Ensuring Rights and Freedom of Common People - Essay Example

American Military: Ensuring rights and freedom of Common people “It must give great Concern to any considerate Mind that when this whole Continent ata vast expence of Blood and Treasure is endeavoring to establish its Liberties, … there are Men among us so basely sordid as to Counteract all our Exertions for the Sake of a little Gain.” (George Washington; Brandes, 1997, 1) Starting from the American War of Independence till the recent times, the United States of America has encountered number of wars. No matter how much common people attempt to portray war in a glorified manner or project it as an act of immense bravery through popular folklore, it actually is nothing but a process that claims lives of numerous innocent, young people, who in the form of instruments of war sacrifice their lives and lose their near and dear ones. In case of the United States of America, as she has been dragged to war or war has been imposed over her, loss of lives and property and destruction of common people has happened in quite frequence. However, no matter how much the US military is criticized for its actions but the truth is that because of efficiency and competence of our troops the mass of the nation is able to its rights and freedom. Consequently, acceptance of the fact constitutes sufficient reason for each American citizen to support the military strength of the country. Since end of the Great War II, more specifically as the Vietnam War was over, political scientists, humanists and social scholars, not only of rest of the world but of our nation also, have made the US policy of military aggression responsible for such destruction that has already happened. Consecutively, they also have specified that it is the high time that United States should restrain itself from indulging herself in such process of destruction. In this context, former president George Washington’s reflection becomes very relevant. America, since the time of its inception as a nation, has been considered as a land of prosperity and opportunity. This factor was sufficient enough for contemporary superpowers like England to establish colony in America and dominate its people to earn huge amount of economic profit from the country. During the Great Wars I and II Germany and its friends were also attracted by the economic prosperity of the country and accordingly they tried to dominate over the United States of America. Regrettably, America’s war (also known as military aggression) continued as the international politics was taking a new shape. Direct warfare was no more there but terrorism and intention to dominate the United States and its people took such a shape that if immediate step would not have been taken, could have led the common people to a far worse condition. It is not that these facts are beyond knowledge of those people who criticize the US military and its actions but the process of supporting the ongoing trend of criticizing the policies adopted by the nation to solve the disputes at the international level continues. It is a process of desperately ignoring those aspects that could have put the freedom and liberty of the US citizens at stake. At the very dawn of emergence of America as an independent nation, it encountered the English oppression socially, politically and religiously. Apart from churning out benefits from the land, the English government also tried to dominate the United States in every aspect of life and one of the most important of such aspects was religion. Unlike the English people, “The Americans … were not only Protestants, but Protestants against Protestantism itself, and sided by those who in England are called Dissenters; for besides, as Protestants, not acknowledging any authority in the affair of religion, whose decision without other examination, is a rule of faith, claiming to be of themselves, by the light of natural reason alone, sufficient judges of religious dogmas, they had rejected the ecclesiastical hierarchy, and abolished even the names of its dignities ….” (Botta, Otis, Anderson, 1845, p.13) This very observation provides a clear impression about general mentality of the common Americans and how they have always fought against all sorts of oppressions both in religious and social context. Fight of the American people, rather its army, was not against the colonial tyranny but also against religious oppression. The common American people have always provided highest importance to their individual liberty and always fought to protect it. Modern American troop is actually reflecting the same spirit that would protect not only lives of the common people but also their individual freedom and basic human rights. Being the country of ample opportunity and hope the other nations have tried to take away the right and freedom of the American people and since its very inception, the army of the nation has drowned all such attempts into futility. Prior to the Great War I period German aggression to gain greater monetary benefit was spreading at such a drastic rate that it shook the European society with fear. May be, compared to Britain and France the threat was not so impending over the United States of America but at the same time there is no denial of the fact that if America would not have participated in the Great War I, then