Jacob Terkel

A One Sided Coin

This Essay is a revised version of my argumentative research paper for my English 101 class. I was very happy with how it turned out, so I decided to revise it slightly and post it to my blog, I hope you find it interesting, informative, and maybe even enlightening. In addition, I also added a single paragraph, not part of this essay, but very pertinent to the topic, about the now-defunct 1776 commission.

After the Second World War came to a close and Germany surrendered, thirteen trials were held against Nazi party officials for “crimes against peace and crimes against humanity” in Nuremberg. This was something new for the world, as every trial that had been conducted for war crimes beforehand had been in accordance with a national court, not an international one(Nuremberg). These trials were very important for the world as it made genocide and other inhumane acts punishable by international court. So, if any country were to ever attempt such things in the future, the nations of the world would surely punish them. But that isn’t always the case. Especially for the more powerful countries. When a country is as powerful as China or The United States, it is hard to check their military authority. This can lead to America breaching the international code set in place all these years ago without punishment, and it happens far too often. Furthermore, because America is such a patriotic country, its long history of war and interventionism in other countries, as well as our own, is a relatively unspoken topic in American mainstream media. This lack of discourse and discussion regarding the topic of American wrongdoings in schools and in general debate is only harmful and destructive to the people of America.

George H. W. Bush is not often regarded as a great president. One of many things that marred Bush’s presidency was the Gulf War. For those who have never heard of the Gulf War, it was a year-long conflict which begun after Iraq invaded Kuwait. The United States intervened as Kuwait was one of the States’ main oil suppliers, and the United States is very protective of their oil. Though the Gulf War was short-lived, the United States made the most of it. The United States persistently bombed Baghdad, Iraq’s capital, which was home to over 100,000 civilian victims of the United States Army(Aman). By this point in history, there was international code in place to prevent countries from committing war crimes as vile as killing such a massive number of civilians. But that is not all, the infamous “Highway of Death” cannot go without mention. In late February, Iraqi forces began their retreat from Kuwait, but regardless of this, the United States bombed them. This resulted in thousands of deaths of a nation that had basically surrendered(Chediac). After hearing all this, it is easy to dismiss it as conspiracy. After all, how could there not have been a Nuremberg-esque trial against the United States after? Well, the States won the war, and being the most powerful nation on earth, the only power that could hold them accountable was themselves, and they refused. The war was also somehow twisted into a moral victor for the United States. Of sixty-seven articles written about the gulf war, and suggesting an international trial for atrocities committed in the Gulf War, a mere six suggested that the United States should be tried(Scott). Despite powerful and influential people, namely Ramsey Clark, trying his best to achieve peace with Iraq and expose the atrocities committed by the United States, his efforts are largely unrecognized when discussing the Gulf War today. The Gulf War is not the only instance of media silence when it comes to the United States military though. The destabilization and the cold war against Cuba, the Contra war in Nicaragua, and many more all received next to no negative coverage(Scott). America’s education system teaches the youth of the heroism of the States in World War II, yet they ignore the terrorism they committed in the middle east. Now, I am not suggesting that the heroism of United States’ military is left forgotten, but that both sides of the coin are acknowledged. When only the good or the bad of a story is taught it leads to indoctrination. This process is not only a horrible teaching practice that fails to foster critical thinking skills but a danger to the world as a whole(Miner). Indoctrination can cause a whole generation of people to become unconditionally and violently nationalistic, regardless of what moral code is violated.

Another topic that is especially important when discussing the United States’ military history is the double standard. A frequent claim I come across when discussing topics such as ISIS or Al-Qaeda with others is that they torture and murder prisoners. While this is true, and I agree that ISIS and Al-Qaeda are in the wrong for such things, it is essential to know that the United States, and specifically the CIA, is no stranger to torture. In the early to mid 2000s, the CIA had developed and approved so called “Enhanced Interrogation Techniques” which is a fancy way of saying torture. These techniques range from sleep deprivation to literal waterboarding(List of). One alleged Bin Laden conspirator, Abu Zubaydah, experienced many of the worst techniques employed. Zubaydah was deprived of sleep for more than 72 hours at one point, but no more than 11 days. A variation of “cramped confinement” was also approved to be used on Zubaydah where he was forced into a very small room with an insect, which Zubaydah was afraid of. On top of this, Abu Zubaydah was also waterboarded a shocking 83 times at the very least(List of). The United States barely ever receives any backlash for practices such as these, while other less powerful countries could face years of bombing or occupation. Another such double standard comes up when examining incidents such as the September 11th attacks. While yes, the 9/11 terrorist attacks are war crimes, an attack on the civilians of another country, the United States retaliation by bombing and drone striking the middle east was just as vile. But what comes of such double standards? Sure they are hypocritical, but who cares? Well, you should care. These double standards foster xenophobia, for example, people who have fallen victim to this become scared of middle eastern people because the only thing they know about the middle east is how bad Al-Qaeda is. Another instance of xenophobia caused by the United States military is the anti-Japanese propaganda that spread during World War II. Out of fear that Japanese Americans were stealing nuclear secrets from the United States, thousands of them were forced into internment camps simply for their nationality(Frail). It is clear that the United States Government has the terrifying power to turn its people against a certain ethnic group at any moment, but does that not sound familiar? When in history has a country’s majority become hateful of minorities because of the government? Sounds a lot like Nazi Germany to me, and regardless of who you are, republican, democrat, or none of the above, that should scare you.

