In Class - Watch video clip of John Oliver's views of the World Cup, interviews. Discuss relationship to yesterday's homework (article concerning competitive soccer sales market: Adidas and Nike). Turn in homework. If you have this work on the same page with notes regarding Afghanistan, then hang onto it and turn it with the rest of your work at the end of the day. Discuss QOD; video clip on unemployment benefits (John Stewart). I am still working on the grades for these but should have these done soon. Watch video: "The War Briefing," October 28, 2008. Take some notes (or don't, but I highly recommend it), jot down some questions, or write down any interesting new pieces of information or arguments. Continue group work: discuss each of your five arguments and write down your top three arguments representing each side of the issue. Begin preparing for the afternoon class discussion on Afghanistan. Go over your arguments and prepare. Class discussion - in order to receive your points, you must participate. Points are received from both quantity and quality of your oral statements throughout the discussion. Turn in all of your work from the week: Written response: What is economics?; How does the study of economics relate to you?; Article written work: "Forget the Grandkids, Why US Debt Matters to You." Homework from yesterday: summarize each article (one paragraph of 6-8 sentences), four (4) article analysis - three things you learned, three things you found interesting, and three questions you still have. Finally, turn in your written reaction to the class discussion.
Links of websites shown in class:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/warbriefing/view/?utm_campaign=viewpage&utm_medium=grid&utm_source=grid Video: The War Briefing
http://www.nato.int/isaf/docu/epub/pdf/placemat.pdf - NATO, troop numbers
http://www.uslaboragainstwar.org/section.php?id=106 - US Labor Against the War
Question of the Day (due by Monday, July 12, 11:59 pm) - Per our conversation at the end of class today, I want you to have a conversation with someone (parent, sibling, relative, friend, or peer). After you have your conversation, write a reaction to your conversation. For instance, what arguments were presented? Who presented them? Were their thoughts and arguments well defended and presented? What was your overall impression of the conversation? Any surprises? You don't necessarily have to respond to these questions, but they are just to get you started. Organize your thoughts and post a minimum of two solid paragraphs.
Homework - Start preparing for our next topic: Arizona SB 1070. Check out the articles/videos listed below. We will only spend a maximum of two days on this topic with our discussion scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. QOD #2 due on Monday, July 12.
Have a good weekend!!!
Articles/Videos to check out:
Stephen Colbert -
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/308060/april-26-2010/the-word---docu-drama
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/281867/april-21-2010/the-word---no-problemo
Arizona SB 1070 - You will have to copy and paste these links to your Internet browser.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/04/24/arizona.immigration.reaction/index.html?hpt=T2 - check out all the videos from this page - "Reaction to Arizona immigration law"; " Arizona immigration fight not over"; "Will Arizona's new law hold up?"http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/04/23/obama.immigration/index.htmlhttp://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/04/22/jones.arizona.immigration/index.html -scroll down and check out all the videos from this page - "Lawmaker defends immigration bill"; "Arizona's immigration bill uproar"; "Arizona's illegal immigration crackdown"http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/04/21/arizona.immigration.bill/index.html - scroll down and check out all the videos from this page - "Bill makes illegal status a crime"; "Arizona immigration law sparks debate"
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/06/21/fremont.immigration.ballot/index.html - Nebraska facing immigration issues?
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/06/21/dnt.va.county.immigration.push.WUSA?iref=allsearch - Virginia Senator wants immigration reform
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2010/06/21/am.feds.suing.arizona.cnn?iref=allsearch - Feds to sue Arizona over immigration law
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/06/17/arizona.immigration.law/index.html?iref=allsearch - article, Government prepared to challenge immigration law
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/07/06/arizona.immigration.law.sponsor/index.html?hpt=Sbin - Arizona immigration law sponsor blasts feds over 'political' lawsuit
http://www.cnn.com/search/?query=Arizona&primaryType=mixed&sortBy=date&intl=false - Barbara Boxer Talks Immigration
http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/07/08/navarrette.obama.promise/index.html?iref=allsearch - Did Obama break promise to Latinos?
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2010/07/07/tsr.blitzer.villaraigosa.intv.cnn?iref=allsearch - Los Angeles Mayor Talking Immigration
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/07/07/immigration.faq/index.html?iref=allsearch - Five questions about federal challenge to Arizona immigration law
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/07/05/ricks.az.immigration.law.video.cnn?iref=allsearch - Immigration Training Video Released *Check this out!!!
48 comments:
Conversation about war in Afghanistan- The person I chose to discuss the war in Afghanistan with was my dad. He believed the war to be unnecessary and that it was the main cause of our country’s debt. Also, in his view, the U.S should not have the sole responsibility of carrying out such task (ending terrorism- the Al Qaeda). My dad believes that there is a greater reason we are there and have been there fighting the war for 9 years, he thinks we are in search for precious metals (such as the ones found that were worth $3 trillion). I agreed with my father to a certain extent, yes it was a major cause of our county’s economic crisis, but I don’t believe it was completely unnecessary. The purpose of our country being in Afghanistan is to protect both our country and theirs.
My overall impression of the conversation with my father was that we shared many similar views. Obviously we both believe that we should end the war. Although perhaps we would be considered a “weak” nation, I believe it would be worth giving up so we may concentrate on the progress of our country. As the conversation unrolled, I began to rethink my initial perceptions. My dad’s views seemed to have in a way, altered mine. I believe the discussion helped me to further understand how this war affects the people. We spoke about the many different military families who have to live through every day not knowing if their loved ones are surviving in Afghanistan or not. We also spoke about the people in Afghanistan who have been terrorized by the Al Qaeda and the Taliban, so we concluded that it was a major disadvantage to both countries to be fighting this war.
Question of the Day (due by Monday, July 12, 11:59 pm) - Per our conversation at the end of class today, I want you to have a conversation with someone. After you have your conversation, write a reaction to your conversation.
Today, while on a ride to the buffet (:D), I asked my parents about their opinions on the Afghan War. My mother thought that the war was going the wrong way, but can still be won if brought back on track. What surprised me was that she was optimistic about the war. She believed that the COIN tactic was working. She is sure that al-Qaeda is on the run, and that the Taliban is no longer a threat.
My father, though, believes that the Afghan War is a lost cause. More than that, he believes is is going that it is traveling down the same route as the Vietnam War. He thinks that the U.S. has been there too long to neutralize the Taliban and al-Qaeda. He believes that the COIN tactic will not work, because "the civilians are taught early that the U.S. are the enemies". He also said that the original objective of the U.S., which was to catch Osama bin Laden, was not completed, after nine years there.
Both of my parents agreed, however, that the war was a major reason that the U.S.' economy deteriorated. They also agreed that the troops should be brought back if nothing major happens in favor of the U.S. within now and the deadline (July 2011).
- Luis F. Tapia
Per our conversation at the end of class today, I want you to have a conversation with someone (parent, sibling, relative, friend, or peer). After you have your conversation, write a reaction to your conversation.
One might assume that most in the United States have a good knowledge around the war in Afghanistan; however I found a couple people that had similar views of mine (before the seminar). I decided to talk to my parents, to get an opinion from those who might remember than my generation. However I did also talk to two of my other friends, to compare the thoughts. With each group, I found that they knew little of what was going on, why it was caused, and the progress that we’ve made over these nine years. The first discussion was with my parents, whom I informed about what I learned in the class. They had known about the oil that they held but had not known about the other minerals that made Afghanistan so valuable. Understanding that their government is corrupt, they both agreed that we have been in this war far too long, and there has been sufficient time given to try and help Afghanistan.
My dad did bring up the interesting idea that we could send troops from Afghanistan and train them here in the US, but that would bring up problems. Some of these would include the different environment, and the costly measures that would need to be taken for transportation. They had also agreed that the worry of being attacked is not as great as the lives lost from the war so it would be better to leave. So instead of trying to keep them happy, we could strengthen our defense, from Afghanistan and other countries. Because my mom was unaware of the minerals her view has slightly changed on whether or not we should stay in the war. Now she does want to get out because of the lives, however she does not want China to come in and become more powerful than they already are. As for my dad he thinks that we could help by being there, but it is at too much risk to stay with the money spent and the lives lost, with slow progress.
