowed, the religiousness with which he experiences his boyhood fancy, has all but abandoned and betrayed him. He recognizes the, "...silence like that which pervades a church after a service" (382). The bazaar has been emptied all the life within in it and become a cold inhospitable environment. The narrator is left again in his isolation in the middle of the bazaar, failed and dejected. He states, "Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger" (383). Perhaps it is life itself that is the religious experience worth living for, but one evolving from the inner spirit of the self in a great moment of epiphany. Works Cited: Joyce, James. â€Å"Araby†. Kirszner and Mandell 226.

Morality in Politics Essay

People are forced to face moral challenges in making day-to-day decisions. When it comes to benefitting individual and societal good, the great question of politics is raised: what is the right thing to do? In Sophocles’ Antigone, there is a dilemma whether to abide by the laws of the gods above the laws of the state. Antigone makes a decision that not only affects her future but the future of the state under her uncle’s rule. Antigone gains a high moral sense in that she followed the laws of the gods and therefore did the morally right choice going against state laws, either case can be deemed as morally correct. In this essay it will be argued that citizens should be free to disobey state laws when conscience dictates. Sophocles’ play enacts the moral conflict of power between the laws of the gods and the laws of state. He presents the reader with a dilemma involving religious rituals passed down in the family and a new law passed by a ruler of the state. Antigone and her uncle, Creon, have a different set of values. Creon, the ruler of Thebes, values the constant order of the state and the public good. Antigone values family and religion, and views these commitments as superior to the laws imposed by her uncle. She claims, there is an â€Å"unchangeable unwritten code of Heaven,† (Sophocles, Antigone, 17) and she decides to act against the laws of her uncle to fulfill the laws of the gods, by giving her brother a proper burial ritual against Creon’s will. Antigone considers her uncle’s laws as sacrilege. Creon thought that his decision would bring stability to his state, as he claimed that â€Å"by corruption few men thrive and many come to mischief,† (Sophocles, Antigone, 12). Creon places the ‘polis’ above family and religious values and disregards the values that Antigone holds sacred. Sophocles positions Antigone as being the heroine of the play and allows her to justify her decisions, with the taking of her own life Antigone made a statement and accentuates the power she held and that Creon lacked. In the end, Creon is left with feelings of regret and no family, thus punished by the gods for not abiding by their laws. Antigone believed that her rights were not given to her by Creon but rather given to her by the gods. She was only doing what she thought was morally right. Antigone is a religious being and clearly values the gods higher than the state; she is willing to face the consequences. Antigone was willing to â€Å"meet with nothing more grievous, at the worst, than death, with honour,† (Sophocles, Antigone, 4) she courageously fulfilled her duties as a religious being. Many people would applaud Antigone’s bravery, for any private interest should be allowed to challenge the public good. In doing so, I believe that those private interests could eventually turn into a public interest. In the play, a prophet visits Creon to warn him of the consequences that have been brought about from his unjust laws. If it had not have been for Antigone publicly objecting to Creon’s law, it would probably not have been such a big issue that brought the concern of others. Antigone allowed for others to question Creon’s law and debate if it is morally right to go against the laws of the gods. Publicly refusing to follow a law brings attention to an issue that otherwise would have been ignored. One great example in our society is during the Civil Rights era; Martin Luther King Jr. ’s actions brought great attention to the issue of racial segregation. He believed that it was right to openly break a law that was not supposed to be a law at all. His actions although non-violent broke many laws that were made to impede success among the African American population in the U. S. He believed that by publicly and consciously breaking the law exposes brutality and promotes participation. In doing so, the people against the law were perceived as being brave and those watching were forced to question what was just. When issues become public and catch the interest of the majority of the people in the ‘polis’, the government is forced to do something about it. Creon responded with a stern and much too harsh punishment that led to the death of his niece, son and wife but if Antigone would not have contested his law he could have eventually reached complete domination of political power. The general population supported Antigone but they were too afraid to say anything until they finally felt that something must be done. Creon was running a totalitarian government and was corrupting the state. He was unable to see how unjust his law was until others brought it to his attention and tried to convince him that his use of power was wrong. Antigone’s defying actions instilled courage in the people to also speak against their ruler. It might be objected that when someone disobeys state laws whenever their conscience dictates they are only helping themselves, the person breaking the law is not thinking about the common good but rather fulfilling their own good or promoting anarchy. Civil disobedience may seem reasonable when we consider Martin Luther King Jr. ’s situation but it may not always be driven with good intentions. By disobeying, regardless of good or bad intentions, they are hurting the stability of the state. Creon argues, â€Å"Obedience is due to the state’ officer in small and great, just and unjust commandments†¦ (Sophocles, Antigone, 26). † Creon did not bother to judge his laws as just or unjust, he simply did what he considered was good for the state. It is thought that if people continue to please themselves in breaking the laws of the state that they will eventually break every law and lose all respect for the state. Civil disobedience may not always serve the public good and only serve to undermine order. Breaking a law weakens the state and it’s order, it promotes anarchy and disrespects authority. It should not be encouraged or tolerated. It is a civic virtue to abide by the laws of the state it is what leads to its success and stability. By breaking the law Antigone was faced with death, she claimed that she was honoring the gods and that they would honor her in the end. But one must question if honor is worth the permanence of death. Many people feel so strongly about their opinions that they are wiling to die just as Antigone did in Sophocles’ play. One notable person in history is Socrates; he willingly faced all punishments administered to him. He claimed to have had a contract with his state of Athens that obliged him to accept punishments for taking advantage of the state in the first place. This shows that even though Socrates may have broken some law, he still held respect for the state. Not every person that breaks a law is completely recalcitrant. Like Socrates, those who fight for civil rights and follow what they believe to be morally correct are aware of their wrongdoings and make it a statement when they finally submit to the law. They are submitting to punishments even if they are deemed unjust only to prove to the state that their morals are important and can withstand any punishment. In facing moral challenges one is often forced to face it is always difficult to decipher what is right and what is wrong. Everyone has different values and obligations. Here, Antigone’s values outweighed Creon’s overwhelmingly unjust laws. One must always question what is more important and find a balance between the two. Civil disobedience is allowed when the conscience dictates in situations that lead to a greater good. Not all private interests are egocentric some may also reflect the interest of the general population. Antigone, although harshly punished just as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Socrates were as well, have all rose among the common people and proved to be great. They encompassed a passion and bravery for their beliefs that was able to attract attention to conflicts in the law. Without their brave actions the state would not have been open to change and reach a new level of stability.

