Iraq Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Iraq Memo - Essay Example Katrina victims, requiring nothing more than 2.5% of the total cost of the war to date, in relief aid, have not been granted those funds due to the unavailability of resources (Becker and Posner, 2004). In other words, the economic cost of the war is such that it is adversely affecting the quality of life in the country and capacity of federal and state governments to extend much need services to their populations. Iraq war has incited anti-American sentiments across the world, including in Europe. As Albrechtsen (2007) quotes a European thinker and writer, Markovitz as saying: "European anti-Americanism is becoming an unprecedented Europe-wide lingua franca †¦ key mobilizing agent for a common European identity.† Defense analysts maintain that troop levels in Iraq and Afghanistan are â€Å"sapping’ American military power and undermining its capacity to effectively defend the mainland (Conetta, Knight and Murphy, 2004); and Apart from the political implications of the economic and the national security concerns cited in the above, the argument for a phased withdrawal from Iraq is further predicated on a set of domestic political concerns. Central to these concerns is the divisive nature of the war. The war in Iraq has divided the American people and, in so doing, has transformed the very concept of political debate and differences of opinion in this country, into conflict. While divisions and disagreements are not new to American society, they have only reached their present heights in very few instances, such as the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War (Black and Black, 2007). This means that the very concept of national unity and cohesion, such as which make nations strong and ensure social stability, are being undermined by the Iraq War. This, in itself, is a strong and powerful indicator of the

World Trade - Global Economics in the 21st Century Essay

World Trade - Global Economics in the 21st Century - Essay Example In the United States, trade deficits with China have soared as American products are unable to compete with the less expensive Chinese imports. American agricultural exports of corn, soybeans, and wheat reach markets all around the globe as vegetables from Chile and Mexico fill our supermarket shelves. Trade is everywhere and world trade seems to be a chaotic mix of goods and money, commodities and cash. However, world trade, administered under regional trade agreements and the World Trade Organization, are actually rather well-orchestrated transactions with rules, agreements, quotas, and regional trade organizations. A central component of the agreements on international trade is the World Trade Organization (WTO). The WTO is the "only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations" (What is the WTO?). The WTO was established in 1995 as a successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The GATT evolved as an international forum for establishing fair trade guidelines, negotiating agreements, and settling trade disputes. The biggest accomplishment of the international forum is that it has "dramatically lowered both tariff and non-tariff barriers around the world, creating freer trade and contributing to postwar world growth" (Democratizing the World Trade Organization). In addition, the WTO has addressed the issues of quotas and subsidies that give nations an unfair advantage on the world market. The 153 members of the WTO have agreed to non-discrimination in regards to tariff levels among the member nations, and have agreed to treat them all equa lly. The WTO is simply an organization that works to liberalize trade and reduces the barriers to international commerce. The vast amount of world trade is conducted under the WTO and is regulated by a set of agreed-upon principles. All members agree to treat all other members equally.