My friends knew somewhat more about the war because of the history classes. They believe that good is being done and if you compare the mortality numbers to previous wars, there have been far worse ones. Yes it has taken a long time to get where we are, but they believed everything we’ve done would be a waste if we leave. They also say that the troops are doing well for the country. And since this is a fight against terrorism, it can be expected to last longer than others, because the US would need the first years to get the government in order and the remaining to fight step by step to prevent terrorism as much as possible. They think that the supplies and alliance with them after helping is worth the war.
I found that these conversations were interesting, especially to find two groups of ages and of different opinions. I informed them of all that I knew, and had some changing opinions. I was also interested to find that my parents had similar views, which could be because of the household. Yet those that did not live with me saw it at a more political level than economically or socially. All in all, we will have to wait to see what may come of the war. I look forward to discussing the immigration topic!
-Reyna Lanzas
Per our conversation at the end of class today, I want you to have a conversation with someone (parent, sibling, relative, friend, or peer). After you have your conversation, write a reaction to your conversation.
The war in Afghanistan is filled with controversy that has been criticized for years. As a class, we debated whether we should stay in the war or pull out. In my opinion, I believe that we need to pull out to avoid further losses and damages. After a conversation with my older brother, I realized that we have similar ideas on the war in Afghanistan. But I also realized that I knew more about the war due to our class discussions. I had to correct him on some subjects but it seemed like he had the gist of it. Overall, we had a decent conversation about the war and we agreed on many parts of it.
To begin our conversation, I asked him about what I had to do for class (Question of the Day). I asked about his stance on the war and what he knew about it. He knew it started due to September 11 and how the US sought to find Osama Bin Laden. He then explained how the recent find in the $1 trillion may greatly influence the US stay in Afghanistan. His stance remained that the US military should pull out. But he made the mistake, similar to me, in mentioning that the US is in Afghanistan for oil. I corrected his bold statement by explaining that he was probably talking about Iraq. After some small talk, I figured that he had similar thoughts on the war. His stance on Afghanistan is mainly based on what he sees in the media, just like the majority of Americans. Hopefully after our discussions, he will be more informed about the war, just as I was after my studies in class.
-Kenny Tran 7/11/2010
In the conversation about Afghanistan that I had with my mom and my friends father most people's views about Afghanistan is based on that the underlining reason that we are there not because the War on Terror or to protect but because of a reason of needing receive oil. I present the arguement on whether staying to stay or to pull out. I got the answer to continue in the war because by continuing it would show that the United States is able to compete with everyone else. Not making us look as if we are weak, when we are suppose to be a police power. I then argued that our own nation has our own set of issues that we need to worry about with our own nation rather then worrying about others. That then was seen as for us to be over in Afghanistan to help contribute to our economy.
As the discussion went on I realized that not much is truly known about Afghanistan and why the war over there is really fought. Other then the War on Terror, Policing there nation, or because of oil, people have come up with many reason to why we are actually over there. With not much information people tend to feed off the media and what they say, to have us believe that the troop that we have fighting over is a bad idea. The more the media twist and turns the more people will go with what they say. As the discussion I felt that it was a okay discussion, but not much was being brought up about what we should be doing in the situation. But initially we can't really say what we should do because we don't really know all of the story. All we know is what they allow use to know which is just about the death's what the president promised and how it will effect our economy.
(jennifer Reyes)
In the discussion regarding the Afghanistan war, my brother agreed with me that its necessary for the war to end. He stated that the war should end since it creates enemies for the nation and puts the life of Americans in danger. He believes that the war is a good yet bad thing to the country since it helps our nation be safe but as well hurts it. I argued that the war was just a money waist for our country, considering the economic crisis we are in. I as well stated that the war had no longer a reason to go on, as said in class we started the war fighting terrorism but slowly drifted from the main objective. We both believed that the amount of money spend on the war and on Afghanistan could be put to use in other places in our own country. For examples schools, instead of spending billions on war our nation should consider the effect that cutting school budgets have on students.
Although through out the conversation my brother stood in the same position as me, I was shocked to find out how little he knew in reality. He had one or two different opinions about certain things regarding the war, yet his arguments defending those opinions were weak. For instance, I stated that the war was helping a country lost politically and we had no reason to be there any longer and he argued that the Afghanistan government should order the capture of the so called “enemy” we were after, this showed me that he didn’t really know much about the reality regarding the governments power over in Afghanistan. This conversation gave me an opportunity to explore others opinions on the war and shockingly it also revealed how unpopular it has become over time.
After you have your conversation, write a reaction to your conversation. For instance, what arguments were presented? Who presented them? Were their thoughts and arguments well defended and presented? What was your overall impression of the conversation? Any surprises?
In every controversial topic, there would always be two sides of the story and two sides of feelings. One of the biggest issues in America today is the war in Afghanistan and there are millions of people who believe that we should stay in and fight it out and also millions of people say that we should get out. In the seminar, my eyes were opened to all the ideas on why we should and should not stay in Afghanistan, but I wanted to see what other people thought on this issue. So I had two different discussions with two people who had very different ideas on the war. I had one conversation with my dad and another one with one of my friends. Both had very different ideas that were very surprising to me and some was disappointed.
The first conversation I had was with my friend and his thoughts on the war were very eye opening to me because he said that we should stay in the war. He said that we should stay in the war because it seems that we are losing but to him we are actually winning the war and actually making a lot of progress. To him, the death ratio in Afghanistan is not that high and that we would just be wasting our time getting out with all of the progress we made. I agree with him on all of this, but I still think that we should get out. Like my ideas, my dad thought the same way. But when I talked about what would happen if the Taliban would take over, he started to get to extreme to what I would have done. What I said is that the Taliban would take over when we get out and he said that it would be fine and that it would not be our problem. After he said that, he said that if they would try to threaten us then we would threaten with a nuke, and if they were to continue we would actually do it. When I heard that, I was very surprised to what he had just said. After he said that, he said he wouldn’t care what the world would have thought which also blew me away. We have the same idea to what we should do for the war, but my dad takes it too extreme.
-Jeremy Gonzalez
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Afghan discussion
I had a couple discussions on the war in Afghanistan over the weekend. I was suprised on how much some people knew about the war and then again I was was suprised about how really dumb founded my friends actually are on the subject. I accidently started a conversation with one of my neighbors I never really talked to before.after he started talking and he diddnt stop antime soon after. i think i fell asleep a couple times during the conversation. It was like sitting through Mr. Ecklehoefers class. He was talking about how afghanistan's relys on the export on poppy to survive and the war isnt going to end any time soon because everything in Afghanistan is so corrupt. He was also talking about how we dont here that much about the war and lots of important things thay may affect our lives are rejected from the news. I was suprised he was so interested in politics and the war.
I also had a conversation with some of my friends when we were partying too. A few of my friends think we should pull out of the war because they said it's a war for nothing. They think we are throwing our money down the drain. One of my other friends thought the war is over oil.I told him that was the war in Iraq. Im suprised some people dont really know anything abouy it. I was telling them about how we are teaching the people there to defend theirselves and they thought it was a good idea. Another friend Said there's no hope and we should Nuke them all. But that guys opinion diddnt count because he was wasted. Then they started up on conspiracy theories and the coversation went another way.
Conversation about Afghanistan war
Everyone has a different view and opinion about the war in Afghanistan, and iv asked my friends and relatives what they thought about it. My cousin had said she’s against it of not only being pointless, leaving us deeper in debt, the loss of people, and un winnable. But she thought we are being to forceful, by trying to force democracy on them. She didn’t know much about the war, but what she did know was that we are in economic debt. Having most of the money going to weapons, and such things used for the war. Instead of using the money to help the afghan people, we need to use it on our economy and put it into helpful use. Which leaves us with large unemployment rates, and difficulties on finding or keeping a job. Iv asked her how this interferes with her personal life. She had said in her own experience she had been fired from three jobs and had been recently laid off. She stated that, “we should instead focus on our own domestic problems, then help others in need.”
