Free Reading Post 5 (Violence in America)

"Crime can never be eliminated... But it can be controlled, if criminals are regarded as volitional entities, fully responsible for the consequences of their actions" (266). This chapter basically wraps up the book as a whole. It says that criminals must be arrested and convicted in a timelier manner. Violent criminals are allowed to be free on bail before their court date. The justice system must also become a lot stricter with their punishments. Many prisoners are let off early and they don’t serve their full jail sentence. I believe that the current method makes the just system seem weak, and flexible. In order for the justice system to act as a deterrent to potential criminals, law enforcement must be much more firm with their punishments. This will keep violent criminals off the street, preventing them from committing a violent crime again. By making the justice system stricter, dangerous criminals will be kept away from the public, and it will also deter future criminals.

Free Reading Post 4 (Violence in America)

“Serial murderers have all reported feelings they could not control, voices whose urgings forced them into criminal acts, or sensations from deep within their minds” (212). There are mental diseases that exist which cause people to be unnecessarily and inexplicably aggressive. Rage can build up within a person, which they must take out on others in order to satisfy it. This chapter argues that it is not American society which influences this behavior, but it is mental disorders, which is a natural thing, and it is currently out of human control. Medication has been created to deal with anger and aggressiveness issues, but it doesn’t work all of the time or for everyone. Unfortunately controlling serial killers is an out of reach goal, but that is why the justice system must improve itself so it can effectively arrest and punish these individuals. However I believe that the punishment for a serial killer must be punished differently compared to an average murderer. If it truly is a condition that one cannot control they should be placed in a highly secure mental institution where they can receive proper treatment, and they are not a harm to themselves or other prisoners.

Outside Reading Post 3 (Violence in America)

“The present system is based on the idea that [juveniles] can be rehabilitated and yet fails to provide deterrents, structure, and supervision” (143). This chapter is titled The Juvenile Justice System Encourages Teen Violence. The author is very critical of the juvenile justice system, and she is basically calling it hypocritical. She says that the juvenile justice system claims to strive to rehabilitate juvenile criminals, but it doesn’t provide the necessary elements. After a juvenile is punished, they are sent on their merry way, when they should be under strict supervision, and shown reasons (deterrents) why they should not continue to commit crimes. In my experience I have seen multiple students in my grade get arrested for possession of drugs, DUI’s, or other crimes. These crimes lead to violence and it is also unsafe. They have been arrested and served their punishment, yet they continue to use drugs, and commit other crimes. The justice system must find new ways to discipline juveniles, that are much more effective. By finding a way to deter children from committing these crimes, they can prevent them from becoming more dangerous criminals when they get older.

Outside Reading Blog Post 2 (Violence in America)

“The evidence from decades of research shows an almost linear relationship between economic deprivation and serious crime” (42). This chapter explains that a person’s socio-economic background will influence their likelihood to commit crimes. The more desperate situation that a person is in, they will do more to get by, that includes stealing, or selling drugs. More often than not, these types of crimes lead to violent cases of assault, or even murder. I order to decrease the amount of crime among minorities, and decrease it overall; the government must help those who live in neighborhoods that suffer from poverty. I believe that more government money should go towards improving desperate neighborhoods, and less money towards wealthy communities. By increasing the effectiveness of the schooling system, people in these poor situations can increase the chances for them to succeed, and stay out of trouble. Also by increasing the amount of security in these areas it deters possible criminals from committing these crimes, and it also increases the chances of bringing criminals to justice. The government must focus on helping those in poor socio-economic in order to prevent crime and violence in America.

Free Reading Post 1 (Violence In America)

"The Criminal Justice System Contributes to Violence"


"Criminals repeatedly slip through our 'criminal justice' system and victimize innocent citizens time and time again" (37, Violence in America). This chapter pointed out the many flaws in the American justice system. It has examples of criminals who have been released from prison within a time span much shorter than their sentence, and shortly after they are released they commit another violent crime.

This chapter raises a good point, which I find myself agreeing with. Many violent criminals are likely to repeat their actions after being released. Criminals are allowed to be let out on bail after they are arrested and they remain free until a jury finds them guilty after their trial date, and it takes a while for the trial to occur. The justice system must make corrections so more violent criminals remain imprisoned for longer periods of time, in order to prevent them from committing these crimes. If the justice system becomes less lenient, criminals are less likely to be released early from prison, and they don't have a chance of committing these crimes again. Also by maintaining a more strict prison sentence, prison will act more as a deterrent to violent crimes, since criminals will know that it is not as easy to slip through the prison system. I believe that the only way to combat the amount of violence in America is to create more deterrents. The way to this is by creating much more strict prison policies, as well as tighter restrictions on criminals with a violent history.

