The war is over.
How are we going to rebuild Iraq?
What system are we going to implement?
How are we going to get control of the masses?
Talk about the rebirth of Iraq has swept through newspapers and television broadcasts, giving citizens the impression that the war has ended and the healing has begun.
Temple University junior Rayna Bruder, a marketing major, disagreed with this premature response.
“We don’t even know if Saddam and his head people are dead yet or not. Instead, we are going with a ‘We are going to win, so let’s start early’ attitude,'” she said.
However, other opinions differed. Sophomore Film and Media Arts major Sean Hargraves, took stock in the media headlines.
“I think that we’ve more or less won. I feel that there will be guerilla conflicts within the country for a few more months or years or so. We’ve taken the capital city and the standing army of Iraq has been reduced to less than half strength,” he said.
“With only a small force of soldiers and armor, plus air support, we could occupy the country to ensure its return to stability with little difficulty.”
This attitude of already winning, or at least facing an inevitable win, seems to be prevalent.
“I think that its a bit premature since we do not have total control, but I do feel that it is important to plan ahead and to be prepared for rebuilding,” said senior Bob George, a human resources management major.
“It’s important to start this rebuilding process in smaller increments instead of forcing something on the country all at once.”
As many may realize, the rebuilding of Iraq will come from the pockets of the taxpayers.
In any war, a country’s economy is going to suffer.
However, the end of the war does not mean the re-growth of the economy.
The United States will now take on the financial burden of establishing order and caring for Iraq.
Although she believes that the responsibility should be divided amongst the many supporters of the United States, Bruder comments: “Why not risk the financial blow in order to help another country, because if you were living in that situation wouldn’t you want the help? That is what our country is all about – the right to life, liberty and freedom.”
Others were not so quick to show their support.
“I think it seems kind of silly to spend millions of dollars to go in and destroy a city and then turn right around and spend millions more rebuilding that very same city. We have enough problems in our own country that that money could be put to better use somewhere closer to home,” American studies major junior Jennie Greytak said.
George said he felt that closure is essential in order to move on.
“The war itself without the rebuilding has been a major blow to our economy,” he said.
However, he too agreed that this must be done with the monetary aid of our international allies.
Hargraves had a different take on the issue.
“The American economy has more or less retarded the Iraqi economy. Our need for oil and not much else has more or less robbed the common working man,” he said.
“I’m not an economist but I’d say that what goes around comes around.”
Pooja Shah can be reached at pshah004@temple.edu.
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