My other friend had other similar arguments yet both against the war. He thought of it that we had no business being there in the first place. He said, “ we should focus on helping the afghan people fight and defend themselves, rather then to have us fight the war for them”. Instead were losing our people and innocent lives from Afghanistan as well. It isn’t worth fighting for since it’s a waste of our resources and lives, and doesn’t defend America of immediate threats. As for example, still having terrorist threats in our country. He then mentioned, that we should help them because of the human rights problems such as the oppression of woman that the Taliban promotes. We should help them organize and fight the resistance themselves. He suggests that we should pull out as soon as we train the afghan people to handle their problems, and go on dealing with our own. I then asked him what about defending us from terrorists attacks. He told me that we have good domestic terrorist security, and that we wont need to be having our men killed for something we have control over. Overall, I go for there opinions and I also am against the war. I didn’t find much surprises about what I had heard though I did learn more.
- andrea llamas
Conversation about Afghanistan: I chose to have my conversation with my mom because i know she’s the one who is always informing me of things going around in the world. It was really surprising to me how little my mom knew about this war for she was very vague with her answers to most of my questions. For example i asked her to start things off” what do you know about the war in Afghanistan?" she looked at me oddly and shaked her head and told me "I really don't know much about it and i really don't like getting involved with things that don't matter to America immediately." I could have tried to make a point and argue with her on why this war does concern our home immediately I decided to continue to ask her some more questions and try that later once I got an understanding where she stands on the matter. I asked her if she knew why the war started and who declared it. she said exactly what I expected her to say September 11 2001 a plane was crashed into the twin towers in new York city, George W Bush then declared war on terrorism and sent about 40,000 troops to Iraq and find Osama Bin laden, leader of the Al-Qaeda. That’s pretty much all she knew. I then informed her of the situation that was going on around the world as well as the terrorist bombings not only in the U.S but around the world as well, for example the recent bombings in Africa during the world cup. This small faction of the Al-Qaeda now influencing Africa is getting out of hand. I explained to her with how long the war on terror has been and how the great amount of money to fight it is taking a toll on the economy. We have family members fighting in the war and have been recently shipped to Iraq so I tried to make her see how it would be for them and just how real and tragic everything is to them. The conversation lasted for about another 5 minutes and we finished up on the main reason I was having this conversation with her. “Can we really afford to be fighting this war?” She looked at me and said.” I really think that what we should do is leave that god forsaken place, nothing you could ever say could change my mind”. Considering she was my mom and didn’t want to press the matter further I nodded and went back to my room to type this. I believe we should keep fighting this war, no matter what it takes. America cannot afford another loss greater than the one we suffered in Vietnam.
the end of class today, I want you to have a conversation with someone (parent, Question of the Day (due by Monday, July 12, 11:59 pm) - Per our conversation at sibling, relative, friend, or peer). After you have your conversation, write a reaction to your conversation. For instance, what arguments were presented? Who presented them? Were their thoughts and arguments well defended and presented? What was your overall impression of the conversation? Any surprises? You don't necessarily have to respond to these questions, but they are just to get you started. Organize your thoughts and post a minimum of two solid paragraphs.
In my conversation about the war in Afghanistan, I chose to bring up this theme with my uncle. After explaining the most important information about the war to him. I found out that most people don’t pay attention to the news or what’s going on with the world. I found out that he didn’t know why we were there in the first place. He couldn’t believe that we have been there for nine years already. It was a surprise to him to know that this war is the longest war we have ever been in. He didn’t know how much money we were spending on this war. He couldn’t believe that the United States was spending all that money. He brought up that we are in a recession and still paying for this war.
He doesn’t think it is necessary to fight this war. He didn’t know that we were there to find Osama bin laden. He said why we are wasting money and time in a war that’s not ours. He had some pretty good points, he brought up how why do we have to keep fighting if we have not gotten anywhere in nine years. He said it is necessary to find a solution to this war or get out. He said how many more years are we going to waste. I was impressed with that he put attention to the conflict in Afghanistan. I could see that he is way more interested with the conflicts around the world now. He said that if he had the choice, he would not continue and just pull out.
Question of the Day - Per our conversation at the end of class today, I want you to have a conversation with someone (parent, sibling, relative, friend, or peer). After you have your conversation, write a reaction to your conversation.
The person I ask to discuss their opinions about the war in Afghanistan was my friend, Celia. She believes that we should pull out of the war. Her argument was that the United States was wasting “pointless money” that is contributing to your debt. In her opinion, she believes that the U.S. should not intervene in other country affairs. She states, “Other countries should be left alone so they could solve their own problems. If not [they] will always depend on [us] to help [their] problems.”
As the conversation continued, I realized we had similar ideas such as the ideas that the U.S. should pull out of the war and that we are wasting too much money on the Afghanistan war. One thing I mentioned to her was that the United States had gone to Afghanistan to protect its people. Then she argued that the United States had gone to Afghanistan for [their] own benefit, to get the oil located in Afghanistan. She might be right, but who actually knows why the U.S. went to Afghanistan. The argument that surprised me was when she expressed, “Like the Vietnam war, we “helped” yet we caused the My Lai massacre. The Viet Cong won anyways even with our intervention. We intervened in that war for [our] own benefits. It’s the same situation as Afghanistan.” It surprised me because in class we had read articles that compared the war in Afghanistan to the Vietnam War. Overall, the conversation went on pretty well, we both shared our opinions and both learned more from each other about the Afghanistan war.
I had a conversation with my friend who believed that since we had already gone to Afghanistan and promised them our help that at that moment it became our duty to stick it out till the end. The fact that we had gone over was necessary in his opinion, it was need to scare whoever was responsible for 9/11, to prove that we were not just going to let what they did slide past us. He told me he didn’t think the army was going to get any further trying to stop the Taliban if they didn’t find better ways to do it though. I relayed what we had learned about “winning the hearts and minds” of the Afghan people and he swore it was BS and that it wasn’t getting us anywhere. If the Taliban is using fear to get to the people then how are our presents to them going to cause them to go against the ones they fear? A good point by him in my opinion.
My friends kind of a war fiend, he know quite a lot, and his views were kind of impressive. My overall impression was that he knew what he was talking about, and was more educated than most on this subject. There really weren’t many surprises, he was talking about what the army should do -giving advice to them- but I kind of disregarded his suggestions to them since I didn’t want to write a hundred paragraphs. I think I was more surprised by his eagerness to talk about it like it was all brand new news, he didn’t just sweep it to the side after a few months, he has continued to find information on this war and many others on a very occasional basis (told you, he’s a war fiend.)
-When discussing the Afghanistan war with my friend's older sister, I was quite surprised with how bluntly she expressed her views and feelings towards the war. From the beginning of our discussion, it was pretty apparent that she was against the war in Afghanistan and there was not much of a chance of altering her position, but fortunately, I wasn't aiming to change her position. She started by admitting that she hadn't researched a lot about the Afghanistan war but went on anyway by saying that the U.S. should not continue the war in Afghanistan because she felt it was wrong of the nation to intrude on another country and pretty much try to control it- even going so far as to accusing the U.S. of being "arrogant", as said later on in the discussion. As we kept talking, she continued mentioning the, what she thought to be, control-based motives of the U.S. and how we shouldn't have even gotten involved in this war, similar to the Vietnam war. At one point, I mentioned that controlling how Afghanistan rules and behaves probably hasn't been the main and only goal for the U.S. to achieve from this war by bringing up the 2001 start and like the main guy involved, bin Laden. I brought up the idea that the motives of the U.S. regarding the war may have changed as time passed, and she agreed, but I forgot to ask why "we" thought the motives have changed. However, adding to the changed motives, she brought up that like the Vietnam war, we're trying to aggressively push our democratic ideas onto Afghanistan (South Vietnam being similar to Afghanistan) and practically take away their choice in how they live by telling them that the way they have/ had the country isn't an option anymore. I then brought up that many of the Afghanistan citizens don't have a choice in how they live anyways and if they wanted to go back to their old ways, they could go to a different area and live with people who agree with their choice of lifestyle rather than practically force a whole nation to live that way, to which she gave a fairly good response but was sadly forgotten as my attention unintentionally shifted more towards my ever-growing hunger.
