Introduction
Weapons evolve, empires rise and fall, casualties are inevitable. Soldiers on each side trusting that their efforts will bring justice and peace. Each death is more than a number on a screen, they represent a life as intricate as any other. These are not simply numbers, they are fathers, mothers, sisters, and brothers, they are freedom fighters and heroes. However, not every belief is unanimous, and both sides are the ‘bad guys’ until victory is reached. Without a doubt, conflict comes with controversy. The following highlights the wars, primarily fought by the US, that caused the most discussion upon the ethics and motivation for the conflict.
The Iraq War
The Iraq War came swiftly, just as the terror attack that started it. Viewed as a ‘crusade’ by many of its supporters, America was deploying troops in order to stomp out the forces who brought so much devastation to our great nation. With the great power we held, President George W. Bush believed it was our responsibility to keep the world safe from tyrants like Saddam Hussein. With potential WMDs in his possession, it was a risk we could not take. But at the time and now especially, there were those that criticized Bush’s decision. Does America have the right to hold the position of “Global Police Force?”
Civil War
Brother vs. brother, the Civil War was the bloodiest conflict in American history. Grandfather buried their sons alongside their grandsons and widows returned to their homes only to find a pile of ash. This was a time of death and destruction, with new weaponry and tactics being developed all in the hopes of an undivided nation. The war also introduced the idea of Total War, an idea that would be used a century later to great effect and with similar results. Despite it being fought to unite a nation, the Civil War inadvertently caused more cracks to form, the effects of which can be seen even today.
Nuclear Warfare
Arguably the best and worst invention in history. Alone, it has ended all direct conflict with other nuclear weapon holding superpowers but simultaneously looms as a nearly unstoppable destructive force. The potential it holds is unmatched, the ability to strike, at mass, anywhere on the planet in less than 35 minutes. However, mutually assured destruction prevents any sane world leader from launching a missile on another nuclear country. Hopefully the bombs dropped on Japan in WWII by the US will be the last to ever be detonated.
Vietnam
During the struggle against communism in the Second Indochina War, commonly known as the Vietnam war, the US partook in a brutal campaign in the jungles of Vietnam. Their enemy; the Viet Cong, a militia that used guerilla warfare and the North Vietnamese Communist Regime. Together they made it seem to the Americans as the enemy was everywhere, and they were. Many Americans believed that it was not our job to be the police force of the world. The goal was to reunite Vietnam back into a democracy and to halt the spread of communism.
The Iraq War
The Iraq War came swiftly, just as the terror attack that started it. Viewed as a ‘crusade’ by many of its supporters, America was deploying troops in order to stomp out the forces who brought so much devastation to our great nation. With the great power we held, President George W. Bush believed it was our responsibility to keep the world safe from tyrants like Saddam Hussein. With potential WMDs in his possession, it was a risk we could not take. But at the time and now especially, there were those that criticized Bush’s decision. Does America have the right to hold the position of “Global Police Force?”
Civil War
Brother vs. brother, the Civil War was the bloodiest conflict in American history. Grandfather buried their sons alongside their grandsons and widows returned to their homes only to find a pile of ash. This was a time of death and destruction, with new weaponry and tactics being developed all in the hopes of an undivided nation. The war also introduced the idea of Total War, an idea that would be used a century later to great effect and with similar results. Despite it being fought to unite a nation, the Civil War inadvertently caused more cracks to form, the effects of which can be seen even today.
Nuclear Warfare
Arguably the best and worst invention in history. Alone, it has ended all direct conflict with other nuclear weapon holding superpowers but simultaneously looms as a nearly unstoppable destructive force. The potential it holds is unmatched, the ability to strike, at mass, anywhere on the planet in less than 35 minutes. However, mutually assured destruction prevents any sane world leader from launching a missile on another nuclear country. Hopefully the bombs dropped on Japan in WWII by the US will be the last to ever be detonated.
Vietnam
During the struggle against communism in the Second Indochina War, commonly known as the Vietnam war, the US partook in a brutal campaign in the jungles of Vietnam. Their enemy; the Viet Cong, a militia that used guerilla warfare and the North Vietnamese Communist Regime. Together they made it seem to the Americans as the enemy was everywhere, and they were. Many Americans believed that it was not our job to be the police force of the world. The goal was to reunite Vietnam back into a democracy and to halt the spread of communism.