The war in Iraq has definitely been a major topic of discussion among the America people for a very long time. It is important to understand that this issue had a lot of people divided when it came to answering the question of whether or not America should invade Iraq. Although the war has ended, when discussed today, there is still a level of division after the fact. When dealing with matters that affect a wide range of people and their well-being, especially in government, it is very crucial for those in leadership roles to align themselves with the principles of ethics at all time. In the case of the war with Iraq, there came a point when some of those in leadership, began to focus more so on their personal wants …show more content…
Bush became president in 2001, he appointed Rumsfeld to be Secretary of Defense and Wolfowitz to be his deputy (Stillman, 2009). He also appointed the Chief of the Defense Policy Board, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy and a host of others to serve at the pleasure of him. Majority of those whom Bush appointed into an office, were in favor of a war with Iraq even before he changed his mind and took on that same idea. Although there was a lack of evidence, they all collectively pushed the idea of the war and in turn forced many people who were in lower offices to jeopardize their creditability in the offices they held. On the other hand, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice and James Baker, Secretary of State, all expressed reservations about the war from the beginning, but even more so when they could not find any evidence of weapons of mass …show more content…
It also demonstrates how important ethics are and how not following those principles can cause your credibility and trust into question, particularly with the American public. Elected officials appoint administrators who select other individuals and entrust them with public resources to pursue goals and objectives that serve the public good. These elected officials, their appointees, and others selected to work in bureaucracy are public servants. As long as the behaviors of these groups are consistent with official rules, regulations, and the pursuit of objectives that serve the interest of the public, one can say that the trust placed in the hands of these officials is being satisfied (Mitchell, 1996). Many can argue that Bush and his administration did what was right to protect the country, but others can argue that although starting a war with Iraq may have been the “right” thing to do, is it still considered the “right” thing when factoring in the ethics or lack there of? Whether you agree or disagree, it is important to understand the importance of ethics and how crucial it is to the decision-making