StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Social Impacts of the War in Iraq - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The paper "Social Impacts of the War in Iraq" highlights that a decade after this war and the US is still paying for it in monetary, strategy, psychological and moral ways. This war not only affected the Iraqi people but also had a negative social impact on the soldiers themselves…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER98.9% of users find it useful
Social Impacts of the War in Iraq
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Social Impacts of the War in Iraq"

Social Impacts of the War in Iraq The invasion of Iraq was based on greed and the quest by the US to pursue global dominance through the control of the World’s largest oil reserve. This invasion only served to heighten the sense of dread among the civilians. In any war, there are economic impacts, political repercussions as well as changes in the social environment. It was characterized by direct devastation of the soldiers, their families and the society in whole (Bouvard, 2012). War is expensive and has a way of expanding the public debt through unexpected expenses and outcomes. This had the effect of wrecking havoc to the entire national budget by creating new economic demands for labor and goods. The psychological effects associated with war are far reaching and still felt today. War is generally depressing and brings with it devastating repercussions especially to the children of war. The politics of war has brought with it more division in the country along the lines of pro and anti war campaigns. This coupled with the already prevalent gap between the rich and the poor has expanded the social and economic inequalities in the society. The Bush Administration justified this war by claiming that there was evidence that Iraq had developed and were planning to use weapons of mass destruction. This claim was strengthened by the country’s history of aggression towards its neighbors such as the use of poison gas against Iran. The fact that the country had previously sponsored international terrorism caused the US government to intervene as a precautious measure. The government took it upon itself to enforce international law since the Iraqi dictatorship under Saddam Hussein had violated UN Security Council resolutions (DeFronzo 2010). The Iraqi war brought with it a lot of mixed reactions with civilians having different opinions on the need for this war. Anti war activists considered this war to be an ill conceived lunge for control of Iraqi oil by the US government. Advancement towards the long standing US policy of gaining control of the world’s oil reserves onto which the country’s power, industry and consumerism rely. This was a colonial war opposed by the rest of the world because of the previous experiences either as the conquerors or colonialists. This was seen as an imperialistic move aimed at securing the control of oil and by doing so, achieving global dominance. This war has impacted the economy in more ways than one. The military spending during the conflict created employment while the additional economic activity contributed to the development of new technologies. However, funding the war resulted in higher levels of government spending. This is because this war came at a time of weak economic conditions which led to recession. The government cutting tax at this time resulted in the financing the war using deficit. The government spent over sixty million dollars in reconstruction efforts but little was done to restore the infrastructure. Instead, most of this money went to Iraqi police and militia. In Iraq, there was a rise in unemployment because the oil companies had either been closed or bombed. Domestically, this war impacted the inequality in distribution of resources as the costs sink to the bottom whereas the benefits are for the elite. The workers and the lowest economic class carry the burden imposed by social costs while the upper class that included the proponents for this war reaped the benefits. The war climate brought with it discrimination especially against Muslims as well as the fear for the impending dangers associated with retaliatory actions of the Iraqi Muslim radicals. The fear of being associated with terror groups or “persons of interest” has a crippling effect on the relationship between individuals and the Law Enforcement Agencies. Further, this has caused societal modifications in terms of relationships between individuals and families. There has been a rise in vigilance and individuals view each other suspiciously. This has further caused individuals to be more reluctant about their rights to speech in public. People are further more immune to horrific depictions of the suffering brought about by the war. This further means that there is an increased tolerance of violence in entertainment and expression in the day to day activities. To counter these effects, people have become more reserved and increasingly immersed in their work and personal lives as a means to avoid discussions about the war. Additionally civilians’ lives have become increasingly characterized by anxieties and the feeling of helplessness regarding the unexpected and devastating events that they may be exposed to. The fear of boarding a plane only to be hijacked by terrorists or being held hostage while undertaking their daily activities bring about psychological terror. A decade after this war and US is still paying for it in monetary, strategy, psychological and moral ways. This war not only affected the Iraqi people but also had negative social impact on the soldiers themselves. According to Bouvard (2012), the soldiers were stretched to their limit, put on multiple tours without time to recover and the length of each tour increased as the war progressed. Over 4,000 soldiers died with about 31,000 injured. These suffered from physical disability, depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). War conditions create wounds in the memories of individuals and as such they are unable to live productive lives. The war is associated with higher incidents of mental and physical illness and suicidal tendencies. Families with war veterans suffer through the impact of war on these individuals. The cost of providing medical care to them doubled at this time not to mention the debilitating effects on the soldiers. According to a 2009 study, up to 35% of these soldiers suffered from PTSD while the suicide rate among them rose to 22 per day. The power vacuum left after the fall of Saddam Hussein coupled with the lack of US forces left room for other powers to fill the void. These included Al Qaeda who with Saddam as president had no influence in Iraq. This was an unnecessary war whose only agenda was furthering the interests of the proponents. The consequences of which will be felt for decades to come. Instead of providing global stability and trust, the US only succeeded in alienating its people and exposing them to risks associated with terrorism and retaliatory attacks. The costs of war extend beyond monetary and political issues to affect the mental and physical wellbeing of the soldiers not to mention the Iraqis. Funding losses due to the war is responsible for the diminished cultural and artistic activity as well as a decrease in diversity of what remains of these. For individuals who are activists and sympathetic to an anti war attitude, this war presents a new challenge of exposing the propaganda promoted by the American imperialists and hence laid the grounds for opposing this war. On the other hand, for an individual motivated by personal gain, this war presented new avenues for career advancement, business venture and capitalistic ventures. The question that policy makers should ask themselves is whether the country should accept the financial drain associated with war, further fueling its imperialistic agenda and risk opening the door for social revolution or avoid such campaigns and let these countries stabilize their existing structures. References Bouvard, M. G. (2012). The invisible wounds of war: Coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan. Amherst, N.Y: Prometheus Books. DeFronzo, J. (2010). The Iraq War: Origins and consequences. Bolder, CO: Westview Press. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Social Impacts of the War in Iraq Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2”, n.d.)
Social Impacts of the War in Iraq Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/social-science/1633894-persuasive-essay
(Social Impacts of the War in Iraq Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words - 2)
Social Impacts of the War in Iraq Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words - 2. https://studentshare.org/social-science/1633894-persuasive-essay.
“Social Impacts of the War in Iraq Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words - 2”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/social-science/1633894-persuasive-essay.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Social Impacts of the War in Iraq