Marketplace of Ideas 5

Today I continued my research about renewable energy sources. I found a very helpful article on "Gale Opposing Viewpoints". It explained the different types of energy that can be used along with their benefits and their flaws. As of now I believe that I will take a stand that involves a combination of renewable energy sources, since it seems that a single source is not possible due to multiple factors like, location, cost, and consistency. I think that I have found enough sources and information where I can start working on my abstract and the rest of the project.

Marketplace of Ideas #4

Today I began looking for sources. So far I have found several articles on "Gale Opposing Viewpoints" and I also found some helpful information on the website for "An Inconvienient Truth". I found tips for the everyday person to get involved and reduce their carbon footprint. I found the different alternative energy sources that I will use. They are wind, solar, hydroelectric, biomass, geothermal, wave-tidal, and nuclear power. I will study each of these energy sources in the next few days and I will choose the source which I think is best for the world to use.

Marketplace of Ideas Post 3

Today I found several sources to use for my project. I also found at least 5 alternative energy sources that I will be studying. This includes wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, and nuclear. I will study each of these five energy sources, and learn about their pros and cons. I will then take a position on which is best based on factors like safety, efficiency, pollution, cost, and others. I will point out the flaws in the current energy system as well. I may also add more energy sources if I come across them.

Marketplace of Ideas Post 2

Today I worked on my proposal form for the Marketplace of Ideas. I chose to research and take a stance on the issue of alternative energy. I will be focusing on alternative energy to fuel homes, offices, schools, and the rest of American society, as opposed to alternative energy that would run cars. I chose this because I found Al Gore’s film An Inconvenient Truth very interesting, and I wanted to learn more about the topic. I will use the film and the book as two of my sources.

Market Place of Ideas, Brainstorming

Today we began working on the Market Place of Ideas. This is a project where each student finds an Issue in America that they find interesting, and that they want to express their opinion about. Today in class we were given the opportunity to search for a topic that we cared about. I began the brainstorming process by looking the recent news articles. I also went to the websites of Frontline and 60 Minutes. While I was at these websites I looked for videos that caught my interest and videos with topics that I wanted to learn more about. I have not made a decision today but I have several topics in mind which I am thinking about using. These topics are alternative energy, marijuana legalization, gun control, drinking age, regenerative medicine and education reform. I am going to continue to search for topics and make a decision by Tuesday.

Race in America contd. Exploring Further Questions

As I was looking through the articles that Mr. Kramer asked us to read, this one caught my eye.

Blacks better off during slavery?

Rep. Trent Franks, a Republican from Arizona, told video blogger Mike Stark of StarkReports.com on Friday that blacks are “more devastated” today than when they were enslaved because of the high rate of abortion among some blacks.

Franks said slavery “is a crushing mark on America's soul, yet today half of all black children are aborted. Half of all black children are aborted. Far more black children, far more of the African American community is being devastated by the policies of today than were being devastated by the policies of slavery."

(According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, black women get almost 40 percent of the country’s abortions, even though blacks make up only 13 percent of the population.)

Said Mike Stark: “To be fair, Congressman Franks is as sincere as he is conservative.

The issue of life never falls out of first place in his legislative priority list. I don’t believe for one second that he intends to insult anyone; I don’t think he sees the racism (or paternalism) in what he’s saying. Still… This is pretty bad.”

I was astonished that Representative Franks would say that. How could someone believe that Blacks were better off during times of slavery? Blacks were forced to work without pay, they were brutally beaten, and they were sold like animals. They had no freedom, education, or opportunity. In 2012 blacks share the same rights as whites, even though they are still faced with prejudice and racial bias. One cannot assume that a large group of people is more devastated based simply on abortion statistics. Many other factors such as socio-economic status fall into place in a statistic like the one that is used in this article. Perhaps more black people cannot afford to have a child or they aren’t ready. Also if black people are living in areas of higher crime rates, these abortions could be the result of rape. Abortion is a choice; these people are not being forced to abort their child, or to give birth to them. The choice to get an abortion is the result of many factors such as socio-economic status, culture, family history, and health background. It is simply not fair, and untrue to assume that blacks were better off as slaves, than they are as free people.