Definition Of A Business Process - 1217 Words

Introduction In order to achieve their goals, processes are used in accomplished organizations to complete the work needed. Organizations that adopt the process view can be very successful if used appropriately. The next few pages will define a business process, and explain the advantages of adopting this kind of organizational view. Definition of a business process: A business process is an action or a set of actions completed in a particular order that will complete a given organizational task. In most cases, these tasks, accomplish their goal by delivering products or services to a customer. Throughout the process, a number of participants are involved, such as passive or active. Process participants, which are produced, consumed, or changed, are considered to be passive. For example, computer assembly, software development, reorganizing departments, or treating patients in the hospital. On the other hand, processes geared towards the passive participants, such as workers, machines, etc., are said to be active participants (www.appian.com, n.d.). A business process can be compared to a road map, which helps an organization navigate through their business activities. They help them understand where they currently stand, where they need to get to, where they came from, and how they ended up where they are. They can guide an organization along their path, pinpointing any hazards along the way. Depending on the focus of the observer, there are four different views aShow MoreRelatedIn 1989, Howard Dresner Decided To ProposeBusiness Intelligence1177 Words   |  5 PagesIn 1989, Howard Dresner decided to propose business intelligence as a blanket term to describe the concepts and methods used to improve all business decision making by using different fact-based support systems. However, it was not until in the late 1990s that this usage became widespread. 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