Iraq, Afghanistan…these are but a few of the examples of war and occupation, either directly by the United States or with its support. Although the official position of the US government is that combat operations in Iraq have ended, we still have thousands of troops there who will be assisting Iraqi forces on missions, in addition to private contractors and security forces whose tactics have been widely scrutinized. And finally, the war in Afghanistan has lasted for nearly 10 years and continues to be one of the most difficult and critical foreign policy challenges we face in the region.
All of these examples are meant to demonstrate one simple and honest conclusion, war and occupation exponentially bring about more harm than good. As a nation, we need to rethink our relationship with the global community, and the role of war in our foreign policy.
What can be done?
We need to rethink how we view national security. We need to shift away from the predominant thinking that the military can solve all of our problems. The use of force all too often has the exact opposite effect than the one intended. A different approach is necessary, one that rethinks how we structure our foreign assistance and highlights approaches like citizen diplomacy. This will not only better protect us from a potential threat in the long term, but will also help other nations and peoples build a life for themselves.
We need to demand an end to the war in Afghanistan. The billions of dollars spent each year on our military presence in Afghanistan be directed towards helping build and strengthen civil society.
We need to learn the right lessons from our invasion of Iraq. Iraq is an example of how military action alone to counter the threats we face will not help to create peace and security. After the invasion in March 2003, Iraq was a country without any functional government, so it was up to Coalition forces to stabilize the country. However, over the next seven years, Iraq experienced (and still to some degree experiences) what was close to a civil war which resulted in the killing of several thousand innocent Iraqis (some claim the death toll to be over a million). One main reason for the chaos that erupted in Iraq was that there were no clear civilian strategy for how to rebuild the country and the society. If a strong effort had been made in keeping civilian institutions intact, and the necessary physical and economic rebuilding of Iraq had begun sooner and in earnest, much of the insurgency may have been avoided. However, this is not to say that invading Iraq was even the correct decision in the first place. With thousands (perhaps more than one million) dead as a result of the invasion/occupation, and anti-American sentiment swelling in the region at the prospect of a permanent American presence, it is highly questionable whether it was worth it.
What you can do
- Organize an event on your campus. Bring in a speaker. Organize a debate. Stand up and demand change. Check out our event database for some great ideas to get you started.
- Show a movie discussing the issue. Check out our film library for a list of free films you can borrow from AIDemocracy. Films come with discussion guides and free shipping. It couldn’t be any easier!
- Request a mini-grant to make your film or event a success. We provide small grants to help pay for materials, food and speakers. Contact us to discuss.
- Speak out to the network. Write a blog for our site. Post something on our Facebook group. Share photos or video with us on YouTube. Share your opinions with other concerned students like you. Here’s how to submit materials.
- Ask for advice and support. Not sure how to get started? Need to talk through ideas for your event? AIDemocracy staff and student leaders are here to help
- And more…
