Why did the US get involved with ANY war in the 20th/21st centuries? Practical answers, NOT philosophical!!?
138706
Try this for size. ECONOMICAL reasons. The war machine is a multi-billion dollar industry.
1081296
The US basically started the UN!  The US pushed for other countries to join the UN during the Cold War and now must accept what it has helped implement.  Can you Neocon Conspiracy theorists get over yourselves?  The UN is not a demonic institution that was prophasized in the "Bible" or a creation of the former Soviet Bloc countries!  Geez...
371457
Hear of it? lol! Turkey was (not all that long ago) one of the biggest and longest running superpowers on Earth!\n\nBear with me, and I'll explain what I mean as briefly as I can: A lot of people don't get what the two world wars were all about.  Some young and silly might think these wars were mainly about the Jews!  Others might guess that it was Germany, Japan and Italy (for a while) against everyone else.  Probably the best way to understand the two biggest wars the planet has ever seen is to consider what the world was like before and after.\n\nWe all know that the USA ended the world wars with the first weapons of mass destruction: the two Nuclear Bombs.  The ONLY time these have been used.  The US Americans joined the war late and took advantage of the global situation to further their own aims -- the USA wanted rid of Imperialism.\n\nFunnily enough, AFTER the world wars, there was NO imperialism left. None at all!\n\nTURKEY before the world wars was a superpower that had been around for almost a thousand years and was known as THE IMPERIAL OTTOMAN EMPIRE -- a massive and influential Islamic/ Moslem empire involved in the Crusades.\n\nThe US Americans saw off The British Empire, The Ottoman Empire, The Japanese Empire, the Chinese Empire, The Austro-Hungarian Empire.... etc.\n\nAfter the US Americans rid the world of the evil empires, they turned to the evil Communists and started the 'cold war', as Communism is much reduced by the end of the USSR (in large part due to Ronald Reagan's Star Wars etc), the US Americans have trouble looking for an evil enemy to oppose -- the are presently fighting 'Terror', but it's mainly another Crusade (Christian vs Moslem).\n\nTurkey was one of the oldest civilisations, certainly one of the cleverest -- it is a stunningly beautiful country of amazing history and cities -- and is now part of The European Union. And rightly so, what an influence on Southern Spain's architecture, music, food etc.\n\nIt has a climate similar to Italy and Greece, and has been extremely popular as a tourist destination for Brits in particular for many years because it has hot weather, exotic bazaars, counterfeit goods, great beaches, kebabs (of course), and is reached by plan in a couple fo hours!\n\nIt is certainly well worth putting on your places to visit before you die list.
1106850
This is a great question.  One that more people should be looking into. After all the US has used its power and authority to in so many other areas, why not here?  Should the US get involved?   \n\nBy your knowledge of it, the US is involved (I wonder how many atrocities there are going on around the world, in our own country, that we are completely ignorant of).  Do we have the resources to get involved militarily?  Is there a clean cut side we can take to ensure that we are on the right side or are we just going to tip the scales and allow the current underdogs in the battle gain strength so they can inflict injustice on their oppressors.  How about if we take a military position in our own inner-cities to stop gang violence?\n\nI think the US involvement now in Iraq is a good example of why military involvement in Africa would not be a quick answer or provide a lasting resolution for the struggle.  As in Iraq now, there will continue to be fighting and insurgents that will use the most extreme forms of geurilla warfare to resist.  Even if it should quiet down, once US has eased its posture, it will once again resurface.  \n\nThe US had a similar situation after our own Civil War.  Northern troops were sent into the south to ensure the emancipation of black slaves and to oversee the reconstruction of the south.  However, when they were removed, the Jim Crow era of the south took hold and it has been has taken over 100 years of struggle to break that hold (and some would say its not over yet). \n\nIt has taken the changed hearts of Americans to bring about change in our nation.  And that is what it will take in Iraq, and Africa.  Only when the people cry out as one to stand against injustice will they begin to see change.  Right now I doubt that Africa is ready to make that step.  Its going to take behind the scenes efforts to make that change.\n\nIf US is going to be involved, I think it is going to by way of its private citizens sacrificing themselves to go to Africa to educate, care for, and empower Africans to pursue peace.  Many will continue to die in the process, and it is going to be a long road.\n\nAlong the idea of education, however, I pose this question...We have taught around the world that man is the product of evolution.  Through evolutionary process stronger species have continued to subjugate or wipe out lesser species.  Who then are we to say one tribe does not have the right to subjugate or wipe out another tribe?  Perhaps we are educating them wrong.