it very shortly German focus would also have centered over economic prosperity that the nation was experiencing. Defeat of Germany in the First World War and its deprivation by the Versailles Treaty (1920) made it more revengeful. Simultaneously, emergence of Hitler as the national hero strongly supported the fact that even after avenging Britain and France only, Germany will not stop but its imperialist aggression would also breach the borders of the United States. Germany’s attack over Pearl Harbor through one of her allies, Japan, is strongly supportive of the fact that Hitler feared the military strength of the United States. Therefore, he tried his level best to stop the United States army from helping either Britain or France. Finally, he would also have dominates the United States if the later did not have a strong military base. If Germany had been successful in her purpose, it would have been a great threat to all the other nations across the world. Participation of United States in the Great War II really made the difference. It not only saved rest of the Europe from being dominated at the hands of a tyrant but also secured freedom as well as basic rights of the common people of the nation. Additionally, due to efficiency of the American troop, not only rights of common people of the nation were saved but people of the other nations were also secured. Looking at the situation from this perspective it can be said that the United States troop not only secured the future of their country people but it also saved people of the other nations from being exploited. It was not only a single occasion that the US military along with saving its own people protected the basic rights and freedom of people in the global context. John R. Wallach in his essay “Human Rights as an Ethics of Power” has clearly observed, “The language of human rights is now a tool of states and individuals; it has roots international covenants; it is used (along with “democracy”) as the moral currency of global politics. Further, a system of international criminal law has been established to try military commanders and heads of state for genocide, torture and other “crimes against humanity” and to imprison those found guilty. This system is weak and selective, but only the United States has seriously questioned its integrity and its authority is expected to grow.” (Wallach; Wilson, 2005, p.119) Such observation clearly justifies the fact that the United States has always provided highest priority to protection of basic rights and freedom of the common people not only in the national context but also in the broader political-social scenario. In this area, the nation has never discriminated between her people and citizens of the other nations. Thus, wherever abuse of these basic humane aspects has occurred, the United States has interfered and tried to solve the situation, initially through honest attempt to solve the problem through discussion and then with the application of military power. The common people as well as sociologists and psychologists have often compared America’s application of military power across the world just as an attempt to enhance its hold over the nations that are subordinate to her in terms of money and military power. The scholars have also conveyed United States’ engagement in acts of war, even in the post Great War II situation as an attempt to enhance its economic imperialism. Professor Muller has come up with a novel study in this aspect and in this study he has attempted to show the “…relation between the number of casualties the United States had to suffer during a conflict and the public’s opinion of the war. He concluded that although three wars (Korea, Vietnam and Gulf War) were developing very differently one similarity was that in all cases the public support for war declined over time.” (Schmid, 2007, 7) Looking at the situation from general people’s perspective it can be understood why they have reacted against their own nation and her policies. The main reason is that involvement of the United States in the act of war has always been presented to the mass psyche in a wrong manner. People have only looked at the whole issue from the perspective of their personal loss but it has never been conveyed to them if the governance does not come up with such step it will not be possible for the State to provide protection to its own people. It is a matter of common understanding that unless an individual is able to protect his/her own household how will it be possible to save the neighbors? Thus, no matter how much the American troops are criticized due to their actions but judging their contribution in the context of protecting rights and freedom of the common people, they definitely deserve wider range of support from the common people of the nation. The massacre of 9/11 and attack over Pentagon, though many has identified these incidents as results of the failure of the administration, but those must be eye openers for the common people of the nation that if we always try to save our skin from the heat of warfare, ultimately we will not be able to escape it. Whether we want it or not but the war is upon us. Terrorism has become such a powerful social evil that there is no escape from it and the only way to protect ourselves is to fight against it. During its war against terrorism and