This week Adam Lowther shared a piece entitled ‘Five Reasons Not to Attack Iran‘, focusing on how unilateral invasion would be strategically difficult given the US’s exhausted military and Iran’s legitimate military and intelligence capabilities.
Lowther’s list leaves much to be desired, as the author seems convinced that engaging Iran would be more desirable were it easier to accomplish. That said, I’d like to offer up five more reasons not to go to war with Iran:
One – It Costs Too Much. The wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere have cost American taxpayers close to 1.3 trillion dollars. For a nation struggling with poverty and unemployment, this fortune could have helped out a lot of people back home.
On top of this, hundreds of thousands of lives were snuffed out, and millions more had to flee their homes. The costs, in terms of human suffering, are incalculable. All the more reason to avoid war with Iran for as long as other options exist.
Two – War Breeds Extremism. The chaos and disruption caused by prolonged conflict benefits no one more than violent, radical ideologues. Destabilizing Iran will only fuel more anti-Western sentiment, and this serves no one’s interests (except maybe for the Defense Industry itself).
Three – Iranians are Just Like Us. Underneath superficial differences, like culture, language and religion, the majority of Iranians are regular people. They share similar hopes, dreams and fears, and, just like us, most of them simply want to raise their families in a secure environment. Rather than bombing and killing Iranians, we can help by empowering their communities so that the Iranian people can eliminate extremism from within.
Four – It Doesn’t Work. There’s no proof that America is any safer now than 10 years ago. The populations of Iraq, Afghanistan (and the other US-bomb riddled nations) certainly are no better off. Unless you are a shareholder in a corporation that either profits from a lengthy armed conflict or gets to divvy up the conquered assets, then war has not and will not help you out at all.
Five – We Should be Done with War. We aren’t cavemen chucking spears anymore. It’s the 21st century. Engaging in armed conflict with Iran, like with all wars, would inevitably cause humankind to hurt itself. We are supposed to be an advanced species, so let’s start acting like one.
Don’t wait until our Armed Forces get stuck in another decades long quagmire with no practical exit strategy. Let your voice be heard right now. Say no to war with Iran!
Just a few moments ago during today’s question period, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, in his trademark condescending tone, danced around the question as to whether or not Canada’s military role in Afghanistan will be extended beyond 2014.
