4A the university daily kansan
opinion
monday, february 9, 2004
FACE OFF
No Iraqi weapons found; was war justified?
War losses too great
The United States should not go to war unless the call to arms is completely justified.
The 1970s military debacle of the Vietnam War showed the country that we shouldn't risk American lives unless there is an imminent threat to our country or to the world.
Before bringing the United States into the Iraq conflict, President Bush tried to convince the country that such a threat existed. He told the country how Saddam Hussein had stockpiled weapons of mass destruction and stressed the importance of a preemptive strike.
The strategy worked. The plan to go to Iraq had bipartisan support.
Nearing the end of the conflict, it was clear that these weapons never existed. In recent months, leaders such as Secretary of State Colin Powell have been forced to concede that no such weapons are likely to be found in Iraq, while Bush dodges any questions about weapons of mass destruction.
instead, the party line has shifted to the politically savvy stance of, "the world is a better place without Saddam Hussein
leading Iraq."
It's impossible to dispute this. But it's a distraction from the real issue: was the war justified?
Of course it's great for the world to get rid of an insane dictator. But it's not worth risking American lives unless a threat to the safety of our country exists.
The "world is a better place" argument doesn't provide much solace for the families of the nearly 300 American soldiers who died in Iraq, the lives cut short for a cause that is more political than moral.
Hussein was a tyrannical dictator, but such dictators are not unique to Iraq. Just ask North Korea's Kim Jong II, or the authoritarian leaders of many African countries.
War is the most dangerous of human action, capable of ripping the world apart at the seams. Every time we take arms against another country under false pretenses, we come one step closer to permanently destroying the tenuous peace that exists in the world today.
Zack Hemenway for the editorial board.
Face Off is a project of the Kansan editorial
Face On is a project of the Kansan editorial board. When the board cannot come to a consensus on a controversial topic, two editorial board members argue opposing sides of the hot-button issue. The topics are ones that affect students at the University of Kansas and a larger community.
This section is designed to help students understand opposing sides of an issue and make informed decisions.
Readers who have a suggestion for a topic that could be used in Face Off or wish to join the editorial board, please call Meghan Brune or Johanna M. Maska, opinion editors, at 864-4924 or email suggestions to opinion@kansan.com.
The Kansan, as always, welcomes letters to the editors and guest columns submitted by students, faculty and alumni.
Letters should be no longer than 300 words and columns should be about 650 words.
The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length, or reject all submissions.
Iraq always a threat
Democrats were downright giddy over the news that the United States may never find the weapons of mass destruction believed to be in Iraq.
The anti-war crowd is rejoicing the misguided assertion that President Bush used poor intelligence to substantiate the case for war.
It was President Clinton in 1998 who made the case to take action against Hussein. "If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear," he said. "We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program."
Conveniently they forget their own comments on how dangerous Iraq was with Saddam Hussein in power. They knew what Bush knew.
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) the front runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, voiced his concerns back in January 2003. "And now he [Bush] is miscalculating America's response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction," Kerry said. "So the
threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real?"
And how soon they forget that the war in Iraq was not only justified, but crucial to securing America, Iraq and the world at large, despite the lack of weapons of mass destruction.
Iraqis are experiencing more freedom now than they ever dreamed before. They were an oppressed people, routinely and brutally murdered by the hundreds of thousands. There will be no more mass graves; just more opportunities to live in a democratized society.
We know now that Iraq has been a safe haven for Al Qaeda operatives, and they're still being captured there.
Progress will continue to be made in Iraq despite the haranguing from the left that Bush has lied. There's no mistaking the fact that Bush did right by stopping the real threat of Hussein before it strengthened any further.
Alex Hoffman for the editorial board.
PERSPECTIVE
Show highlights looks not talent
Notice to all female students at the University of Kansas:
Because of noticeable trends in the marketability of potential employees, the hierarchy of classes has now changed. For a woman to effectively enter the job market, women should now enroll in several Health, Sport and Exercise Science classes.
It has become increasingly apparent that women not only need to have intelligence and ability to succeed in the job marketplace, but they also need to have short skirts, low shoes and high heels.
COMMENTARY
The view of women in the workplace has changed since the airing of The Apprentice. Donald Trump's newest endeavor is a televised job interview. The show has been set up, for the first four episodes, as men versus women, and the losing team loses a team member. So far the ladies team has won all four contests. They sold lemonade, made an advertising campaign, dealt with retailers and managed Times Square's Planet Hollywood for a night.
The body within the receding hem lines also needs to fit specific standards. Therefore class is secondary to the priorities of working out, primping and tanning.
Erin Riffey
opinion@kansan.com
They sold lemonade for $5 a glass by flirting with men on the streets of New York City. They used jets as phallic symbols for magazine ads. They charmed business owners to give them deals on goods and services from golf clubs to leg waxes. Finally, they dressed up in tight shirts and low-rise jeans and paraded around the restaurant as Shooter Girls.
After the last victory, Trump confronted them during their golf-resort reward. He told them to tone down the use of sexuality to win. While he may say that they are concentrated too much on sexuality, his actions do not back up his words.
Not only are the girls usually scantily clad, but apparently the show could not find any successful businesswomen who wear over a size three. While they found people who have succeeded with only a GED or a high school diploma, they do not have any women who are pleasantly plump or a little pudgy. Having an overweight woman on a reality show would be too risky.
We wonder why anorexia and bulimia are such prevalent problems today. But girls are being spoon-fed that to be an actress you must be skinny. Now even reality shows are following the TV weight scale. Girls and women who watch this show are given the message that they have to look like the "real people" on television to be successful. This message has to stop.
The show concentrates on their sexual
But on the guy's side, the men range from overweight, short, ugly and balding. Then they threw in a few cute ones.
ity, not only during the competitions, but also in their lofts. Apparently none of the women own any casual clothes that can cover their mid-drift, rear end or chest.
Free for All
Riffley is a Pratt senior in journalism
Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. Kansan editors reserve the right to omit comments. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed. Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded.
Call 864-0500
For more comments, go to www.kansan.com
This kid in my dorm is completely crazy yet he wants to be a psychiatrist. Does the word Hammond Nailer Ring or bell?
Why is it when it snows outside Kansas
drivers drive like they talk? Slow and stupid.
S seriously people, I know that there is a lot of snow. But umbrellas? Come on people.
you can take a girl out of Topeka, but you can never take the Topeka out of the girl.
to the jerk who ruined the snowmen:
What did they ever do to you?
vny are their so many articles in the UDK about Jewish students? Why not mix it up and give other religions an article every once in a while?
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Martha Stewart just said the word prostitute. Does anyone else find that funny? That just made my entire day.
KANSAN
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I just went snowboarding for the first time and I rock at it.
I mean honestly who calls the *Free For* A/R/O.K. I do.
Michelle Rombeck editor
864-4854 or mburthenn@kansan.com
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I just want to say thanks to whoever dropped their Chapstick in front of Wescoe the other day. My lips were really dry.
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Andrew Vaupel
managing editor
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Kendall Dix **Amanda Flotta** Lynzee Ford
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