-Throughout the discussion, we not only talked about the controversial motives for the involvement in the Afghanistan war but we also discussed the national consequences regarding the U.S. socially, economically, and politically. When discussing the theory that we could succeed in the war if we continue for a while (even though the war's been going on for nine years and not a lot of progress is being noticed), she thought that we maybe could have a shot at victory, but she questioned if that would be enough to make up for the money and lives lost for this war. I then asked her if we pulled out, would that mean all of our efforts and sacrifices were for nothing? She thought by saying that all we've done so far was for nothing was a little harsh, but after mentioning all that we've put in and the little made progress made in nine years, she boldly stated "At this point, I really don't think we can win." We reflected on the decreasing morale and weakened hope among our nation's population along with the increasing debt and struggling economy. She believes our nation's image has already been hurt enough from being in the war and being in there this long that pulling out would be a better option because our image isn't perfect as it is, and cautiously pulling out would ultimately benefit our nation more. Besides, there are always other ways to rebuild our reputation if this war does the job of ruining it.
I had a conversation about Afghanistan with my friend. She believes that the only reason we went there in the first place was to get oil and to try to conquer them. But she said to not quote her on that becuase she has so many reason that are from both sides as well. but she also believes we are there because of terrorism but is confused because we have been there for 9 years. She also said that we should pull out because all that we are doing is spending money and will be more in debt. I agree in some of her opinions as in the terrorism and that all we are doing is wasting money. But what if we did pull back? wouldnt the world say we lost this War with afghanistan. There are two strong sides of this and very great facts. But in my opinion i believe we might not leave on july of next year. That is one of the main arguments we had as well as if we should continue or pull back. But we both agreed that we are just wasting millions even billions of dollars on this war and many of our troops are losing their lives. In conclusion only the president knows what he is doing and will make the best decision that is out there and if he does decide to pull out our troop, i hope it will be in a good way that will not cause them to come to United States and have another war here.
-doug rosa
The war in Afghanistan is something that doesn't happen often. Surely people now about it, but not all of them have the same opinion about it. The first person that I interviewed for their opinion was my friend. My friends response to the ongoing war is that he opposes it, mainly because he thinks the U.S. is in Afghanistan to try and get some of their natural resources. My reaction to this was that I was pretty impressed. I'm impressed because here I am talking to someone in a lower grade than me and he has a better perspective about the war than me.
The second person I interviewed was another friend, he responded just like my other friend did. He opposed the war because of the same reason. Also he gave a good example that may seem to be a fact. Which was "The U.S is in Afghanistan to get some of their natural resources, but look at whats happening in Darfur they are not even paying attention to it." I am also impressed about my friends answer because he gave me a better reason why this war is played for the wrong purposes. Overall I was deeply educated by the ideas that they presented.
Ferdinand Gonzalo
After you have your conversation, write a reaction to your conversation. For instance, what arguments were presented? Who presented them? Were their thoughts and arguments well defended and presented? What was your overall impression of the conversation? Any surprises?
During my conversation with my sister, regarding the war in Afghanistan, I got to know a little more about her opinion towards war. All she asks for is to end the war while on the other hand I told her it’s necessary for the end of terrorist attacks and for our safety. We went on and argued about it and we couldn’t agree. I asked her if she believed the war would end next year and her reaction was negative. I realized she doesn’t have much faith and interest toward the subject. She believes the war will continue for twenty more years. We did agree on the fact that it’s necessary to fix our country first before we start helping and getting involved with other country’s conflicts.
My overall impression towards the conversation was that I was impressed of how much new information I learned about and argued. I defended my point of view towards the subject with more support due to the new information learned. I had more to say then what my sister had to say due to the lack of the media toward the war. She didn’t have much to support her side that actually included facts. She actually learned from what I told her as she didn’t know that we tried building schools. The topic was not something you expect others to much familiar with since our media doesn’t cover it much.
Well the war in Afghanistan can foster an entire spectacle of arguments on the basic idea of whether or not we should continue to stay strong in this country, to hopefully win over the “hearts and minds” of the people (which I personally find impossible), or to pack our bags and realize that this war has become a war of a futile effort, ineffective, inconsequential and all in vain. The conversation I attained was with my mother whom is very opinionated on situations such as this. I presented numerous facts and arguments pertaining to my point of view, that ultimately the United States military is incredibly involved with this war, with hardly any support from NATO, moreover from the American people themselves. Many news articles, posts, websites, and many other media sources say that this war is unwinnable, the war that has become ignored, unfortunately. The surprising reaction from my mother that I became so interested and knew so much on the topic (PROPS TO MR. PALO) convinced her to see that my view says a plethora of encouraging arguments, saying we should pull out and allow this war to wait out. Though I presented the question to her that came up in class which had interested me, Will the world see this as a loss for the United States of America?
In retrospect, Vietnam could have been a victory for this country in many ways, though my mother agreed with me that the effort for which we were there in the first place was futile as well. She saw the war in Afghanistan as an exact replica of Vietnam, though different goals, the same efforts have become all but the same. I gave the argument if we were there to really win over these “hearts and minds” or are we there to avenge the attack of 9/11? She agreed that these people do not want us there, even though our selfless acts have proven to the world of our generous reputation, we cannot continue to spend billions of dollars on something that does not benefit America, it just simply strips us of our dignity, and this portion of money could go to better use toward the American economy. Together we were on the same page, both agreeing that this war has become a wasted effort, we shouldn’t be in places we are not wanted, and letting precious lives go in vain isn’t what America is all about. Each war that has occurred in American history has been a fight for freedom and the pursuit of happiness, though this war hasn’t become a fight for freedom, it has become a fight for revenge, money in some areas. The constant stories of roadside bombings, vicious killings have become tiresome, stories of disdain, and stories that are far overlooked. Lets bring the troops home!
Well the war in Afghanistan can foster an entire spectacle of arguments on the basic idea of whether or not we should continue to stay strong in this country, to hopefully win over the “hearts and minds” of the people (which I personally find impossible), or to pack our bags and realize that this war has become a war of a futile effort, ineffective, inconsequential and all in vain. The conversation I attained was with my mother whom is very opinionated on situations such as this. I presented numerous facts and arguments pertaining to my point of view, that ultimately the United States military is incredibly involved with this war, with hardly any support from NATO, moreover from the American people themselves. Many news articles, posts, websites, and many other media sources say that this war is unwinnable, the war that has become ignored, unfortunately. The surprising reaction from my mother that I became so interested and knew so much on the topic (PROPS TO MR. PALO) convinced her to see that my view says a plethora of encouraging arguments, saying we should pull out and allow this war to wait out. Though I presented the question to her that came up in class which had interested me, Will the world see this as a loss for the United States of America?
In retrospect, Vietnam could have been a victory for this country in many ways, though my mother agreed with me that the effort for which we were there in the first place was futile as well. She saw the war in Afghanistan as an exact replica of Vietnam, though different goals, the same efforts have become all but the same. I gave the argument if we were there to really win over these “hearts and minds” or are we there to avenge the attack of 9/11? She agreed that these people do not want us there, even though our selfless acts have proven to the world of our generous reputation, we cannot continue to spend billions of dollars on something that does not benefit America, it just simply strips us of our dignity, and this portion of money could go to better use toward the American economy. Together we were on the same page, both agreeing that this war has become a wasted effort, we shouldn’t be in places we are not wanted, and letting precious lives go in vain isn’t what America is all about. Each war that has occurred in American history has been a fight for freedom and the pursuit of happiness, though this war hasn’t become a fight for freedom, it has become a fight for revenge, money in some areas. The constant stories of roadside bombings, vicious killings have become tiresome, stories of disdain, and stories that are far overlooked. Lets bring the troops home!
