The United States of America officially got involved in World War I on April 6, 1917 – exactly 100 years ago. At the time, the United States had desperately tried to stay neutral, but loyalty to Britain, the Zimmerman Telegram, and the sinking of German U-boats proved to be the final straw. World War I produced over 38 million military and civilian casualties. There were 50 – 80 million casualties due to World War II.
The possibility of a third world war has been looming over our prospective future since Donald Trump was elected into office. This man has offended nearly every nationality, created strained relations with countries we once considered allies, insulted and goaded on ISIS, and perhaps most precarious and terrifying of all has declared an airstrike on Syria. What could this mean for us?
As a result of a chemical attack on Syria by the Assad Regime, the U.S. military launched 59 cruise missiles at a Syrian military airfield. The initial chemical weapons attack killed at least 100 people. Usage of chemical weapons has been banned by the UN for its inhumane and devastating results.
However, attacking Syria at a time like this could mean devastating results for the United States. A lack of evidence to prove the Assad regime administered this chemical attack paired with the fact that Syria is a great ally of Russia makes for a terrifying predicament. Assuming the Syrian government does have a hold of chemical weapons, the U.S. could have just made a grave mistake. There were alternatives to this situation that Trump could have picked — the first being to take the time to find all the facts, not simply spurring violence with more violence.
Furthermore, if President Trump decided to initialize this airstrike to protect Syrian civilians, then why has he banned them from the United States? The impending concern of a world war is enough to terrify us, but these Syrians are living in this war zone every day.
Trump’s motives do not add up and unfortunately, we may not have the time to decipher them if the situation escalates.
For those who hoped that Trump could not cause too much damage in the White House, I was one of you as well, and I tentatively had my fingers crossed. But as our commander-in-chief, he has all the power to make the most impractical and dangerous decisions affecting our country. As an American, I am tired of taking the consequences of decisions made by an unqualified government leader.
If the murder of Serbian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was enough to start World War I and led to 38 million deaths, what’s to say that this attack on Syria, unstable relations with tentative allies, and angering Russia, will not lead to another World War — this time with much more qualified, technologically advanced, and potent enemies?