Affirmative Action

Should race be a factor in college admissions?

I believe that it is fair for colleges to consider race during the admissions process, but it cannot be the deciding factor, and it can't be used negatively against an individual who is being considered for admission. The law requires that colleges have a specific reason, or a goal that they are trying to accomplish in order to use race as a way of considering an individual for admission, which was stated in the opinion from The University of California V. Bakke. "We have held that in 'order to justify the use of a suspect classification [i.e. in order to discriminate on the basis of race], a state must show that its purpose... is both constitutionally permissible and substantial, and that its use of the classification is 'necessary... to the accomplishment' of its purpose. (Opinion from University of California V. Bakke). If a school is trying to increase the amount of diversity among its student population then it is permissible for them to take race into consideration during the admissions process. The opinion also says that "countering the effects of societal discrimination; increasing the number of physicians who will practice in communities currently underserved; and obtaining the educational benefits that flow from an ethnically diverse student body" (Opinion from University of California V. Bakke). Race can only positively affect a person’s chances of admissions which are acceptable because no prejudice, or racism is being used during the admissions process. Schools are also not allowed to place quotas on the amount of students that come from a certain ethnic background. These are acceptable reasons for race to be considered during the college admissions process, because race can only affect someone’s chances of admission positively.

Reaction to Terrill Swift

On the 14th our class had a guest speaker names Terill Swift visit us, and he spoke to us about wrongful convictions. Mr. Swift was wrongfully convicted for the rape and murder of a Chicago woman. He spent over 15 years in prison, and he had to spend several more years on parole, and in and out of prison before he was finally exonarated by the state. He was arrested as a 17 year old when police brought him in for questioning. Mr. Swift orignially thought that he was being accused of hiding someone out, which he was not, but thats what the police had told him and his mother. He was then interrogated and verbally and mentally abused by the police. Then the police told him that if he signed a document he would be free to go home. Mr. Swift signed it, but what he had actually signed was a confession to the rape and murder of this woman.Three more teenagers were convicted for the same crime. While he was in prison Mr. Swift worked towards proving his innocence and with the help of NorthWestern University he eventually succeeded.

I was shocked by his story. I couldn't believe that the police would stoop so low, to the point where they would arrest an innocent teenager with no criminal history. I admire how Mr. Swift has made it his goal to educate youth, and the rest of the society about wrongful convictions, instead of being bitter about it, which he has every reason to be, but he wants to make sure that nothing like this happens to someone else. I hope that those police officers who were invoved are punished, and that Mr. Swift recieves some sort of compensation for what he went through, because the actions of those officers was inexcusable. For a time I was considering a career in law enforcement, but I decided to go into another direction. I hope that by educating the youth about wrongful convictions that Mr. Swift can make an impression on the future authorities so they won't do anything like this.

White Like Me: Response to Denial

I would agree that being white in America is a huge privilege, but whites refuse to acknowledge the darkness and injustice in Americas past, and they use stories like George Washington and the Cherry tree to give America a more noble appearance. By refusing to acknowledge the darkness in America's past, whites also deny that they are privileged because of their skin color. “Whites in order to maintain a sense of ourselves as good and decent people, living in a good and decent society, have been compelled to deny, deny, deny when it comes to racism” (64). I agree with Wise. Whites always seem to try to leave the racism in past, and they claim that it doesn’t exist during our time. I always hear other white students in my school use the n-word, of course they don’t mean it in a hurtful way and they try to use it in a way that identifies someone else as a close friend, but they don’t realize the racism and hate that exists within that word. Wise brings up a point saying that Americans refuse to acknowledge the slavery or Indian genocide that happened during the course of American history. White Americans try to glorify the actions of the people who instigated these horrible events “because no fabrication is too extreme in the service of patriotism and national self-love” (68). Wise continues to say “if you bring those kinds of things (slavery and genocide) up, you’ll be accused of hating America” (68). But when topics of racism and genocide are brought up it seems that white Americans ignore the past. “it is only when those who were the targets for slaughter and destruction in that past insist on having their voices heard that suddenly the past becomes conveniently irrelevant” (69). Whites seem to ignore, or deny the fact that they are very privileged, because of their skin color, by trying to manipulate history in order to give America a more noble and righteous appearance. Whites try to hide behind Americas seemingly righteous history, in order to ignore the fact that being white is a privileged and blacks and Indians faced violence and oppression for hundreds of years, and that racism still exists today.

