Right Of The Iraqi People example essay topic

For as long as mankind has existed, there has been a desire for a defined set of basic rights. Men are born with certain rights, which no power may take away from them. When these rights are infringed upon, action must be taken to ensure that this does not occur again. This is the basic reason the American government gives for using force to overthrow the Iraqi government. While this is a very good cause to fight for, American and British forces are also violating rights of innocent Iraqi citizens, as well as their American citizens in many different ways.

These actions show the hypocrisy that exists in the American government. They are choosing whose rights to protect, and whose can be overlooked for a greater good. The bombing campaign currently taking place in Iraq has had very tragic consequences on civilians in the country. American forces have "used cluster bombs that have no real aim point and that kill and wound innocent civilians for years to come". Cluster bombs are similar to land mines in relation to the amount of danger they present to the public. When they are released over residential parts of Iraq, the weapon "rains down deadly bomblets on an area the size of a football field with six bombs falling in every 1,000 square feet".

This is very different than the satellite guided precision bombs the American government is so quick to brag about. Many of the bomblets, which come out of the cluster bomb, land on the ground without detonating, until something or someone inadvertently comes into contact with it. There are hundreds of these bombs lying around Iraq, some in heavily populated locations. In the past, many children have picked up these bombs; unaware of the danger they present. America continues to drop these bombs, well aware of the hazards that come along with them. No government should be allowed to turn a blind eye on such a critical matter.

By doing so, they ignore the right of the Iraqi people to feel safe in their home. No people should feel afraid to walk the streets, unsure if they may accidentally set off unexploded munitions at any time. The actions taken by American forces are viewed by the world as being supported by all Americans. Whenever a bomb dropped from an American aircraft injures a little kid, all Americans drop that bomb. Despite this fact, the opinion of the American public has little to no bearing on what happens in Iraq.

No matter what the majority of Americans want, the United States government feels "it's less important to have unanimity than it is to be making the right decisions and doing the right thing, even though at the outset it may seem lonesome". This way of thinking seems to completely contradict our system of democracy. The very same form of government we are trying to implant into Iraq. Disregarding the right of the people to make crucial decisions like this should never happen. The government is starting to feel that they can do whatever they want, whenever they want. Politicians are getting sick with power, always thinking they are right.

With every decision made that does not represent public opinion, the line between democracy and dictatorship becomes blurry. When the rights of any individual or group of people are ignored, our government becomes weaker and weaker. America needs to start listening to public opinion; it is their right to voice their opinion, but that voice becomes powerless when it goes unheard. America is very hypocritical about many actions they take. The fact that "the coalition will, naturally, have the leading role" is naturally assumed shows the arrogance America has. The United States feels that it has the right to tell anyone they want what is right and what is wrong, while at the same time they do not follow this same advice.

There are laws in America, which serve no purpose except to discriminate against certain groups of people. America says that every person should have equal rights, yet homosexuals are still not allowed to enjoy the benefits that come with a legally recognized marriage. Yet this issue is completely ignored by politicians. No negative effects would come from allowing them to marry. The only people it would effect are homosexuals who would only be happy. They would get the tax breaks and other benefits that come with marriage, which all heterosexuals currently enjoy.

How can America try to tell others to give everyone equal rights, when they don't even try to do this themselves? The government cannot boast about our government being the best until it oppresses no one, ensuring equal rights for all of its citizens. Throughout the entire world, America is viewed as one of the most civilized nations, with some of the most tolerant laws to ensure discrimination and persecution are virtually non-existent. In this nation which is so proud of their acceptance of everyone, a very large group is still denied their human rights. Human rights by definition are supposedly rights, which everyman is entitled too, and that no man can be denied. The founding fathers of the United States went so far to say that men "are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness".

Even though these rights are specifically mentioned in the document that established our nation, they are still not completely followed by America's government. In many countries, these rights are unheard of by their citizens. There are no rights, which are universal. The rights Americans take for granted are a luxury to many third world countries. The people in these countries do not grow up having these rights, so they learn to accept having a minimal amount of freedom. Governments in third world countries see no need to implant these rights; "they see the universal conception of human rights as little more than an attempt to impose alien Western values on them".

America is a fairly new country in comparison to the rest of the world, where many countries have existed since Biblical times. For a young country like America to tell these other countries how to run their government probably seems ridiculous. Why would leaders choose to change a system of values and beliefs, which have worked for thousands of years? This is why there could never be a defined set of human rights for the entire world.

Values differ throughout different parts of the world. What is right and what is wrong depends on whom you ask. One society's morals could be based upon some religion, which another society does not believe in. So there could be no satisfying a world full of people whose opinions on what rights men are entitled too differ so greatly.

Western culture is rapidly spreading to all corners of the earth. All of the power and financial success achieved by western society seems very tempting to other societies. With new countries blending western culture with there own every day, different values and beliefs are mixing in to other cultures as well. In some cases these values are not wanted.

Not everyone wants to be a western nation, and those that do not build resentment towards the West. Every country that America forces their beliefs on only adds to the group of anti-westerners. Most Islamic countries "hold an unrelenting hostility towards the United States". This is a very large group that would like to see America destroyed in any way.

The American government ignores this danger which continues to grow. There is a very similar parallel between America's present situation and the peak of the Roman Empire. If the United States does not change its ways soon, they will undoubtedly face the same fate.