"The Self Absorbed Bully..." and "The Chinese Watching..." Response

In regards to “The Chinese Watching the War…,” I was very surprised to know the Chinese had not experienced war so closely on TV because of the tight control on the media by Chinese government. The Chinese media grew tremendously during the Iraqi invasion due to the support from the government and a growing TV viewer audience interested in the war. The Chinese position on the invasion is unique but similar in regards to our previous reading with Iran. It has become even more obvious to me that a country’s history plays a crucial role in the decisions its leaders make.  Just like the Iranians, the Chinese feared America’s imperialistic role in the world. However, for the sake of a growing export market in America, they agreed to remain somewhat “neutral” in the invasion effort.

However, I am extremely critical of the way the Chinese media made a spectacle of the war effort. Who had the best weaponry? What battle tactics were used? When and where would the US forces strike next? While the Hong Kong media was indifferent, the Chinese media played upon the war situation for their own benefit. Despite being “neutral,” they tried to gain as much as they could out of the war. It is insensitive to the lives people lost on September 11, to the Iraqi civilians, and to American soldiers. This kind of mockery is not acceptable.  

In regards to “The Self Absorbed Bully…,” I agree with President Lula that America was wrong in invading Iraq without the consensus of the United Nations. I often think America meddles in everyone’s business. America has power and it should not abuse it. Quoting from the movie Spiderman, “with great power comes great responsibility.” I agree Saddam is at fault for abusing his own power. However, America shouldn’t be emotional in making its decisions because obviously, America recently had suffered a great loss on September 11.

Furthermore, I believe that oil was a major reason why America invaded Iraq. Just like Brazilians, my family in Pakistan thinks the very same of America and are actually more aggressive in the belief that America is after the oil. That is why literally all of the Middle East is in shambles today. Whosoever controls the Middle East, controls all the oil riches in the world. In all honesty, I found that anti-Bush song pretty entertaining. Maybe Bush did sell the bomb to Iraq and then invaded it on account of weapons of mass destruction. The United States is always giving out money, weaponry, food, and supplies to other nations. Who knows? Also,  it is interesting how the writer noted George W. Bush was continuing what his father had set out to accomplish in the early 1990s.

In addition, Brazil’s concern over the end of the United Nations is logical. If one nation, particularly a powerful and influential one, decides not to abide by the rules, then more nations will start to abuse the United Nations.  Everyone is responsible for his or her own actions. I actually wonder if there were some actions taken against the United States for invading Iraq without UN approval. Or was there no punishment because America is so powerful?