My entire life I have lived in Deerfield, which is a predominately white community, so I haven't run into many situations where I have been able to compare my privileges to those of a black person. But this lack of exposure can be damaging to the youth of Deerfield, and society. Every day I hear other white kids in school use the n-word, which I think is just unacceptable, but I don't think that these other students realize, or perhaps even care about how hurtful the n-word is, and the pain, suffering, and hate that exists at the roots of the n-word. The white kids think its okay to use the n-word because it’s used throughout media. I mostly listen to rap, and nearly every black rapper on my iPod uses the n-word in their music, and I always hear the n-word being used by black comedians or actors in there comedy or television shows. Society has become desensitized to the n-word because we constantly hear it throughout our lives. Without a significant presence of black residents in Deerfield I feel that it is difficult for the white kids to come to the realization that the n-word is a very hateful word to use. "The Deerfield Bubble" has left many of us in a state of ignorant bliss where we rarely see racial dilemmas or confrontations because of the lack of integration in Deerfield.

"If I Were A Poor Black Kid" Article Response

I do not agree with this article. Black students living in an area have limited resources, and they are not the best resources at that. I'm sure many black students are motivated to succeed, but it takes so much more motivation to achieve this. I'm going to compare Deerfield High School, which is one of the top schools in Illinois to an inner city school. A student from Deerfield High School has things much easier than a student from an inner city school. Deerfield is an extremely wealthy community, and its schools, citizens, and libraries have access to state of the art technology (smart boards, laptops, projectors, databases, college career and resource center, science materials, etc.), which makes learning, studying, and succeeding much easier. The teachers are paid extremely well, and the student body and staff is kept safe. Students in Deerfield do not have to work nearly as hard as students in an inner city school, because they have all of this working towards giving them the best possible education. In an inner city school students most likely live in dangerous neighborhoods where the commute to school is dangerous, and even the school isn't always safe. Inner city schools do not have the technology that is readily available at Deerfield, and neither do their libraries or homes. The staff isn't nearly as well paid in an inner city school, as the staff at Deerfield.

Gene Marks said that if he was a poor black student he would go to the library and study every day, he would constantly study and work his hardest to get out of that situation, but I don't think he realizes the severity of that situation. I don't know what growing up in the city is truly like, but I have an idea, and Marks made it seem much easier than what I believe growing up in the city would be like. These students have so much working against them, that I think it isn't a lack of motivation among them that is keeping them from succeeding, because I'm sure they want to succeed. But they must be mentally broken. Going to the library and school can be a dangerous commute, and they are constantly surrounded by drugs and gang violence. They must spend so much time worrying about their own lives and the lives of their loved ones that have no time for studying. These students also don't have the resources available to them, which students from Deerfield have.

I agree with this response to Marks' article. (http://ideas.time.com/2011/12/15/if-i-was-a-middle-class-white-guy-writing-about-being-a-poor-black-kid/) Marks truly doesn't know what it is like growing up as an African American in an impoverished community, and neither do I, but I realize that only a person who has grown up in that situation can truly know what it is like.

IAT Test

Stereotypes and prejudices will always be a part of human society. Even if we consider ourselves to be accepting of other cultures and races, there is always a primitive, unconcious prejudice that exists within all humans. My results on the Race IAT test said that I showed a slight automatic preference to European Americans over African Americans. I hit the space bar sooner for a picture of a white person, than a black person. This surprised me because I believe that all people should be treated equally, and someones skin color, religion, or culture shouldn't be a source of hate. I think that the roots of this prefernce are where I was born and raised. I have spent my enitre life in a town where the extreme majority of people are white, but one of my best friends is black. I feel that if i was friends with him my tests may have leaned more towards white people simply because I had been spending my entire life in a community that consists of mostly white people.