Three, the Vietnam War. If there is one thing American history teachers all agree that the United States shouldn’t have gotten involved with, it's Vietnam. A war allegedly launched to stop the spread of communism. Ignoring the interventionist motives, there is still a lot to be discussed in terms of America’s wrongdoings in Vietnam. It is common knowledge that the Ho Chi Minh Supply Trail that ran through Laos and Cambodia was a very important aspect of the Vietnam War. Because the trail was vital to the success of North Vietnam, the United States military decided to launch a bombing campaign against it. We learn about all this in high school, but one thing that is often left out of the story is that more bombs were dropped on Laos during the bombing campaign than the entirety of the Second World War. Many of these bombs landed on Laotian villages killing thousands of civilians, and even today, some bombs lay undetonated and kill unsuspecting people decades later(US Committed). The reason this is all so important is something I have already mentioned; this is not taught in schools. As I mentioned previously, it is vital that both the good and the bad are shown when learning about history. When only one side of the story is presented it prevents the student from being able to foster critical thinking skills and they will take whichever side they are presented as fact. In this case, a student could never learn about the atrocities the military committed, and in turn, believe that whatever America does is right. This is obviously a very dangerous idea to propagate through people. Even on a personal level, this kind of teaching can drain one’s individualism from them, and it is another reason why knowing America’s history of war crimes is so vital.

So far I have covered the importance of acknowledging the ugly side of American history in a school environment, but it extends far past that. Even American adults are surprisingly lenient of war crimes. In a study conducted by Stanford professor Scott Sagan, he found that almost 50% of Americans were willing to excuse war crimes committed by soldiers as long as the war was deemed “just”(De Witte). Before I explain why this is so important, I think that it is good to reflect on what a war crime even is as the phrase starts to lose its meaning after it’s repeated use. War crimes are defined under the Rome Statute to be a violation of the Geneva Conventions, such violations include torture, the taking of hostages, or other violations like the killing of civilians that are not under the Geneva Conventions(United Nations). War Crimes are really serious, and one great way to make sure that is understood is imagining if they were committed against our own people. If another country more powerful than ourselves slaughtered innocent civilians by the thousands, there would rightfully be issues. This is why it is so upsetting to see headlines like CBS’s “Marine gets no jail time for Haditha killings,” which details how a squad of United States Marines were able to get away with murdering nineteen civilians in Haditha, Iraq. While yes, the marines did express remorse at their actions, but the fact that they went unpunished save for a rank and pay reduction sets a terrifying precedent. By not holding the Marines accountable, it tells the people that actions like those are acceptable, which they clearly are not. Part of the reason these soldiers get off so easy is the lack of media coverage on their wrongdoings. This is due to the fact that American media is very pro-America, and without critiques to balance this bias, the media becomes a dangerous echo chamber that keeps America’s image clean for its people. Although this sounds good in theory, some may wonder where they should get their news if their current source isn’t trustworthy. Well, don’t stop watching CNN or Fox News, that’s not what I’m saying. My suggestion is to use other news sources in addition to mainstream news, just so that you stay informed, and that’s really the critical part, being informed. As an informed American citizen you will be able to formulate your own thoughts on issues important to you and those around you.

So while talking more about America’s flawed history clearly can prevent indoctrination, foster critical thinking skills, promote individualism, and help everyone become a more informed citizen, it is important to recognize how immensely significant these benefits are to our country as a whole. Each and every one of these are important aspects of being. Preventing indoctrination allows for students to distance themes from the group and be creative free thinkers and innovators. Students will critical thinking skills become the next generation’s problem solvers. People with a greater sense of individualism will be the leaders of tomorrow. A country of informed citizens allows for the country to better select its leaders. This lack of information is only holding our country back and to become the greatest America we can be, the void of information must be filled. As far as I know, regardless of where people lie politically, they almost always want the best for people, and taking the steps to balance the bloated heroism of America’s history with its burdening evils is exactly that.

In Light of the 1776 Commission, I would like to add a note here as well. While this essay may seem somewhat similar to its ideas, I denounce the vast majority of its contents, as it fails to ignore the reality of what is being taught to our youth. It is pseudohistorical and indoctrinating, and I hope that my essay helps you see that President Joe Biden's decision to dissolve the organization was for the best. American Education, as it stands, is largely focused on our accomplishments, and not our faults. Former President Trump's commission twists that into a racist, sexist, and freedom suppressive doctrine.