Where has the war in Iraq gone? If students ever paid attention to the conflict in Iraq, they have seemingly stopped as of recently.
The Lantern has infrequently run it since February. I myself stopped paying much attention to the war in Iraq for a while. That was until two specific events opened my eyes to Iraq and U.S. foreign policy.
This past February I saw Eugene Jarecki’s documentary “Why We Fight.” The film tries to find motivation behind U.S. foreign policy and explores how far the U.S. has fallen into what President Eisenhower defined as the “military-industrial complex.”
It is a powerful documentary; much better than anything Michael Moore ever made. It raises serious questions about the future of U.S. foreign policy. Anyone interested in U.S. international relations should see the film. “Why We Fight” will be released on DVD June 27.
The second event proved more compelling. It took place a little more than a week ago in Page Hall. The Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism of the John Glenn Institute helps mid-career journalists to develop a long term, in-depth public affairs project. That night, the Kiplinger Program was hosting a presentation by current fellow, Darrin Mortenson.
Mortenson traveled to Iraq on three different assignments and was embedded with U.S. Marines. He reported what he saw on the front lines back to his paper, the North County Times of San Diego, Calif. Darrin shared his stories from these far away places where our soldiers have found themselves fighting for their lives. His first-hand account of life in Iraq was intense and compelling. As he told of friends and comrades being killed in action, the war in Iraq became very real.
Other than his vivid descriptions of life in Iraq, Darrin said one other thing that jumped out at me. He was excited to be joining a university where ideas are debated freely with intelligence and civility. He expected an academic setting like Ohio State to foster discussion about Iraq. But since his arrival, he has been disappointed with the level of debate at OSU. Darrin has seen is almost no discussion about the war in Iraq on our campus.
I agree with his assessment. I cannot remember the last time I had a discussion with a fellow student about whether we invaded Iraq for the right reasons or if the U.S. still has a chance for success. Events like the one Darrin spoke at are hard to find, and there were only about 40 people in intendance.
So why isn’t there more debate on our campus?
First, having experience with many student groups, I know it is very difficult to organize people on a large campus. I believe, however, the real problem is that students simply are not interested. With the absence of any direct consequences and without the prospect of having to fight in the war, students could care less.
There are plenty of reasons, however, for students to be concerned with the war in Iraq. Thousands of Americans have died, not to mention tens of thousands of Iraqis. Our national debt has exploded through the roof. The billions being spent is sucking money out of education programs.
Most importantly, the current foreign policy decisions are shaping the world we will be taking over. The Iraq War could turn out to be one of America’s greatest accomplishments, or one of her greatest failures. Our generation will have to deal with these consequences, for better or worse. Shouldn’t we be involved with the discussion while the outcome is still being decided?
Dan Klempay is a senior in political science. He can be reached for comment at [email protected].