Rick Perry Political Ad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PAJNntoRgA

I recently saw this political ad for presidential candidate Rick Perry. This ad really bothers me, not so much that I consider myself more democratic and he's a republican, but this ad seems ultra conservative. It seems to be condemning homosexuals and the freedom of religion, even though our nation was founded on the beliefs that all people were equal, and everyone had the freedom to follow any religion that they choose. If homosexuals want to serve in the military and protect their country they should have every right to do so, without hiding who they truly are. Perry also mentioned that children can't openly celebrate christmas in school. But schools can't force christianity upon students. And in Illinois students are given the moment of silence which is about 20 seconds for students to pray, reflect, or think during school. Also schools don't forbid students from openly celebrating Christmas in school. At DHS students will celebrate christmas if they want, but no one is forcing them to do so. This ad seems to violate the beliefs that this nation was founded upon, even though Perry claims to be fighting for those beliefs.

Outside Reading #5, A History of the World Since 9/11, Wrap Up

A History of the World Since 9/11 is a book about the significant events that led up to, caused, and were results of 9/11 and the War on Terror. It really helped me understand what happened during the War on Terror and how the government reacted. I felt that the most interesting chapter was the 4th Chapter "Groupthink 7075-T6". I enjoyed this chapter the most because I could relate what I learned during US History last year, and Psychology this year and apply it to this book. Groupthink occurred when the U.S. government failed to anticipate the attacks on Pearl Harbor, the escalation of the war in vietnam, and the bay of pigs invasion. It helped me understand that the government is always susceptible to groupthink. This chapter helped me realize that the American Government is mostly to blame for the events that occurred after 9/11, but they were also somewhat forced into it. The American Public was scared and was demanding a response and retaliation. The Government wasn't sure who exactly our enemy was, and as a result groupthink occurred. The government needed to act fast so all of the events like the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan occurred, and the U.S. government said that they believed that Iraq was in possession of weapons of mass destruction. IT needed to find a solid reason to invade Iraq and search for the Taliban, even though they weren't sure who supported the Taliban, and where they were.

Outside Reading #4, A History of the World Since 9/11

Chapter seven is titled Friends in Low Places, and it begins with a quote from George W. Bush. "All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you." - George W. Bush, January 2005. It seems at this stage in the war President Bush is trying to give the United States a "World Police" image. He is saying that the United States will protect the freedoms of people who are being ruled by ruthless or oppressive leaders, the United States will intervene and stop that leader, and spread democracy. This chapter was about the United States trying to make allies in the middle east so they could carry on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan to hunt down the Taliban and spread democracy in the middle east. The chapter talks about how Uzbekistan-American relationship was a complicated, but vital. Being allies with Uzbekistan gave America easier access to Afghanistan. "The United States-Uzbek Status of Forces Agreement had been a stopgap designed to get the United States into Afghanistan as fast as possible" (266). Having agreements, such as this, with middle eastern nations was vital to American operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The United States had many enemies in the middle east, but by making agreements with middle eastern nations the United States was able to set up more effective military operations, have a safe area for troops, they could open trade with these nations as well.

Outside Reading #3, A History of the World Since 9/11

The fourth chapter is titled Groupthink 7075-T6. Last year we learned about Groupthink during U.S. History. Groupthink is when a group of political leaders, who all share a common goal, get together and make poor decisions because there is no mediation or opposing force to weigh the pros and cons of a certain situation. The chapter mentions two quotes from American political leaders.

"Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction" - Dick Cheney, August 2002

"Fuck Saddam. We're taking him out." - George W. Bush, March 2002

The two most powerful leaders in our nation were convinced that the United States needed to enter Iraq and take down Saddam Hussein. In my previous post about A History of the World Since 9/11 I talked about how the United States had strayed away from its original plan when it first entered Iraq. I believe that the United States straying away from its original plan was a result of Groupthink.  The United States first entered Iraq and Afghanistan to hunt down those who were responsible for 9/11, and to serve justice. But after entering Iraq it seems that the United States realized that not only was the Taliban a threat to America, but so were nations like a Iraq that were ruled by tyrants like Saddam, and that Saddam could be supporting these terrorist groups, which caused the American battle plan to shift. The American government became a victim or groupthink because our leaders were so focused on bringing justice to those responsible for 9/11, and they used Saddam as a way to ease the American public, but they didn't think about the consequences that come with groupthink.

Invisible Children and School Chest

 Joseph Koney is an African warlord who brutally murders innocent people and children and he enslaves children and forces them to fight for his rebel army (LRA) through brainwashing and fear tactics. Invisible Children fights for the children and people without violence by spreading awareness of the situation, and providing shelter, resources, and technology that improves communication. They build radio towers to broadcast information about the LRA's location to warn African people, and to convince child soldiers that they can escape and return home because Joseph Koney convinces them that their community will shun them for what they have done, but these radio towers are a way to counter Koney's brainwashing. The organization looks to stop Joseph Koney through these non-violent tactics. Barack Obama has sent in 100 troops to hunt down and arrest Joseph Koney to put him on trial for some of the worst crimes against humanity.