Well the war in Afghanistan can foster an entire spectacle of arguments on the basic idea of whether or not we should continue to stay strong in this country, to hopefully win over the “hearts and minds” of the people (which I personally find impossible), or to pack our bags and realize that this war has become a war of a futile effort, ineffective, inconsequential and all in vain. The conversation I attained was with my mother whom is very opinionated on situations such as this. I presented numerous facts and arguments pertaining to my point of view, that ultimately the United States military is incredibly involved with this war, with hardly any support from NATO, moreover from the American people themselves. Many news articles, posts, websites, and many other media sources say that this war is unwinnable, the war that has become ignored, unfortunately. The surprising reaction from my mother that I became so interested and knew so much on the topic (PROPS TO MR. PALO) convinced her to see that my view says a plethora of encouraging arguments, saying we should pull out and allow this war to wait out. Though I presented the question to her that came up in class which had interested me, Will the world see this as a loss for the United States of America?
In retrospect, Vietnam could have been a victory for this country in many ways, though my mother agreed with me that the effort for which we were there in the first place was futile as well. She saw the war in Afghanistan as an exact replica of Vietnam, though different goals, the same efforts have become all but the same. I gave the argument if we were there to really win over these “hearts and minds” or are we there to avenge the attack of 9/11? She agreed that these people do not want us there, even though our selfless acts have proven to the world of our generous reputation, we cannot continue to spend billions of dollars on something that does not benefit America, it just simply strips us of our dignity, and this portion of money could go to better use toward the American economy. Together we were on the same page, both agreeing that this war has become a wasted effort, we shouldn’t be in places we are not wanted, and letting precious lives go in vain isn’t what America is all about. Each war that has occurred in American history has been a fight for freedom and the pursuit of happiness, though this war hasn’t become a fight for freedom, it has become a fight for revenge, money in some areas. The constant stories of roadside bombings, vicious killings have become tiresome, stories of disdain, and stories that are far overlooked. Lets bring the troops home!
Well the war in Afghanistan can foster an entire spectacle of arguments on the basic idea of whether or not we should continue to stay strong in this country, to hopefully win over the “hearts and minds” of the people (which I personally find impossible), or to pack our bags and realize that this war has become a war of a futile effort, ineffective, inconsequential and all in vain. The conversation I attained was with my mother whom is very opinionated on situations such as this. I presented numerous facts and arguments pertaining to my point of view, that ultimately the United States military is incredibly involved with this war, with hardly any support from NATO, moreover from the American people themselves. Many news articles, posts, websites, and many other media sources say that this war is unwinnable, the war that has become ignored, unfortunately. The surprising reaction from my mother that I became so interested and knew so much on the topic (PROPS TO MR. PALO) convinced her to see that my view says a plethora of encouraging arguments, saying we should pull out and allow this war to wait out. Though I presented the question to her that came up in class which had interested me, Will the world see this as a loss for the United States of America?
In retrospect, Vietnam could have been a victory for this country in many ways, though my mother agreed with me that the effort for which we were there in the first place was futile as well. She saw the war in Afghanistan as an exact replica of Vietnam, though different goals, the same efforts have become all but the same. I gave the argument if we were there to really win over these “hearts and minds” or are we there to avenge the attack of 9/11? She agreed that these people do not want us there, even though our selfless acts have proven to the world of our generous reputation, we cannot continue to spend billions of dollars on something that does not benefit America, it just simply strips us of our dignity, and this portion of money could go to better use toward the American economy. Together we were on the same page, both agreeing that this war has become a wasted effort, we shouldn’t be in places we are not wanted, and letting precious lives go in vain isn’t what America is all about. Each war that has occurred in American history has been a fight for freedom and the pursuit of happiness, though this war hasn’t become a fight for freedom, it has become a fight for revenge, money in some areas. The constant stories of roadside bombings, vicious killings have become tiresome, stories of disdain, and stories that are far overlooked. Lets bring the troops home!
Well the war in Afghanistan can foster an entire spectacle of arguments on the basic idea of whether or not we should continue to stay strong in this country, to hopefully win over the “hearts and minds” of the people (which I personally find impossible), or to pack our bags and realize that this war has become a war of a futile effort, ineffective, inconsequential and all in vain. The conversation I attained was with my mother whom is very opinionated on situations such as this. I presented numerous facts and arguments pertaining to my point of view, that ultimately the United States military is incredibly involved with this war, with hardly any support from NATO, moreover from the American people themselves. Many news articles, posts, websites, and many other media sources say that this war is unwinnable, the war that has become ignored, unfortunately. The surprising reaction from my mother that I became so interested and knew so much on the topic (PROPS TO MR. PALO) convinced her to see that my view says a plethora of encouraging arguments, saying we should pull out and allow this war to wait out. Though I presented the question to her that came up in class which had interested me, Will the world see this as a loss for the United States of America?
In retrospect, Vietnam could have been a victory for this country in many ways, though my mother agreed with me that the effort for which we were there in the first place was futile as well. She saw the war in Afghanistan as an exact replica of Vietnam, though different goals, the same efforts have become all but the same. I gave the argument if we were there to really win over these “hearts and minds” or are we there to avenge the attack of 9/11? She agreed that these people do not want us there, even though our selfless acts have proven to the world of our generous reputation, we cannot continue to spend billions of dollars on something that does not benefit America, it just simply strips us of our dignity, and this portion of money could go to better use toward the American economy. Together we were on the same page, both agreeing that this war has become a wasted effort, we shouldn’t be in places we are not wanted, and letting precious lives go in vain isn’t what America is all about. Each war that has occurred in American history has been a fight for freedom and the pursuit of happiness, though this war hasn’t become a fight for freedom, it has become a fight for revenge, money in some areas. The constant stories of roadside bombings, vicious killings have become tiresome, stories of disdain, and stories that are far overlooked. Lets bring the troops home!
Well the war in Afghanistan can foster an entire spectacle of arguments on the basic idea of whether or not we should continue to stay strong in this country, to hopefully win over the “hearts and minds” of the people (which I personally find impossible), or to pack our bags and realize that this war has become a war of a futile effort, ineffective, inconsequential and all in vain. The conversation I attained was with my mother whom is very opinionated on situations such as this. I presented numerous facts and arguments pertaining to my point of view, that ultimately the United States military is incredibly involved with this war, with hardly any support from NATO, moreover from the American people themselves. Many news articles, posts, websites, and many other media sources say that this war is unwinnable, the war that has become ignored, unfortunately. The surprising reaction from my mother that I became so interested and knew so much on the topic (PROPS TO MR. PALO) convinced her to see that my view says a plethora of encouraging arguments, saying we should pull out and allow this war to wait out. Though I presented the question to her that came up in class which had interested me, Will the world see this as a loss for the United States of America?
In retrospect, Vietnam could have been a victory for this country in many ways, though my mother agreed with me that the effort for which we were there in the first place was futile as well. She saw the war in Afghanistan as an exact replica of Vietnam, though different goals, the same efforts have become all but the same. I gave the argument if we were there to really win over these “hearts and minds” or are we there to avenge the attack of 9/11? She agreed that these people do not want us there, even though our selfless acts have proven to the world of our generous reputation, we cannot continue to spend billions of dollars on something that does not benefit America, it just simply strips us of our dignity, and this portion of money could go to better use toward the American economy. Together we were on the same page, both agreeing that this war has become a wasted effort, we shouldn’t be in places we are not wanted, and letting precious lives go in vain isn’t what America is all about. Each war that has occurred in American history has been a fight for freedom and the pursuit of happiness, though this war hasn’t become a fight for freedom, it has become a fight for revenge, money in some areas. The constant stories of roadside bombings, vicious killings have become tiresome, stories of disdain, and stories that are far overlooked. Lets bring the troops home!
