Dove and Hawk View of Iraq War

1156 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Media's influence on public opinion

Hawk and Dove Views of the Iraq War

On March 18, 2003 the United States invaded Iraq. (The Washington Post) The War with Iraq is a very divisive issue around the world. Turn on any news show and you will see a daily debate on the pros and cons of going to war. Because of the situations that have occurred between the United States and Iraq, very different views and perceptions have developed. Much debate on the justification of the United States for being in Iraq, let alone overthrowing its “government”, has been presented from both sides – the Hawks and the Doves.

My perception sees it like this. There are basically two different views of this war, one view being that of a Hawk and the other view being that of a Dove. The ideology of the Hawk symbolizing strength, sternness, and the notion of seeing what it wants and taking it and the Dove which normally symbolizes peach, love, and harmony, to me seems to be a perfect fit for icons of these two views.

Hawks idealistically are mostly republican/conservative in the political scheme of things. The United States and the world had a duty to disarm a rogue nation like Iraq. Saddam Hussein was a tyrant that had demonstrated a complete disregard for human life and needed to be brought to justice. The people of Iraq are an oppressed people, and the world has a duty to help these people. The oil reserves of the region are necessary to the world’s economy. The WORLD not just the United States. An element like Saddam and his regime threatens the oil reserves of the entire region. The practice of appeasement only fosters even bigger tyrants. Saddam had continuously reneged on promises made to disarm any weapons and follow UN resolutions made. The removal of Saddam Hussein and his regime would uphold previous UN resolutions and give the body some credibility. By removing Saddam from power, the world of the future is safer from terrorist attacks.

Rush Limbaugh is a very famous journalist and radio personality. He is noted for his
Republican/conservative, somewhat brass ways of bringing to light topics with such
Debatable justifications. Limbaugh denounces those who are urging restraint against force on Baghdad. "Everybody and their uncle is begging us not to go into Iraq – the Europeans, the West Germans, the Saudis," Limbaugh said.
"While everybody wants regime change, they don't have the guts to...

... middle of paper ...

... to be one common denominator between these very different points of view and that is neither side of this issue has EVER stated that they wanted or strived for the goal of going to war. This is called the “human factor”. No matter which side of the fence you are on here neither side still believes in the morals of a nation and its people, know the differences between right and wrong and have a love for human life. The Hawk’s believe enough is enough and that the U.S. must stand up and end this madness of putting our country in harms way. The Dove’s believe this to but believe there is a better way of obtaining this goal and that is by peaceful talks and compromises coinciding with mutual agreement of the entire world. Whether a person is a Hawkish or Dovish, in the end it probably comes down to their values, their knowledge of the issues, their social upbringings, their politics, and maybe their religion or lack thereof.

Works Cited

Balz, Dan and Jim VandeHie. Dean Stands By His Objections to Iraq War. The Washington Post. 16 Dec 2003.
.

Kovacs, Joe. Rush Limbaugh: Blast Iraq on 9-11. World Net Daily. Aug 2002.
.

Show More
Related

  • A Separate Peace

    659 Words  | 2 Pages

    Symbolism is also very important to this novel. An example of this is the war; it symbolizes several different things. Finny explains to the head master that “We’re all

    Read More

  • Comparing the Vietnam War vs. Iraq War

    671 Words  | 2 Pages

    The war in Iraq was declared in March 2003 for many reasons. Some of the reasons are to free Iraq, the oil, and because Saddam Hussein did not allow weapons inspectors search for nuclear weapons. The US wanted to take over Iraq and free its people from the torture they had been enduring for so long. Saddam Hussein had developed weapons of mass destruction that posed a long-term threat to America. He denied weapons inspectors access to search for nuclear war weapons and this served as a threat to other countries. The aim had been the destruction of the Iraqi society enabling the US and Britain to gain control of Iraq's huge oil reserves.

    Read More

  • Where Men Win Glory, by Jon Krakauer

    812 Words  | 2 Pages

    September 11, 2001 marked a tragic day in the history of the United States; a terrorist attack had left the country shaken. It did not take long to determine those who were behind the attack and a call for retribution swept through the nation. Citizens in a wave of patriotism signed up for military service and the United States found resounding international support for their efforts in the war on terror. Little opposition was raised at the removal of the Taliban regime and there was much support for bringing Osama Bin Laden and the leaders of al-Qaeda to justice. Approval abroad diminished approximately a year and a half later when Afghanistan became a stepping stone to the administration’s larger ambition, the invasion of Iraq. The administration would invent several stories and in some cases remain silent of the truth where would prove positive for the Iraqi invasion. It seems they were willing to say anything to promote the largely unpopular and unnecessary war they were resolved on engaging in.

