It's funny how history repeats itself. We talk about our past constantly, whether it be in our lovely Western Civilization class or yesterday's gossip.
We all know the basic history of past wars, but it is interesting to look at how they are similar to the war in Iraq.
Look at the propaganda used now. "Support our troops," "Real patriots drive hybrids," "Go solar, not ballistic," are just a few.
Compare them to some from the 1940s, for instance, "Buy Victory Bonds and bring them home faster," "Return when empty and you'll help win the war," in reference to glass milk bottles.
Because we are going through the same type of crisis, they have the same underlying message. Citizens can show patriotism by supporting the troops and conserving energy.
The economy is heading toward a recession, and it's partly because of the war. The government wants everything they are doing to be swept under the rug, and the citizens have no choice but to follow orders and continue to fight this war.
We have no choice but to give up our brothers and friends because our government says that we must stay in Iraq.
We are disconnected from our nation's history, like it is just an old story we hear from our grandparents. But it's real, it's recent, and it relates to everything that is happening now.
If we were to compare the situation in Iraq to the Vietnam War, the choices that the U.S. government made were similar. For one, the government coaxed the nation into participating in both wars. The government told the people that it was the right thing for our country to do.
Furthermore, after fighting a losing war, the government continues to stay involved. In Vietnam, everyone knew that we were losing, but the government would not pull out, to avoid losing in general. The same holds true now.
New York Times columnist, Thomas Friedman, said in one of his columns, "There are only two reasons now for the U.S. to remain in Iraq: because it thinks that staying will make things better or that leaving will make things drastically worse. Alas, it is increasingly hard to see how our presence is making things better."
The government keeps the nation in the war, long after defeat is obvious and no good is being done.
Our economy is failing. Myth has it that war helps the economy, but not in this case. If we aren't in Iraq to get oil, and gas prices are still rocketing, then being involved in this war obviously isn't benefiting our national budget.
According to PollingReport.com, approximately 70 percent of Americans are unsatisfied with the way things were and are being handled concerning the war. The majority of citizens are not happy, yet we are still over there. It's scary how even though most Americans disapprove, our government can do whatever it pleases.
We all dread that Western Civilization class but it helps us understand the atmosphere and the environments of these times of war and economic hardships. It helps us see for ourselves the similarities between the stories of the past and our present situation.
We can, and should, learn from past mistakes, rather than repeat them, and make a different, and better, world for our generation and the next. t&c;
JESSICA MILLER IS A FRESHMAN ORG. COMM. AND PUBLIC RELATIONS MAJOR AND STAFF WRITER FOR THE t&c.;