Well the war in Afghanistan can foster an entire spectacle of arguments on the basic idea of whether or not we should continue to stay strong in this country, to hopefully win over the “hearts and minds” of the people (which I personally find impossible), or to pack our bags and realize that this war has become a war of a futile effort, ineffective, inconsequential and all in vain. The conversation I attained was with my mother whom is very opinionated on situations such as this. I presented numerous facts and arguments pertaining to my point of view, that ultimately the United States military is incredibly involved with this war, with hardly any support from NATO, moreover from the American people themselves. Many news articles, posts, websites, and many other media sources say that this war is unwinnable, the war that has become ignored, unfortunately. The surprising reaction from my mother that I became so interested and knew so much on the topic (PROPS TO MR. PALO) convinced her to see that my view says a plethora of encouraging arguments, saying we should pull out and allow this war to wait out. Though I presented the question to her that came up in class which had interested me, Will the world see this as a loss for the United States of America?
In retrospect, Vietnam could have been a victory for this country in many ways, though my mother agreed with me that the effort for which we were there in the first place was futile as well. She saw the war in Afghanistan as an exact replica of Vietnam, though different goals, the same efforts have become all but the same. I gave the argument if we were there to really win over these “hearts and minds” or are we there to avenge the attack of 9/11? She agreed that these people do not want us there, even though our selfless acts have proven to the world of our generous reputation, we cannot continue to spend billions of dollars on something that does not benefit America, it just simply strips us of our dignity, and this portion of money could go to better use toward the American economy. Together we were on the same page, both agreeing that this war has become a wasted effort, we shouldn’t be in places we are not wanted, and letting precious lives go in vain isn’t what America is all about. Each war that has occurred in American history has been a fight for freedom and the pursuit of happiness, though this war hasn’t become a fight for freedom, it has become a fight for revenge, money in some areas. The constant stories of roadside bombings, vicious killings have become tiresome, stories of disdain, and stories that are far overlooked. Lets bring the troops home!
Well the war in Afghanistan can foster an entire spectacle of arguments on the basic idea of whether or not we should continue to stay strong in this country, to hopefully win over the “hearts and minds” of the people (which I personally find impossible), or to pack our bags and realize that this war has become a war of a futile effort, ineffective, inconsequential and all in vain. The conversation I attained was with my mother whom is very opinionated on situations such as this. I presented numerous facts and arguments pertaining to my point of view, that ultimately the United States military is incredibly involved with this war, with hardly any support from NATO, moreover from the American people themselves. Many news articles, posts, websites, and many other media sources say that this war is unwinnable, the war that has become ignored, unfortunately. The surprising reaction from my mother that I became so interested and knew so much on the topic (PROPS TO MR. PALO) convinced her to see that my view says a plethora of encouraging arguments, saying we should pull out and allow this war to wait out. Though I presented the question to her that came up in class which had interested me, Will the world see this as a loss for the United States of America?
In retrospect, Vietnam could have been a victory for this country in many ways, though my mother agreed with me that the effort for which we were there in the first place was futile as well. She saw the war in Afghanistan as an exact replica of Vietnam, though different goals, the same efforts have become all but the same. I gave the argument if we were there to really win over these “hearts and minds” or are we there to avenge the attack of 9/11? She agreed that these people do not want us there, even though our selfless acts have proven to the world of our generous reputation, we cannot continue to spend billions of dollars on something that does not benefit America, it just simply strips us of our dignity, and this portion of money could go to better use toward the American economy. Together we were on the same page, both agreeing that this war has become a wasted effort, we shouldn’t be in places we are not wanted, and letting precious lives go in vain isn’t what America is all about. Each war that has occurred in American history has been a fight for freedom and the pursuit of happiness, though this war hasn’t become a fight for freedom, it has become a fight for revenge, money in some areas. The constant stories of roadside bombings, vicious killings have become tiresome, stories of disdain, and stories that are far overlooked. Lets bring the troops home!
Well the war in Afghanistan can foster an entire spectacle of arguments on the basic idea of whether or not we should continue to stay strong in this country, to hopefully win over the “hearts and minds” of the people (which I personally find impossible), or to pack our bags and realize that this war has become a war of a futile effort, ineffective, inconsequential and all in vain. The conversation I attained was with my mother whom is very opinionated on situations such as this. I presented numerous facts and arguments pertaining to my point of view, that ultimately the United States military is incredibly involved with this war, with hardly any support from NATO, moreover from the American people themselves. Many news articles, posts, websites, and many other media sources say that this war is unwinnable, the war that has become ignored, unfortunately. The surprising reaction from my mother that I became so interested and knew so much on the topic (PROPS TO MR. PALO) convinced her to see that my view says a plethora of encouraging arguments, saying we should pull out and allow this war to wait out. Though I presented the question to her that came up in class which had interested me, Will the world see this as a loss for the United States of America?
In retrospect, Vietnam could have been a victory for this country in many ways, though my mother agreed with me that the effort for which we were there in the first place was futile as well. She saw the war in Afghanistan as an exact replica of Vietnam, though different goals, the same efforts have become all but the same. I gave the argument if we were there to really win over these “hearts and minds” or are we there to avenge the attack of 9/11? She agreed that these people do not want us there, even though our selfless acts have proven to the world of our generous reputation, we cannot continue to spend billions of dollars on something that does not benefit America, it just simply strips us of our dignity, and this portion of money could go to better use toward the American economy. Together we were on the same page, both agreeing that this war has become a wasted effort, we shouldn’t be in places we are not wanted, and letting precious lives go in vain isn’t what America is all about. Each war that has occurred in American history has been a fight for freedom and the pursuit of happiness, though this war hasn’t become a fight for freedom, it has become a fight for revenge, money in some areas. The constant stories of roadside bombings, vicious killings have become tiresome, stories of disdain, and stories that are far overlooked. Lets bring the troops home!
Well the war in Afghanistan can foster an entire spectacle of arguments on the basic idea of whether or not we should continue to stay strong in this country, to hopefully win over the “hearts and minds” of the people (which I personally find impossible), or to pack our bags and realize that this war has become a war of a futile effort, ineffective, inconsequential and all in vain. The conversation I attained was with my mother whom is very opinionated on situations such as this. I presented numerous facts and arguments pertaining to my point of view, that ultimately the United States military is incredibly involved with this war, with hardly any support from NATO, moreover from the American people themselves. Many news articles, posts, websites, and many other media sources say that this war is unwinnable, the war that has become ignored, unfortunately. The surprising reaction from my mother that I became so interested and knew so much on the topic (PROPS TO MR. PALO) convinced her to see that my view says a plethora of encouraging arguments, saying we should pull out and allow this war to wait out. Though I presented the question to her that came up in class which had interested me, Will the world see this as a loss for the United States of America?
In retrospect, Vietnam could have been a victory for this country in many ways, though my mother agreed with me that the effort for which we were there in the first place was futile as well. She saw the war in Afghanistan as an exact replica of Vietnam, though different goals, the same efforts have become all but the same. I gave the argument if we were there to really win over these “hearts and minds” or are we there to avenge the attack of 9/11? She agreed that these people do not want us there, even though our selfless acts have proven to the world of our generous reputation, we cannot continue to spend billions of dollars on something that does not benefit America, it just simply strips us of our dignity, and this portion of money could go to better use toward the American economy. Together we were on the same page, both agreeing that this war has become a wasted effort, we shouldn’t be in places we are not wanted, and letting precious lives go in vain isn’t what America is all about. Each war that has occurred in American history has been a fight for freedom and the pursuit of happiness, though this war hasn’t become a fight for freedom, it has become a fight for revenge, money in some areas. The constant stories of roadside bombings, vicious killings have become tiresome, stories of disdain, and stories that are far overlooked. Lets bring the troops home!
Per our conversation at the end of class today, I want you to have a conversation with someone (parent, sibling, relative, friend, or peer). After you have your conversation, write a reaction to your conversation.