Themes and the Concepts of War

The conditions of the war and the treatment of the soldiers further show that the Iraqi war is one which is not worth fighting and is only leading to misery and loss of life.... The theme of violence and how this takes over at every level is displayed through this dialogue and by showing that there is a sense of the war spreading because of attitudes, changing beliefs and the position of being involved in the war.... The theme displays the current controversies of the time and how these are creating complexities and problems with those that are associated with the war as well as those who are unaware of the individual, family and national problems with fighting in iraq....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

The Specter of Terrorism

Nevertheless the above survey revealed that US troops had killed civilians during the first two years of the war much more than the terrorist group al-Qaida ever did in Iraq (Steele and Goldenberg, 2008).... In a household survey carried out by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Iraqi health ministry in 2007, it was revealed that the cost of human lives which were lost during the war is much higher than the cost of terrorism operated in iraq.... The opportunity cost of fighting in iraq was substantially high for America as well....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Paul Bremer at the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq

Case Analysis: Paul Bremer at the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq Table of Contents Introduction 3 Overall Performance of Ambassador Bremer 4 Bremer's Leadership Style in Iraq 5 Main Options for Transferring Sovereignty 6 Conclusion 7 References 8 Introduction The engagement of the Americans in Iraq is viewed from different perspective, which comprises of flawed intelligence that formed the foundations of the war, the unsuccessful attempt to protect the international authorization, the quick triumph of the invasion, and the extensive counterinsurgency operation....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

War in Iraq - Why Are Troops Need to Be Over There

The following essay deals with the war running in iraq.... Notably, after the US interventions in iraq, there was a great shift in democratization processes.... hellip; The presence of the US Army in iraq helps the global community to maintain peace and prevent the Iraqi government from the development of the nuclear weapons and further militarization.... Still, the organization of authority on the basis of democracy in iraq is connected with difficulties: the necessity of the majority of citizens' participation, compulsion of decision-making, etc....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Women's Rights in Iraq

The essay 'Women's Rights in iraq' talks about the rights of women in the Middle East at the present stage, talks about the prerequisites for the current status of women in iraq, as well as special attention is paid to the plight of Muslim women for liberation.... By bringing together information that rests scattered in books, several newspapers, and key documents, one must attempt to structure the social and cultural development undertaken by the Jewish female groups in iraq (ibid)....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

In what respects has sovereignty been redefined in the post-Cold War era

The fierce cold war between United States and former Soviet Union created lot of tensions across the world during that period.... The fierce cold war between United States and former Soviet Union created lot of tensions across the world during that period.... In other words, during cold war era, countries which sought the protection from either of the superpowers lost their sovereignty and they forced to support all the actions of the superpower under which they aligned or polarized....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

The US-led Invasion and Occupation of Iraq in 2003

the war in iraq reported an enormous amount of casualties and deaths.... While vying for political, economic and military supremacy, the two giants waged proxy wars in countries of the developing South like Vietnam and Afghanistan, wherein they faced defeats but the after-effects of the war had to be faced by the developing countries themselves.... The total deaths for US and coalition in iraq war from March 2003 to November 2014 has been recorded as 4,806 with 32,244 soldiers being wounded....
6 Pages (1500 words) Assignment

The Greatest Things to Remember about Seeking Biblical Justice

The discussion provides a biblical analysis of what the Bible says about justice, truth, and reconciliation in iraq.... In addition, there has been increasing evidence regarding the biblical prophecy of Antichrist being fulfilled in iraq and nearby territories.... iraq is one of the most mentioned nations in the Bible, next to Israel.... ccording to the Bible prophecies, God would bring 'foreigners' from every side to rise against Babylon, which is probably modern iraq....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us