I am very impressed by this organizations efforts and how much they have accomplished to help these people who constantly live surrounded by fear and violence. The crisis tracker is a very effective way to combat the LRA because it spreads knowledge about what is happening in Uganda, and the more people that know about the LRA's actions, the more pressure is put onto government officials to take action in order to stop Joseph Koney. I am very happy that DHS selected Invisible Children as the School Chest beneficiary because something tangible is being created through our efforts and money. Invisible Children is using the money we raised to build a radio tower to spread word about the LRA and inform people of danger, and it is also as a way to reverse the brain washing that Joseph Koney is doing on these children, by telling them that it is okay to go home and that they can escape the LRA. I support things like cancer or diabetes research but when we raise money for those types of organizations we never see results of our hard work. Invisible Children is building a radio tower with our money and that is a tangible result of all our hard work and money.

Abortion

1. NARAL - Prochoice America vs. National Right to Life
The NARAL website seems to be a lot more official that the National Right to Life Website. Each website has an image in the top left corner. The image that NARAL uses is a picture of the face of the statue of liberty, which has been a world wide symbol of freedom for generations. The website for National Right to Life is two circles and a flame in the center, which seems like a spiritual or religious symbol. The NARAL website is better because it seems more official and it has information about birth control, sex education, and healthy pregnancies. It is not forcing abortion onto women. It is providing information about preventing a pregnancy, safe sex, and it gives a woman information about going through with a pregnancy or getting an abortion. The information is also easy to see, its in bold red letters on the left side of the website. Since NARAL provides information for abortion, or having the baby. This side believes in giving woman options, and it doesn't force a certain belief on them.

2. Parents should have a right to know if their daughter is having an abortion, but they should not be allowed to consent in it. Their daughter has the right to her body, and she should be the only one making the decision about her body. But her parents should have the right to know about it because an abortion is a medical procedure, and it can be dangerous. The parents should be able to know about their daughter receiving an abortion because they will be able to guide their daughter through the process in a responsible manner, and they can provide their daughter with financial, physical and emotional support throughout the process.

3. The father should not have the right to consent to an abortion. If a woman cannot bare the physical burden of having a child, or they cannot financially support a child, she shouldn't be forced to have a child. The father should be notified so he can discuss all options with the mother, and they can make a rational decision together since it is both their child.

4. Illinois does not allow abortion, I disagree with  I would legalize abortion in Illinois, and make contraceptives more accessible to people.

Outside Reading #2, A History of the World Since 9/11

Chapter 3 is titled The Wedding Party and it begins with this quote.
"We did not start this war. So understand: responsibility for every single innocent casualty in this war, whether they're innocent Afghans or innocent Americans, rests at the feet of the al-Qaeda and the Taliban." - Donald Rumsfeld, December 2001

This chapter is about how the United States entered Iraq and Afghanistan, and the original plan that the United States had when the war first began. "The White House's plan called for a 'light footprint' in Afghanistan. Special Forces and the CIA would infiltrate the country, recruit allies among the Taliban's enemies, then use them - together with the wholesale application of US air power - to take the country. Once the Taliban was gone, the Afghans would rebuild their nation themselves. The United States would assist, of course, but not with troops." (page 89).  Its interesting to read this quote now that the war in Iraq is over. The United States did not really follow this plan. Troops were deployed in both Iraq and Afghanisatan, and both sides have suffered tremendous casualties without very many significant and positive changes other than the death of Osama Bin Laden, the Capture of Saddam Hussein,  and the long process of rebuilding a nation under a democracy, and even after the United States left Iraq the democracy is very fragile. I believe that Rumsfeld's quote from the beginning of the chapter is unfair. The United States entered Iraq and Afghanistan to search for those responsible for 9/11, and to search for  weapons of mass destruction. After the United States confirmed that there were not WMD's in Iraq the country began searching for Saddam Hussein and trying to create a democratic government in Iraq. The United States goal in Iraq was no longer to find the Taliban and both sides suffered many casualties, which is the United States fault because it did not stick with its original plan.