The person I chose to have a conversation about the war in Afghanistan was my father. He thinks we shouldn't have been there in the first place because their purpose was to go and find Osama Bin Laden. Also, to drive out the Taliban because they are ones protecting him. Somewhat i agree with this because we did go into this because of 9/11 but then again we need to ensure the protection to Afghan people and our people. Another topic we brought up was the United Nations, and how they were sent the first year to keep peace in the country. Now 8 years later the United States have more troops there than ever.
The topic I fully agree with my dad is that we should have gotten out and let the international united nations stabilize the country. We both think it isn't our responsibility, and that this is something we shouldn't be dealing with. There are more important matters to focus on, for example, Afghanistan is supplying 90% of the world's heroin. We should be trying to reduce their production as long as were there. Not only is it the heroin problem but also, the war is costing too much and it is putting us deeper in debt. My father and I think alike, and we didn't disagree on much.
Conversation about Afghanistan War
The person with who i had a conversation with concerning the war was my older brother, and the conversation really surprised me. First off i started by asking my brother if he knew anything about the war and what his position was on it, and he began by saying that he though we were fighting afghanistan because they had ties to al qaeda and that he supported this, but was not to sure because he really had not heard anything about the war for a while now. I started off by telling him that afghanistan was actually our allies and that we and the UN were trying to defend them, and he responded by saying that we should worry about our on problems, and i agreed. The conversation surprised me because i did not know that so many people were so uninformed about this war. Then at this point the conversation turned into a learning experience for my brother.
After explaining to my brother what was really going on in Afghanistan i began to tell him all of the things i learned in class that were bad about the war. I began by telling him that the war was a large factor for why our country is so largely in debt, and this was new to him and he listened more. I then told him how we were basically fighting this war for all of the UN and that while we keep spending money and sending troops they send less and waste less. This all surprised my brother and he took an opposing position on the war quickly and thanked me forr telling him why we were at war. At the end of the conversation i felt good to know about this war so that i could take an educated position and inform others about why i felt that why towards the war. However i was surprised to see how little we all know about the war and all of its effects.
Regarding our conversation in class about the War in Afghanistan, I went home and brought up the conversation with my mom. Me and her debated about whether we should pull-out of the war or continue what we have been doing for the past nine years. I argued with my mom by questioning why she wanted to pull-out of the war, don’t get me wrong I agreed with my mom in every way but I wanted to spice things up a little bit and oppose her opinion. I asked her “mom what do you think about the war in Afghanistan? Do you think we should stay there longer or just leave?” she quickly answered by saying “what the freak are we still doing there? What have we accomplished this whole time being there?” from there on we discussed for about thirty minutes or so. To my surprise my mom knew much more according to the war, well much more than me of course. My mom started telling me about why she thinks we should leave Afghanistan, what she said was pretty reasonable and I can see where she was coming from. I then started asking her “why shouldn’t we stay there longer? If we pull-out it will make the U.S look really weak.” She then began telling me that “we are wasting too much money and most of that money we don’t even have, that’s why are our economy is so low. And also we lost way too many soldiers, why do we want more to die for something that seems endless?” I then told her “then what will happen to the soldiers that died? Will they just die for no real victory just because we decided to pull-out of the war?” she then said “that’s why we should pull-out so no more soldiers will die”.
Throughout the whole discussion we both raised our voices and exchanged each other’s ideas. I’m really glad I had this conversation with my mom because I noticed how much the war impacts my own family. At about eleven o’clock tonight we will be going to the LAX to go pick up my uncle who will be returning from the army, but we don’t know how long he will be staying because they might send him to Afghanistan or Iraq. I don’t want him to go there I already have a friend who was in the army for eight years and she’s now 26 and disabled for life because she got this illness that when you touch her she easily get bruises and I fell really bad that the war that hasn’t accomplished anything affect such young people and leave them disabled. I also discussed this topic with my cousin Andy and he was undeceive whether to stay in or pull-out. I then talked to my uncle (my mom’s brother) about this and he’s very convinced that “we should stay in the war because we are too far into this mess and we would look bad in the eyes of others by pulling out”. Overall I realized the purpose for this war and that is…power.
Regarding our conversation in class about the War in Afghanistan, I went home and brought up the conversation with my mom. Me and her debated about whether we should pull-out of the war or continue what we have been doing for the past nine years. I argued with my mom by questioning why she wanted to pull-out of the war, don’t get me wrong I agreed with my mom in every way but I wanted to spice things up a little bit and oppose her opinion. I asked her “mom what do you think about the war in Afghanistan? Do you think we should stay there longer or just leave?” she quickly answered by saying “what the freak are we still doing there? What have we accomplished this whole time being there?” from there on we discussed for about thirty minutes or so. To my surprise my mom knew much more according to the war, well much more than me of course. My mom started telling me about why she thinks we should leave Afghanistan, what she said was pretty reasonable and I can see where she was coming from. I then started asking her “why shouldn’t we stay there longer? If we pull-out it will make the U.S look really weak.” She then began telling me that “we are wasting too much money and most of that money we don’t even have, that’s why are our economy is so low. And also we lost way too many soldiers, why do we want more to die for something that seems endless?” I then told her “then what will happen to the soldiers that died? Will they just die for no real victory just because we decided to pull-out of the war?” she then said “that’s why we should pull-out so no more soldiers will die”.
Part 1
Throughout the whole discussion we both raised our voices and exchanged each other’s ideas. I’m really glad I had this conversation with my mom because I noticed how much the war impacts my own family. At about eleven o’clock tonight we will be going to the LAX to go pick up my uncle who will be returning from the army, but we don’t know how long he will be staying because they might send him to Afghanistan or Iraq. I don’t want him to go there I already have a friend who was in the army for eight years and she’s now 26 and disabled for life because she got this illness that when you touch her she easily get bruises and I fell really bad that the war that hasn’t accomplished anything affect such young people and leave them disabled. I also discussed this topic with my cousin Andy and he was undeceive whether to stay in or pull-out. I then talked to my uncle (my mom’s brother) about this and he’s very convinced that “we should stay in the war because we are too far into this mess and we would look bad in the eyes of others by pulling out”. Overall I realized the purpose for this war and that is…power.
part 2
Reaction towards war in Afghanistan-
During the discussion my cousin and I had based on the Afghanistan War my thought on it remained the same. First of all, we agreed that the Afghanistan War is not only affecting our economy but also keeping us away from focusing on issues we have here in our country. Secondly, we also agreed that Terrorism can’t be fully eliminated but contained; even though we fight against it, it will still be around. Therefore, if we keep fighting terrorism and end up winning this war, sooner or later we predict our country would face some kind of terrorism act or threat. It is hard for the Afghans to get used to having soldiers there all the time killing innocent ones to protect others. I can understand why they don’t want us there but in my belief, I think we should only help them if they want it.
Overall, I was surprised how much my cousin knew about this topic, I thought she would’ve known less. We agreed on basically everything throughout our discussion. Although, I still had to help her support some of her arguments with facts, I can say we had a good time discussing this topic. We couldn’t debate if our country should stay there or pullout though.
Well the war in Afghanistan can foster an entire spectacle of arguments on the basic idea of whether or not we should continue to stay strong in this country, to hopefully win over the “hearts and minds” of the people (which I personally find impossible), or to pack our bags and realize that this war has become a war of a futile effort, ineffective, inconsequential and all in vain. The conversation I attained was with my mother whom is very opinionated on situations such as this. I presented numerous facts and arguments pertaining to my point of view, that ultimately the United States military is incredibly involved with this war, with hardly any support from NATO, moreover from the American people themselves. Many news articles, posts, websites, and many other media sources say that this war is unwinnable, the war that has become ignored, unfortunately. The surprising reaction from my mother that I became so interested and knew so much on the topic (PROPS TO MR. PALO) convinced her to see that my view says a plethora of encouraging arguments, saying we should pull out and allow this war to wait out. Though I presented the question to her that came up in class which had interested me, Will the world see this as a loss for the United States of America?