409244
military is a tool. like a hammer, its used for force when all other options are exhausted. origonally it was strictly for defense only. war is profitable to the few who have the power & authority to wage it. entangling alliances is always the excuse to get into war, profit is the motive. somehow we strayed from individual liberty to a proactive intrusionist mentality.
1008857
The US military is certainly the most advanced and superior in the world.  However, the same was true for the British army in 1776.  It sometime comes down to a matter of will and determination and the willingness to make tremendous sacrifices (imagine millions of casualties).  I don't know if the US population is as prepared for this as it could be.  Not to be generalizing, comfort, lifestyle and convenience has less value in China than in the US and they certainly have many more people to sacrifice in a war.\n\nIt doesn't help matters that we purchase so much of what we consume from them (speaking of China) and that we owe them trillions of dollars as part of our national debt.  This puts us in a vunerable position economically. In 20 years when the oil really starts to run out, it may be in their interest to "put us in our place", and will use every means possible, I believe.
1099887
The US had a presence there since 1950's, even before that if you count the OSS operatives during WWII. Our involvement was to stem the tide of Communism, and also to step in to fill the gap after the French were leaving to comply with the Geneva Accord of 1954. \n     In the context of the times, fighting Communism was a more important and justifiable pretext than oil. \n    It seems apparent that actual motives changed and got muddied as the scope of involvement became lengthy. \n    In the end, US objectives are actually beginning to be realized, and that area of the world moves to more of a self determined free-market based economy. It is a shame that there had to be so much suffering of the general population AFTER US withdrawal to see this come about. \n     I have read memoirs and interviews from former Viet Cong of how they were immediately disenfranchised when the South was overrun, (and they were on the same side as the North, and did much of the dying at the hands of the US!), so one can imagine how bad it must have been for the remainder of the population.
653074
The Ultimate War... However, one cannot assume that just because a country has a nuclear warhead they will use it... They haven't yet. America was the developer of the nuclear bomb, and we are also the only ones to have used it in a war (i.e. WWII). And we used it twice... Cuba is screaming at us, "Listen to me! We have nukes!" But they won't do shit with them. Russia, the Cold War, this Long War... All just government propaganda to get you to go along with gas prices and avian bird flu. Pride is not about nationality, it's about being a human being and being alive, for that matter... Just because your country says that you have a nuclear bomb doesn't mean they're going to use it... Just save it for a rainy day, I suppose. Just so that when everybody is dropping the bomb, that one little country (we'll call it Kerplakistan) can join in and not feel left out. If every country had a nuclear weapon, though, America would be bombed first, and we have more nukes than there are countries in the world! In conclusion, it may bring world peace, world destruction, or a wholly new world order.
182756
Last time America played the Isolationist game we had two World Wars.\n\nAdditionally, America hasn't gone after "oil that doesn't belong to us," or at least not in the way that produces "terrorists." We get about 10% of it from the Middle East and the rest for S. America and the S. Pacific. Curiously, far fewer would-be terrorists come from those areas.\n\nHowever, Freedom isn't an isolationist philosophy. If we believe that all men are created equal, how can we enjoy our freedom while we know that there are those who are still enslaved? Are we to believe that only American's deserve freedom, that we are somehow better than everyone else and thus those other people do no deserve the same freedom that we enjoy? If we do nothing to help these people, then aren't we consenting to their enslavement by means of our silence?\n\nNo country is allowed to remain on the world stage for ever; nations rise and fall. America has this one chance to do something good for other people with its power and though we may fail, at least we can say we tried. Greece, Rome, Babylon, Persia, Media, The Merovingians, the Carolingians, France, England, Germany, China, none of them can say the same.