sending American troops to Afghanistan, which under the Talibani reign, has become one of major hubs for terrorists, former President George W. Bush has observed, “that the al-Qaeda network was trying to export “terror throughout the world” not just the United States. “Theyre seeking chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. Given the means, our enemies would be a threat to every nation and eventually, to civilisation itself,”…” (Escalation, 7th Nov, 2001) Though the former President has specified the evil effects of terrorism in his speech but it does not need any further specification for the common people to understand what kind of impending danger is hanging over the nation as well as over the complete human civilization. It is the high time that we must accept the fact that not a single life is secured at any corner of the globe, “Al-Qaeda pushed the world to the right, as terrorists invariably do. From Zimbabwe and Pakistan to Uzbekistan and Chechnya, the terrorist threat has been used to legitimize repression and free-fire zones.” (Cohen, 28th Jan, 2002) Under such a horrid situation and backdrop of terror, the American troop is trying level best so that lives and liberty of common people can be secured. War against terrorism is always uncertain and it will surely take a long period of time to reduce the ongoing trend of manslaughter but there is no assurance that finally there will be an end to the whole thing. This may be one of the reasons why the American people are taking hostile approach against the war. They are not quite sure whether even after making such a great deal of sacrifice, it will at all be possible for them to get rid of such evil, “History teaches that Americans are prepared to accept and inflict massive casualties in pursuit of victory (witness the campaign against Japan in the second world war). But as both the Vietnam quagmire and the first Gulf war suggest, they are much more nervous about backing a government perceived to be pursuing half-hearted aims.” (Still all signed up, 29th March, 2003) However, compared to the common public opinion if we ponder over the situation of the troops, we will understand that they also know the aspect of uncertainty as they are looking at the whole situation from a closer perspective. Yet they never have sacrificed their hopes and aspiration only with the sole desire that someday it will be possible for them to offer a better future to their nation, to the fellow citizens of their country and those of the neighbors. With this hope they are fighting against the enemy. As we understand their situation, it must not be tough for us to respect their decision, courage and finally support them with our full heart so that they feel encouraged with the thought that their sacrifice is really creating difference. Again from the above discussions it is evident that the supremacy, freedom and rights enjoyed by the nation at present is only a result of continual warfare for the human cause on behalf of her as well as other nations. References 1. Anderson, A., Otis, G.A., Botta, C., (1845), History of the war of the independence of the United States of America, Volume 1, New York: The New York Public Library 2. Brandes, S.D., (1997), Warhogs: a history of war profits in America, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky 3. Cohen, N., (28th Jan, 2008), “Time to bite back? Other countries got something in return for backing Bush. The UK just carries on as Americas poodle.(support in War on Terrorism).” New Statesman (1996) 131.4572, p9(2), available at: http://swtuopproxy.museglobal.com/MuseSessionID=9409a1d69c7c6e447493763665d9b56/MuseHost=find.galegroup.com/MusePath/itx/retrieve.do?contentSet=IAC-Documents&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&qrySerId=Locale%28en%2C%2C%29%3AFQE%3D%28ke%2CNone%2C22%29America+in+War+support%3AAnd%3ALQE%3D%28AC%2CNone%2C8%29fulltext%24&sgHitCountType=None&inPS=true&sort=DateDescend&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&tabID=T003&prodId=ITOF&searchId=R2¤tPosition=8&userGroupName=uphoenix&docId=A82896099&docType=IAC, accessed on: 31st Aug, 2009 4. “Escalation”, (7th Nov, 2001), Source: Economist.com, available at: http://swtuopproxy.museglobal.com/MuseSessionID=474818c8e2aef5799ef6c8f5c5a2aa/MuseHost=www.economist.com/MusePath/agenda/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E1_RVNTRS, accessed on: 31st Aug, 2009 5. Schmid, M., (2007), The Just Cause: How the American Public Supports War, Munich: GRIN Verlag 6. “Still all signed up; American public opinion.(America stays solid)(public support for the war in Iraq).” (29th March, 2003), The Economist (US) 366.8317, available at: http://swtuopproxy.museglobal.com/MuseSessionID=e5fe46da742b5d4f52e892e73e1dab6/MuseHost=find.galegroup.com/MusePath/itx/retrieve.do?contentSet=IAC-Documents&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&qrySerId=Locale%28en%2C%2C%29%3AFQE%3D%28ke%2CNone%2C22%29America+in+War+support%3AAnd%3ALQE%3D%28AC%2CNone%2C8%29fulltext%24&sgHitCountType=None&inPS=true&sort=DateDescend&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&tabID=T003&prodId=ITOF&searchId=R2¤tPosition=4&userGroupName=uphoenix&docId=A99376074&docType=IAC, accessed on: 31st Aug, 2009 7. Wilson, R., (2005), Human rights in the War on Terror, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Read More