In retrospect, Vietnam could have been a victory for this country in many ways, though my mother agreed with me that the effort for which we were there in the first place was futile as well. She saw the war in Afghanistan as an exact replica of Vietnam, though different goals, the same efforts have become all but the same. I gave the argument if we were there to really win over these “hearts and minds” or are we there to avenge the attack of 9/11? She agreed that these people do not want us there, even though our selfless acts have proven to the world of our generous reputation, we cannot continue to spend billions of dollars on something that does not benefit America, it just simply strips us of our dignity, and this portion of money could go to better use toward the American economy. Together we were on the same page, both agreeing that this war has become a wasted effort, we shouldn’t be in places we are not wanted, and letting precious lives go in vain isn’t what America is all about. Each war that has occurred in American history has been a fight for freedom and the pursuit of happiness, though this war hasn’t become a fight for freedom, it has become a fight for revenge, money in some areas. The constant stories of roadside bombings, vicious killings have become tiresome, stories of disdain, and stories that are far overlooked. Lets bring the troops home!
For this assignment I decided to interview several people and see the various views about war. I was surprised to see how little all the people I asked actually knew anything about it. The ones most aware of the situation were my dad and my sister. I started off by asking my father what his view about this war was and whether or not he believed it was right to continue fighting or if it was better off pulling out of the war. His ideas about war were very much like mine. He pointed out that the money the United States is spending in the Afghanistan war is unnecessary and could be spent more wisely on all the numerous amounts of problems there is here. My dad also said that fighting terrorism is very hard and would probably end up taking a lot more time if they continue to fight in this war. On the other hand though, he believed that terrorism is a valid reason to be at war and believes that by maybe changing tactics this war would have a better chance.
Also, I went over these topics with my third eldest sister who strongly believes that this war is a big waste of time. She believes that the United States spends too much of their time getting involved in foreign things when we they have sufficient problems here at home. Instead of trying to solve those problems, they go ahead and spend millions of dollars in a war that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, when here in the U.S we are in a bad situation economically as it is. Why then go spend it all in more deaths and wasted time? My sister’s reaction to this war was rather shocking. Overall though, both of them had their own opinion about the war and defended their argument as best they could.
-Nydia Lopez
In class we had a class discussion about what should be done in Afghanistan. The class had their debate so did me and my dad. We both put our ideas on the table some similar some different but it was a good conversation. I was awed that my dad had a good amount of knowledge about this war because he doesn’t really pay much attention to the news mostly just sport news. This opened me in the sense that I can talk about politics and stuff of that sort to my dad.
My dad’s views were a little over the top on some of his views. Those that were the ones that he says that we should bomb where the terrorist are hiding, not nuke them but just completely destroy that city or area and the people that won’t cooperate with the soldiers. He also says that it is costing money, that were only there for the oil, and it is just a waste of time to be there in the first place, which I agree with him. I said what if we don’t get out how we can win? He said to bomb them but I said that we declared war on terrorism not Afghanistan, so what if we kill Osama we still have terrorism in this world. Just like there will always be violence. Terrorism is just a different way to make violence. This war will not end; we either stop all violence or just get the heck out because terrorism is all over the world not just in the Middle East.
Per our conversation at the end of class today, I want you to have a conversation with someone (parent, sibling, relative, friend, or peer). After you have your conversation, write a reaction to your conversation.
I discussed the war in Afghanistan with my mom. I asked her what was her position about the conflict. Her position about the situation was against continuing the war. Her arguments were very similar to the ones we discussed in class. One of her arguments was that this war has been going on for too long and Osama bin Laden has not been captured yet. She believes that this war is making the government spend too much money making our economy suffer more. The money that has been spent has not gotten us very far, she believes.
However, I tried to explain to her the what others think about the conflict. I shared my opinion with her that the war could also benefit the people living in Afghanistan. US troop presence is helping them establish a less unstable government. Another benefits include the training of officers and the establishment of schools. One interesting thing about this conversation was that my mom was also confused about why we got engaged in the war for so much time. She wanted to know why are we still there?
My Conversation, I chose to have with my cousin Eric Padilla. He is in the process of joining the Marines, and so he is very pro-war. Throughout our conversation he gave me reasons as to why we should continue this war. His main one, is to get revenge for the thousands of deaths that were caused through the 9/11 attack. In his opinion, we should go all out with the war and not stop until we have defeated Al-Q'aeda and his terrorist followers. I brought up the fact that this war has already taken 9 years, and we still haven't found Al- Q'aeda. His response, was that we are gonna find him, we just have to change our tactics and continue the search. I argued that people aren't supporting the war as much as before. According to him, if we win the Summer Offensive we should win back the people's support and trust. To do so, he said, Gov't shouldn't cut off military funds; since we have to stay up to date with the newest technology. An argument I made was that this war, along with the Iraq War, has cost us alot of money. Money that should be spent on more important things like our debt, or rebuilding our economy. He agreed with that fact, saying that it has cost us and it has been hurting our economy, but he then retaliates by saying, 'You got to do;what you got to do'. In his opinion, the war in Iraq was a huge mistake. We had no reason what so ever to declare war. He believes the only reason Bush declared war was to get revenge for the First Gulf War, and because of the incident that happened in Kuwait in which terrorists tried to assassinate his father. One of the last issues I presented was that the war is killing thousands of American soldiers, and the numbers are only increasing. He responded with the flat out simple fact that its war; and the ugly truth about war, is that people have to die.
The arguments we each presented were pretty straight forward and presented with back up information. His arguments did make a point, and actually made me think twice on my opinion on war. I was surprised to learn about Obama's Summer Offensive. Especially since he had said he was planning on bringing back home troops. The way Eric expressed his thoughts, made me understand the reason for his decision to join the Marines. He truly believes we should continue this war until we win. My overall reaction to this conversation, was that I was surprised at how nervous I was at speaking my thoughts. I had never had such a debating nor augmenting conversation before. At first, I was shy to explain my thoughts and point of views, but I ended up getting the courage to do so. I think if we weaken both the Taliban and Al Q'aeda organizations, help the tribal areas and gain their trust, continue out counter insurgency, and win the Summer Offensive, we may have a chance to win this war.
Per our conversation at the end of class today, I want you to have a conversation with someone (parent, sibling, relative, friend, or peer). After you have your conversation, write a reaction to your conversation.
The class discussion and articles that I have read about the war in Afghanistan have helped me better understand this war. I had this conversation with my brother. He knew about the same as I did before economics class. I started off by asking him how many wars were in, he said, “Three, one with China, another with Iraq, and finally Cuba”. Then I told him how there is two wars, Iraq and Afghanistan. He thought all of that was just one huge war. I then asked if he knew why we were in war with Afghanistan, he thought it was to get oil. I further explained why and what were doing in Afghanistan. I told him about the war being on terrorism and the corrupt government. I basically put it all out there, the reasons why we should or shouldn’t stay in the war with Afghanistan.
I asked him what we should do. He said, “We should stay in the war”. He defended this point by talking about how Afghanistan has nuclear weapons and if we leave there country we won’t be there to regulate these bombs. The amount of money we have spent seems incredible to him, he couldn’t believe how many billions of dollars we have spent on this war. So to further defend his argument he talked about the money would go all to waste. He said, “We already spent all this money, so if we just pull out it would all be wasted. Let’s instead stay in this war and make it all worth it”. I then asked him, “Are the lives of about 1800 American soldiers worth the fight for another country’s issue”? He knows someone’s life is priceless, and that it would be very disrespectful to put a price on their life. The two points (amount of soldiers that have died and fixing another country’s issue) made in the question I asked him changed his opinion. He is now undecided of what is the right choice.
My impression of this conversation was excellent. I was surprised by my brother how clueless he was about this war and yet was able to defend his first opinion quite well. This conversation also led me to see the other side of the story. It opened up many different ways of seeing this argument. Overall I felt good about this conversation because I opened someone eyes to the reality of this “conflict”.
-Ignacio Montor
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