The State of the Union is a Disaster:
The Speech George Bush Should Make Tuesday Night
Exclusive to PJM by Jules Crittenden
Don't bother standing up or clapping, any of you. I already know who won the election, and I know how you feel.
I come before you tonight not to make amends, not to make it good, curry any favor or find any middle ground.
I am, more or less, a lame duck. You’ve had your 100 hours of party time. I know. I won’t get any legislation passed without some major bottom-kissing. Maybe something on illegal aliens. That health insurance thing I’ll be talking about later tonight is pretty much for show. I know it isn’t going anywhere. A proposal to raise middle-class taxes for a healthcare plan you don’t even want? What was I thinking?
None of that really matters. Not now. Those are peacetime issues we’ve been bickering about for a long time, and I don’t expect we’ll resolve them anytime soon.
So what is the best thing I can do tonight? I can tell you the truth. What none of you want to hear. What you’ve been stopping your ears to. The ugly truth.
The State of the Union is a disaster. I did my best, but I made mistakes, and my best wasn’t good enough.
We went to war without building up our army, and now, I am trying to make up for that.
But that is not the disaster.
The disaster is that you, Congress and the American people, do not care to fight.Faced with a fundamental challenge to our own security, to everything we believe in, to the world order to peace and security for which we and our parents fought so hard for so many years, you now want to pretend like none of these threats are real. You want to surrender to the evil I have been telling you about. An evil that, unchecked, can consume large parts of the world and threatens to usher in a dark age.
You didn’t like it when I talked about evil. Sounded too simple, too uncompromising, too moralistic. Too … biblical.
I don’t know what else you call people who fly passenger jets into office buildings; who rape women in front of their husbands and children, and execute their opponents in acid baths; who seek to spread tyrannical and archaic religious regimes that enslave women and stifle fundamental freedoms. Who want to dominate the world’s primary oil fields with nuclear weapons.
I call it evil. Works for me.
I’ve heard all the comparisons between Iraq and Vietnam. George Bush’s Vietnam. The myopia is astonishing, even for me, George Bush, who you all think just isn’t that smart. But I learned something in school: People who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Didn’t you learn anything from Vietnam? Didn’t you see what happened when your predecessors in Congress, disgruntled and responding to public opinion polls just like you are, voted repeatedly to undermine an ally that was fighting for its survival and making headway against evil? There, I’ve said it again. Millions of people were murdered or imprisoned.
And then, those who wished us ill … the evil-doers … evil, evil evil … took advantage of our weakness.
The Soviet Union, evil personified, invaded Afghanistan, knowing we’d do nothing about it. Iran defied all international norms, took our sovereign embassy and held our people hostage for 444 days. They knew we’d do nothing about it. It was a massive humiliation we have been paying for with our own precious blood ever since.
Where do you think this war we are now engaged in started, anyway? Just ask Osama bin Laden, veteran of the Afghan war against the Soviets, what lesson he learned from two decades of American appeasement and withdrawal in the face of provocation.
Now, you want to negotiate with two of the world’s primary sponsors of terrorism, who are directly involved in support of the terrorists who murder our soldiers. You want to make an arrangement by which we will exit Iraq, and leave it to them. To loot, to murder, to fight over, while the rest of the world’s evil regimes look on, see our weakness, and plot their own moves.
You can try that, with resolutions, by cutting spending for troops in the field, as you seek the short-term satisfaction of withdrawal. But I remain President of the United States, and as long as I am, I will be no lame duck in this fight.
I will engage evil directly where I find it, in Iraq and in Iran. With an aggressive and ruthless new strategy and a plan to build our army as we should have a long time ago, I will show the American people that we can fight and we can win. I expect that the American people, though misled by their press and many of their elected representatives, will see results and will get it. Because the American people are a people who in the end don’t give up, don’t stop fighting, refuse to lose, and will choose to win. I have faith in them.
Oh, there’s another one of those words you don’t like.
A nation that is not willing to fight for what it believes in, for its place in the world, is not worthy of its own ideals. But that is not America. I now intend to help America restore its faith in itself. By fighting this necessary fight that we cannot afford to lose.
So … are you with me, or against us?
Jules Crittenden is an editor and columnist for the Boston Herald.
Crittenden’s web page is at Forward Movement.
How serious Jorge Bush was about this war?
After 5 years he still refuses to name the enemy. Terror is a tactic, not identifiable enemy.
Jorge Bush refused to portect our borders.
Jorge Bush tied hands of our troops with his PC Rules of Engagement.
Since Jorge is not serious and is not going to fight war to win, why Americans should support continuing death and resource drain in Iraq without any purpose?
Faced with a fundamental challenge to our own security, to everything we believe in, to the world order to peace and security for which we and our parents fought so hard for so many years, you now want to pretend like none of these threats are real.
