The War in Iraq should be THE major issue for 2008
As the 2008 presidential campaign has evolved over the past few months certain issues have come to the fore: the economy, the environment, health care, and the War in Iraq. Their import seems not to be dictated by the candidates themselves but rather by the media pundits analyzing them.
The deepest undercurrent of the election is assuredly the War in Iraq and its global consequences. These include those who have been killed, wounded, or displaced as a result of hostilities; the international political estrangement of the United States; the impact of its domestic economic costs; but most of all what the war suggests about the American sense of morality.
The basic question of the 2008 election is “What Kind of Country are We?” Are we a country that accepts huge economic and social differences between rich and poor? Are we comfortable as one of the wealthiest and technologically developed countries with a dysfunctional health care system? Can we ignore pressing environmental problems?
Finally, how can we ignore the impact of the present on the future?
The impact of our cavalier bravado and paranoia will be felt by future generations. We ignore our immoral behavior at their peril and ours.