A nice walk through Central Park is a great conclusion from a day of touring New York City. On a particular evening late in August, I decided to take advantage of the warm summer breeze and the fiery sky.
Yet the serenity of my Sunday stroll would quickly be replaced with a melancholy mood as I ventured past the water fountain, only to find myself staring at a panoply of penny-loafers, sandals and black military boots encircling the perimeter.
The 1,000 boots present each represented a fallen soldier from Operation Iraqi Freedom; each contained a simple white name tag bearing the owner's name. The civilian shoes represented only a diminutive sample of the over 10,000 Iraqis who had perished in the war. Onlookers walked solemnly around the shoes, imagining the bodies that once filled them, as diverse and eclectic as the inhabitants of New York City.
"So this is the price of war," I imagined as I stared over the sea of shoe laces, leather and rubber soles. It is the cost of fighting a war that has split a nation and confounded the world.
According to a CNN/USA Today poll (Question: Do you think it was worth going to war in Iraq?), 76 percent of respondents answered "worth going to war" on April 9, 2003. The same question was asked just weeks ago, and this time only 49 percent agreed. The coalition forces have been fighting bullet for bullet, grenade for grenade, but this cannot be only strategy to fight the terrorist adversaries.
The United States should be doing more to stabilize Iraq economically, socially and politically. The 9-11 Commission Report highlighted the economic malaise of many Middle Eastern countries, beguiled by the greed of their aristocracies who hoard much of the oil revenues, and prevent others from reaping the benefits.
In the Arab world the rich stay rich and the poor get poorer. As the report noted, "these state centered regimes placed their highest priority on preserving the elite's grip on national wealth."
The unprogressive and fragmented governments impede economic growth, and provide few opportunities for its people. In addition, the lack of women in the workforce greatly limits a country's gross domestic product, and thus hinders a nation from growing to its full potential.
The report also goes on to review other factors that negatively affect the region, including a population surge due to an increase in the number of births (coupled with a decrease in infant mortality rates).
As the population booms and the economy grows worse, the obvious result is unemployment and poverty; Arab nations became embroiled with radical forms of Islam that preached abhorrence for non-Muslims and martyrdom.
The U.S. invasion of Iraq has only added to these conditions and is providing a breeding ground for terrorists. Iraq is now infested with insurgents wreaking havoc, murdering civilians and beheading others. The economy remains at a standstill.
Of course we can fight fire to fire, bullet to bullet, but will the quandary of terrorism truly be solved? Kudos to the Bush administration for dethroning a tyrant, but does it have a solid plan for the future of Iraq?
Upon learning of the attack on the Pentagon, President Bush said, "Sounds like we have a minor war going on here. ... We're at war. ... somebody's going to pay." This cowboy attitude proves that our commander in chief reacts on emotions and gut feelings as opposed to more prudently exploring all possibilities and designing a well-thought out strategy.
Whether or not one supported Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq is in dire need of assistance. A bush is removed by getting rid of its roots, not by simply cutting its branches. The United States needs to focus on uprooting the ideology of hate and destruction by reforming education, and by building communities.
Terrorism thrives in areas of poverty, where education is lacking, and the only teaching is that of anti-American rhetoric.
It should be the priority of the next administration to revive Iraq economically, restore international deference to the United States and play a more active role in engaging Arab leaders to participate in both Iraq and the region.
Guns and firefights only temporarily alleviate terrorism, while social, educational, political and economic reform are long-term solutions.
We need to carefully examine the reconstruction of Iraq and put together a more cohesive plan, or the number of black boots and the number of children's sandals encircling the Central Park fountain will steadily increase.
Matthew Kozar '06 is a business economics and urban studies concentrator. He is on The Herald's business staff.