You mean global warming?
Fantastic!
mik,bathed,
I think that you two are the are light weight needle dicks, that
J. Crittenden was referring to.
Oh George Bush has named the enemy. He has used the word Islamofascists, radical Islamists etc. I know because whenever he did it he was criticized for it because most people just do not want to hear it.
Brilliant!
How do you e-mail this to the President?
One point for you all…
The U.S. Army has raised the age for non-prior service enlistment to 42.
So all you folks born since 1965 that think the war is a battle against evil and absolutely vital to win, now have the chance to put down the remote control and START FIGHTING it.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0906/p01s02-usmi.html
http://www.goarmy.com
If this is a double post I am sorry for the error.
Just want to emphasise the point, as long as people are being called
“light weight needle dicks”, that the maxium age for a non-prior service enlistment in the US Army or Army Reserve is now 42.
Anyone here want to actually practice the sunshine patriotisim that they preach, or are your typekey accounts writing checks your body can’t cash?
The time for a speech like *that* was over 5 years ago.
We did not get that then.
And now we pay the price.
I know a thing or two about “needledicks”.
They were the guys in school when confronted behind the gym would cover up, cower, cry, beg to not be hit and then pee their pants.
I’ve witnessed this so I speak with having seen such. Most libs/Dems/Progressives/needledicks fit right into this category.
Pity but you would be in position for quick removal of head. The terrorists would take no prisoners and would laugh at you.
I know a thing or two about “needledicks”.
They were the guys in school when confronted behind the gym would cover up, cower, cry, beg to not be hit and then pee their pants.
I’ve witnessed this so I speak with having seen such. Most libs/Dems/Progressives/needledicks fit right into this category.
Pity but you would be in position for quick removal of head. The terrorists would take no prisoners and would laugh at you.
</rant off
H’mmm, enlist, go to the Middle East and risk life and limb to protect the likes of Larry who presumes no one who supports the war has a personal stake in it, or stay home and watch Western Civilization die a horrible death.
I admit it. Sometimes it feels like a tough choice.
Eat a dick Larry.
If Bush is an evil warmonger, if it’s just blood for oil, if Islam is a religion of peace then why are you still here? You should be a human shield for Hamas! Or is your typekey account writing checks your chickensh!t ass can’t cash?
Sounds great…this is an annual exercise in futility though. Only a Leader would state something like this.
Unfortunately for the American people, we have no leaders in the political class today….perhaps that is our own fault, perhaps not. But the Country would belong heart and soul to the man/woman that would have the guts to stand and say something like this.
A wonderful speech. Perhaps if the President could speak so freely then the US and the world would start to realise what we are up against in this long war.
So tell us, Larry: if you can’t support the war unless you’re ready to go there and fight, can you support abortion unless you’re a pregnant woman?
Larry,
I fought in Iraq in OIF-1. I’ll likely go back in about a year or so. I support this war.
Do I qualify by your narrow standards?
I actually did what Larry recommends, and I assure you that he would ignore my support of the war just as much as he does that of the rest of you.
The chickenhawk argument is just another way of changing the subject.
Besides, I say better a chicken-hawk than a chicken-chicken any day.
Thanks for your service Russ. re: Larry. No you won’t qualify. When confronted by someone who serves his rocket scientist cohorts switch from “chickenhawk” to “baby killer”.
One wishes that if terrorists must strike U.S. soil, they’d hit a Starbucks or a faculty lounge because maybe, just maybe Larry would get it.
Because the American people are a people who in the end don’t give up, don’t stop fighting, refuse to lose, and will choose to win….A nation that is not willing to fight for what it believes in, for its place in the world, is not worthy of its own ideals. But that is not America.
………………………………..
Sorry, Pal. That IS America, and the American People, who’ve entertained themselves to death, HAVE given up..Notwithstanding a few thousand young people who are willing to die for their belief in what their parents gave up on a long time ago..Sad, but so it goes.
So people who would choose to use their brains to find diplomatic ways to combat terrorism are needledicks, while those who blow up cities and cause the deaths of over 100,000 innocent civilians and over 3,000 of their own citizens are heros? Yeah, right.
Well, the past five years of flexing our Bubba-clubba muscle has done nothing but increase by tenfold the number of terrorists, and by a hundredfold those who hate the U.S.
To follow the Bush Administration’s nonlogic to its conclusion, we must take over the entire Earth in order to protect our freedoms — obvious and pellucid stupidity. Bush’s brainless physical aggression has done nothing but raise up a much greater enemy than we had before. Will 20,000 more troops help, or 200,000? An emphatic No! They will only feed the fire.
Larry — been there, done that, got the DD214, the service connected disability, and twenty years as a VA out-patient. Rather than complaining about how we are not, go sign up yourself. You’re too old, now? So am I. Some mistakes are with you forever; being a Marine isn’t one of them.
