While the international Chemical Weapons Convention has banned chemical weaponry from being used in war, it has not stopped some countries from using chemical warfare. During the Iraq war, the United States invaded the city of Al-Fallujah in 2004. This invasion took place because America believed that Iraq was stockpiling chemical weapons. To invade a country in hopes of protecting the world is a noble cause. However, during the battle, the United States made a crucial error in deciding to use chemical artillery rounds carrying white phosphorus. While it is often used to create a smoke screen, the side effects of this chemical results in deep tissue burns that are extremely painful. It is often extremely difficult to put out the flames because it is a fatty like substance. This makes it difficult to save anything that catches on fire because of it. These effects are gruesome; yet, the United States find it just to use the chemical because, under the international Chemical Weapons Convention, it is classified as an incendiary, with the likes of napalm. For America to attack a country with chemical weaponry while attacking that country to discover if they have weaponry is truly a tragedy. The hypocrisy is devastating to America’s appearance in the international …show more content…
In doing so he poses another question. That question is “What principles and values rule the world?” Now this question is perfect to apply a critique to the American way of ruling. Though burdened with hypocrisy, America is still a global influencer. However, situations like these previously given must be minimized if not ended completely. If America refuses to hold itself responsible for its flaws, then the global community will no longer look to America as a role model. In order for America to preserve its spot as a superpower in the world, it must first hold itself to the standard it holds the rest of the world to an end its hypocritical