Just Rambling

After a discussion on one of my classes, I was required to write an assessment. Here are the somewhat naive, yet thoroughly heartfelt ramblings of a teenager.

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After the discussion in class, if anything, I feel like my opinions have been further solidified. To start with, I am strongly against splitting up Iraq into three separate states (one state for each the Kurds, the Sunnis, and the Shiites). These three factions have been warring against each other for over one thousand years… why would it be any different now? If anything, the separation into states would only cause a power struggle for democratic power. Not to mention, right next door to Iraq is Iran, a dominantly Shiite nation, who would likely be more then willing to aid the Shiite state of Iraq if a civil war broke out, which could likely happen. I am also against the US’s continuing occupation in Iraq. As many stated in the discussion, America caused this chaos in Iraq, so we should fix it, whatever ‘chaos’ and ‘it’ is. However, the US’s continuing occupation in Iraq is what is causing this chaos to persist… it is a catch22. I strongly believe that the US needs to create a time table and slowly pull out of Iraq. Because this ‘chaos’ is existing, it’s hard to see which chaos we, as the US is creating, and what chaos is being created by the Iraqi insurgents. If we pull out of Iraq, we would take out the variable of the US’s presence, and be able to clearly see what ‘chaos’ is still existing in Iraq. Then, our government will be able to see what still needs to be done, or if anything needs to be done at all, and we can proceed from there. As of right now, it seems like we’re just fighting for fighting’s sake… and nothing good can come from out. The fighting has flat-lined, in a sense. Our soldiers, our sons and daughters and friends are not renewable resources. They’re going to Iraq, and dying, and for some, they don’t know why.

This all aside, I’m merely a seventeen year old high school student. I don’t have a degree in politics, or foreign policy. However, I do have morals and values. And I truly do believe that when it comes to foreign policy, the people in charge are becoming seriously desensitized to everything. We’ve become jaded by war and fighting and always being in conflict… I think we need to focus on how things can become better, not what is already wrong in the world. Perhaps we need to focus on international cooperation, or humanitarianism. But, as stated before, the leaders of our country are more qualified then I am to make decisions regarding foreign policy, and one must trust our leaders to do their job.

But how far can trust go?"