    Read More

  • Robert Ross Symbolism in The Wars Book

    885 Words  | 2 Pages

    Robert Ross is a sensitive, private boy; last person you would expect to sign up to fight in World War One. In The Wars by Timothy Findley, symbols are used in conjunction with Ross’ story to cause readers to reflect on symbols in their own lives, and to allow then to dive deeper into the world of an innocent boy who is placed into a cruel war. The various symbols in The Wars provide for a graphic and reflective reading experience by emphasizing Robert’s connection with nature, his past, and his experiences during the war.

    Read More

  • 'Conformity In Sylvia Plath's Initiation'

    1205 Words  | 3 Pages

    The most obvious type of symbolism used in this passage is the heather birds. The heather birds represent individuals. They

    Read More

  • Comparing the Iraq War and the Vietnam War

    2081 Words  | 5 Pages

    No matter how well intentioned the invasion of Iraq may have been, it was an act of violence and deception that has left many American men dead for no clear reason.

    Read More

  • Rush Limbaugh

    873 Words  | 2 Pages

    Rush Limbaugh Story”. “Rush got his first job as a shoeshine boy at the age of

    Read More

  • The Cold War

    1758 Words  | 4 Pages

    A term used to describe those with a relatively aggressive or confrontational foreign policy. ‘Hawks' usually supported arms expenditure, use or threat of military force against allies of their rivals to obtain power and forgiven policy goals. They advocated the prevention of economical growth or stability of their rivals in order to maintain power. Conservative Republican American President, Ronald Reagan, could be considered a prime example of a ‘Hawk' for his aggressive anti-Soviet policies, and belief that détente equaled weakness. He initially had no real intentions of limiting US arms during Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START) and massively expanded the navy. However, later in his career Regan became far less aggressive during START with Mikhail Gorbachev, and also as a result of the exposure of the Iran-Contra scandal, and hence became more of a ‘Dove' through negotiations.

    Read More

  • A Separate Peace - Symbolism

    1599 Words  | 4 Pages

    In John Knowle’s A Separate Peace, symbols are used to develop and advance the themes of the novel. One theme is the lack of awareness of the real world among the students who attend the Devon Academy. The war is a symbol of the "real world", from which the boys exclude themselves. It is as if the boys are in their own little world, or bubbles secluded from the outside world and everyone else.

    Read More

  • The Shield of Achilles in Homer's Iliad

    1091 Words  | 3 Pages

    This war involves a human side, including the admission of fear and scenes of domestic life, not in a sentimentalized version. This more complete and responsible depiction shows that there's not one single center to the war, just as there's not one single god for the Greeks.

    Read More

  • Misperception Theory Essay

    2625 Words  | 6 Pages

    While there are many theories one can draw upon to explain the background and outbreak of political conflict this paper will focus on the ‘Misperception Theory’. The prime objectives of this paper are to clearly document and explain the different facets of misperception theory, to effectively explore the various means by which decisions based on this theory can affect state policy and state welfare, and to reveal how exactly the misperception theory can aid scholars in understanding how and why conflict erupts. This paper will utilise the misperception theory to illustrate how, and why, the US and Great Britain overestimated the military pedigree and threat of the Saddam Hussein governed Iraq. Their misperception of the situation ultimately resulted in the two superpowers combining forces and invading the Gulf state in 2003.

    Read More

  • justifying war

    3468 Words  | 7 Pages

    In the end we have to make a choice. We can either be for or against but all in all it is not up to the general public to make the decision. It was much easier to write on Earle’s essay because it was more distinct than and not quite as ambiguous as Govier’s. It makes perfect sense to me that honor and pride do outweigh the problems with warfare. It seems quite efficient that all three ethical concerns can be drawn into each essay with one being the superior. I also may have been biased in writing this essay because of my standpoint so it is important to take that into account. In conclusion, I do not change my view on the topic but do hope we can solve our conflicts with minimal bloodshed.

    Read More

  • full metal jacket

    937 Words  | 2 Pages

    through the eyes of one soldier and they both seriously glorify war and make it

    Read More

  • War With Iraq

    1075 Words  | 3 Pages

    What does the United States have to gain from a war with Iraq? Supporters of a war with Iraq say it will help prevent the risk of an attack by a weapons of mass destruction developed by Iraq. Critics of a military action that say nothing will be gained, and the U.S. just wants to obtain the oil that Iraq controls. They claim that casualties will be too costly for America to afford. Nonetheless, America should act while others will not for fear of disturbing global peace. Iraq poses a “clear and present danger” to the security of the United States and the security of countries around the world.

    Read More

  • Ethics in War Are Necessary

    815 Words  | 2 Pages

    (Peter S. Themes. The Just War. The politician and the soldier have a common goal: to win the war. But there is a difference in their mindset. The politician, safe behind his desk, has never experienced the fear and terror of being in battle.

    Read More

More about Dove and Hawk View of Iraq War

Open Document