258718
I think war is a very important part of our lives and especially the economy. The only reason for patriotism and the desire for peace comes from war, hate, and killing. The Second World War jolted America from the Great Depression of the 30's to the industrial wonders of the 40's and 50's. If there was no war, there would be no democracy because arguing is a verbal war, and pits brothers against one another. Some say the only way to have complete world peace is to be run under either a communist government or monarchy. But others would then get restless and brew up another war. As long as there is life, there can be no such thing as world peace, it is in all creatures nature to fight others either different or similar for survival and power. So there is really no reason for all the fuss about world peace. It isn't going to happen until all life is destoyed. The term pacifist then, according to nature, means "fool bent of the destucrtion of all life". Not exactly what they profess, is it?
32799
i dont know why war comes,,i think u should ask the american citizens because they voted for their leder ..and every leder has a habbit of bombinb and occuping other countries such as japan-vietnam-iraq-afghanistan-....etc (long list)..\nsolution is just dont meddle in other countries affair..ARNT U ALL HAPPY IN america????if so then stop bombing countries
413727
The US started this war?  Where do you get your facts from?  I thought it was because S.H. wasn't playing by the rules set forth from the U.N.
921016
people seem to forget that back in the 80's we were allies with Iraq and Saddam Husein . the links i have given not only show you this but give detailed info. \nhttp://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article2038.htm\n  \nall most every country that we have gone to war or had some type of military involvement with has come back to bite us in the butt.
996238
i always that the wordl needed a war counrtry.  that way, we could just go there and fight and not wreck houses and stuff.....................  i suggested part of Africa as its big and theres a lot of suffering going on there........we could buy part of it and help out the people at the same time.
713452
The 20th Century was a time of great change.  It was also a time of great turmoil.  World War I, World War II, The holocaust, The invention and use of atomic weapons, The Korean War, The Veitnam Conflict, Civil Rights Riots and Lynchings, The drug culture, The beginning of the Aids epedimic, The wholesale murder of millions of people around the globe in places like South Africa.  The great music and movies of the 20th Century may well have been an artistic attempt to deal with a very unorganized and frightening time in our history.  Many people theorize that great art grows out of turmoil.  I hope and pray that the 21st Century be a time of greater peace.  You are right to say we are not off to a great start.  But even with the tragedy of this war on terror we find ourselves presently in, it does not compare even remotely to the carnage of WW I, or WWII.  I pray it never catches up.  We have an opportunity to build a better world.  Freedom, equality, peace, no more hunger.  Now that would be truly awesome!  It didn't happen in the 20th century.  Will we make it happen in this century?  I hope.
376256
That is a very open ended question.  \n\nAfter WWI America was in a economic depression.  A very strong isolationist feeling was prevalent throughout the land.  America fought in WWI and even though we won, we really received no benefit from being in that war.  When the new war broke out in Europe the American people wanted nothing to do with it.  \n\nAmerica's greatest ally (England) was in danger of losing the war, but we would not help.  We were helping economically and providing arms, but no military.  \n\nIt was not until Japan attacked us that we started fighting back.  The President used the attack on Pearl Harbor as an excuse to start helping England.  If Japan had never attacked us, We may have never gotten involved, and the world picture would be completely different.
228109
times without peace are always setting us back in terms of progress. not only do wars physically damage the earth and the buildings of a place, they also do severe and often intergenerational psychological damage to people who are subjected to it. (soldiers and civilians alike.) it causes a rippling outward wound that takes years and years to recover from. \n\ni wonder what certain countries would be like if they hadn't suffered under years of warfare?: Afghanistan, Cambodia, Iraq, Somalia... \n\nalthough technology often moves forward as a result of wartime funding, there is often great wastage of money which would be better spent on raising the standard of living. just look at the defense budget of the US, ponder the numbers of corporations and public officials who are subsequently caught for stealing that money one way or another, and then look at the education budget. \n\nif people truly believed in peace, if they stopped looking at the world through "gotta get mines" kinda glasses, then maybe we could stop wasting our time always always trying to recover from the five steps back we just took.