Iraq protesting

ok, I have to write an opinion piece on this.
Do you all think that protesting has done anything to change the war?
Has it helped?

Does protesting ever help and why?

(plus, just out of curiousity, what do you think of Cindy Shehan?)

Protesting does help for certain things. In this case, I don't think that protesting will cause Bush to decided to end the war. That doesn't mean protesting the war isn't worth it. If it makes you feel good going out and giving your opinion, then it is worth it. I think protesting is more effective for smaller local matters, like challenging a city law. I think Cindy Sheehan was acting crazy. According to an article I read awhile back, someone said she had always acted like this. I think her behavior was sad though. It seemed to diminish her son's accomplishments. He wanted to serve in the war. He knew the risks. I can understand her pain, but she did go overboard.

I think the protesting is one of the reasons that public opinion has turned against the war in so many ways.

1. Majority of U.S. now thinks the war in Iraq was NOT worth it.

2. Majority of U.S. now wants troops pulled out NOW.

3. Majority of U.S. thinks George Bush and the Administration has mishandled the war.

4. George Bush overall approval rate at alltime low.


I think the only way you can start to feel the way Cindy Sheehan does is to lose a child. To lose a child for any reason is excrutiating. When the child is lost for what you think was a wasteful reason makes it all the worse. My brother died at age 19 ... after that, my mother was never the same. It was a daily painfull reminder until she died at age 91.

thanks bstumbo, that actually helps my argument a lot. I thnk protesting can be effective
because it can rally people together, like you said, and the government in our country is
ultimatly responsible to the people.

I still feel as though Cindy Sheehan has taken some of the honor out of what her son has
done.

Postesting against this war I feel is counter productive. My opinion and most of the people I know are not happy with the warm, are so do to the facts of how things have unfolded. The protest to nothing more the embolden the resistance, and actually put our young solders at a greater threat for harm.

Do I think protesting can be effective in some cases, why yes. The protesting against the WTO and the World Bank has caused some change has at least opened the door of transparency a crack for us.

I personally don't think protesting is counter-productive I think war is definitely counter productive to a lot of things, to life and happiness and justice. wars aren't fair, a lot of innocent people get killed and i believe that if protesting can give voice to these concerns then it is a vital tool in our modern day democracies. your statement that "the protest emboldens the resistance" is interesting, to be honest i don't know either way, it might or it might not but maybe with the accumulated stress of the resistance and the protesting bush might be persuaded to draw out.

what i want to know is, whats the long term goal here. before the war, iraq was a thriving cultural mecca, now it has been reduced to rubble an anarchy... so what now? where to from here?

Think of it this way. I believe that the US Marines are hurting the insurgence. If the insugents check the various news sources and polls, which they are, they know how much support there is at the Armies home. They may be thinking that "yes we are loosing fighters, and the Marines are tough, and we are possiby loosing supprot of the Iraqi people if we keep blowing them up to get the americans. However, the American are leaving soon as there is no home support, so lets wait."
I know that this is painfully simplistic, but I am using it to make the point that in this case protestes aren't doing anything, but demoralizing our troops and emboldening the insurgentcy.




Now with the above aside (My text), these are great questions that I would like to see answered. The answers are long overdue.

I think when the President of the U.S. urges the enemy to "bring it on", it does nothing more than embolden the resistance, and actually put our young solders at a greater threat for harm.

Personally, as a piece of meat that was blown up in the trumped up Viet war, I protest to bring the troops home so that no more "meat" is destroyed for George Bushes lies.

yeah, I still don't see a real reason we had to invade Iraq, but now that we're
there I don't see the option of leaving.

If we do pull out right now all that will happen is civil war and the defferent
parties will slaughter eachother.

I don't want to see that happen, but that is the only reason I support the war in
Iraq.

Don't look now, but the civil war has already started, and it will only get worse. Whether we are there or not, it will continue to grow and expand, taking out a lot if U.S. troops with it. I have come to the realization that there is no way to stop it, so all I can do is watch the dead pile up. It is a horrible waste though!!

But if we leave now there would be many more casualties.

I understand the objection to letting our soldiers die, but I think it would be just
as bad if we pulled out knowing that it would become an all out bloodbath.

We shouldn't have been there in the first place. WMDs

you know, now that I think of it, when are we going to invade Korea? We
know for sure that they have WMDs. Why aren't we over there?

jwasa,

All good questions! I have given it up knowing that the Bush Admin is going to be here three more years. We're all going to suffer for it ... especially the young who will be bearing the consequences of this mans actions for decades, literally!

Thank Goodness, I'm old!

lol, I still think he's done a better job then Kerry would have. But that's just me,
and I couldn't vote anyway.

I'm glad you feel that way because you get to pay the tab!!