In Wednesday's New York Times, a familiar headline returns to the frontpage, stirring up old sentiments and regrets, "In New Confrontation with Iran, Path to Iraq is Again in Spotlight." Staff writer, Scott Shane, refers to Powell's powerful speech delivered in Feb. 2003 to the United Nations on Iraq's alleged nuclear activity as a "dazzling performance." "Then a long and costly war began and the country discovered that the assertions that Iraq possessed illict weapons had been completely unfounded," writes Shane.
Shane draws a connection between the past allegations against Iraq and the current allegations against Iran. He calls those who view this news with "fool-me-once skepticism" as "anti-war activists." As a citizen who been witness to the tragedy of 9/11 and the subsequent governmental actions that led to the Iraq war, I find myself questioning the certainty of this new information gathered on Iranian nuclear programs. Shane himself asks, "is the United States repeating the mistakes of 2002?" I wouldn't necessarily call myself an "anti-war activist" though I am skeptical and this is where I think Shane goes wrong. I come from a military family and have lost a family member to the Iraq war. I do not readily think myself biased towards either side, but I believe it is a responsibility of every citizen to question the actions of government. I also think its a responsibility of readers to approach new ambiguous information with skepticism. If anything, this is what I've learned from the headlines of the past 8 years or so.
Otherwise further in the A section, on page A5 "China Adds a New Feature to Phones: Patriotism." How funny and eerie would it be to pick up your phone, dial your number and hear a patriotic ringback tone? How about if an American dailed his phone and heard "Star-Spangled Banner" ringing back? Users have the option to change the ringback tone at no added cost if they choose to, but is it a daily dose of China pride or a patriotic invasion of personal space? People's Republic of China, anyone?
Shane draws a connection between the past allegations against Iraq and the current allegations against Iran. He calls those who view this news with "fool-me-once skepticism" as "anti-war activists." As a citizen who been witness to the tragedy of 9/11 and the subsequent governmental actions that led to the Iraq war, I find myself questioning the certainty of this new information gathered on Iranian nuclear programs. Shane himself asks, "is the United States repeating the mistakes of 2002?" I wouldn't necessarily call myself an "anti-war activist" though I am skeptical and this is where I think Shane goes wrong. I come from a military family and have lost a family member to the Iraq war. I do not readily think myself biased towards either side, but I believe it is a responsibility of every citizen to question the actions of government. I also think its a responsibility of readers to approach new ambiguous information with skepticism. If anything, this is what I've learned from the headlines of the past 8 years or so.
Otherwise further in the A section, on page A5 "China Adds a New Feature to Phones: Patriotism." How funny and eerie would it be to pick up your phone, dial your number and hear a patriotic ringback tone? How about if an American dailed his phone and heard "Star-Spangled Banner" ringing back? Users have the option to change the ringback tone at no added cost if they choose to, but is it a daily dose of China pride or a patriotic invasion of personal space? People's Republic of China, anyone?
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