Yes Bush did a lot wrong but at least he fought. When Ramsey Yousef and Abdul Rahman Yasin tried to murder upwards of 200,000 by toppling one Tower into the other nothing was done. When Iran took our Embassy hostage, an act of war, Carter did nothing. When 241 Marines were murdered by Agents of Iran operating under the Nom de Guerre of HezB’Allah nothing was done.
President Bush should have increased military spending to at least the highest point of the Clinton Years as a percentage of GDP. He should have hammered home all of the connections between Saddam and Terror. He should have viciously responded to those who declared him more dangerous than the terrorists.
Yes he should have done a lot differently but he got one essential thing right. He went after the terrorists…he finally took the war to them. Now the American people are showing their cowardice…and when we are watching in sheer terror as our cities are attacked by terrorists in the future we can look into the mirrors to see who is to blame…the cowards looking back at them. The cowards who though American Idol was more important than American Heros fighting for us.
Uh, George, how can you call this the greatest threat our nation has never known and yet only ask for sacrifice from the military class?
The disconnect between your words and your actions is almost as far apart as the space between your ears.
Gordon: Let’s be careful with the namecalling. I happen to be a “Rocket Scientist” (I help fly a satellite for a living) and I resent being lumped in with Larry and his cohorts. I also happen to be a veteran (retired) and a supporter of the war.
Russ,
Of course you qualify Russ. Good luck and God bless you.
I got my mobilization orders in April of 03. Went to Ft. Sill for retraining, then to Fort Huachuca for about five weeks of refresher course, then on to Ft. Bliss for a week to get my assignment. At first they were going to send me to Djbouti, but since I was an alumni of Ft. Huachuca I had a valuable skill or two, so I got lucky and didn’t go play in the mud and dirt. Instead I used a computer, got screamed at by Colonels a lot, but still spent 5 months in the sandbox. When I came back from my playtime in the sandbox and extended as a staff weenie for another 18 months. Demobilzed at Ft. Bliss. Been there, done that, got the oakleaf and the T-Shirt.
My point is that I am sick and tired of tough trash talk from guys who almost once though about enlisting. Apparently Islam is evil, America is doomed, the Republic is in danger and we are at WAR… and SOMEBODY ELSE needs to go do something about it RIGHT NOW, …and while they are out it would be really cool if they could bring back some more beer too.
And no Bunnies, the Chickehawk argument is NOT another way of changing the subject. The Chickenhawk argument is a way of pointing out the vast number of Chickenhawks out there, and in here.
I am sick of seeing guys getting their second or third combat tour extended, I am sick of seeing what that does to their families, I am sick of seeing soldiers choose between family and military service, I am sick of seeing Army families wind up in divorce court because the men are never there, and I am sick of seeing the reserves not making their recruiting goals while the Army raises it’s maximum enlistment age to 42 while thousands of tough talking chickenhawks sit around eating Cheetos and blogging at each other about how this war is so incredibly important that actually getting out of the recliner to fight in it ” Sometimes it feels like a tough choice”.
“To follow the Bush Administration’s nonlogic to its conclusion, we must take over the entire Earth in order to protect our freedoms”
This is probably the stupidest statement I have ever read in a comment section. To follow Kent logic, we should just surrender and convert to Islam since fighting them makes them mad at us. Just out of curiosity, what source do you have that says that terrorists have increased ten fold since the Iraq invasion? Last time I checked, Al Queda is a shell of its former self with most of its leaders dead or in prison with its foot soldiers being killed worldwide. Now there is no doubt that Islamic extreamism is on the rise mostly due to Iran funding groups like Hezbollah and Hamas but Bin Laden is Mr. Irrelevant reduced to making lame videos in a cave somewhere
The Founding Fathers notwithstanding, there is no “more perfect”. You can’t be better than best. You can’t be worse than worst. And, the terrorist threat cannot be greater than it was 5 years ago when the Islamists equivalently exploded a small nuke in NYC in terms of energy released and damage done. When do you fight, Kent? When do you stop cowering and moaning that you’ll only make the bad guys mad?
Uh, Jules….If Bush were actually serious about winning the war on terror instead of keeping it around as (what he thought would be) a political benefit, he would have held off on his precious tax cuts and sent in the kind of force to Iraq that it really would have taken. Bush was never serious about winning, in Iraq or anywhere. All he wanted was a political issue to take to the next election. 21,000 more troops won’t do it. 100,000 more might not do it (although there was a time, long since passed, when they probably could have). It actually worked for him for a while. But now everyone (but you apparently) knows what some of us have known all along — that this was never really about winning the war on terror; it was always about politics. So please stop insulting the American people for not being strong, serious, or resolute. They trusted this president and he abused that trust. And he’s not going to be able to get it back either, no matter what he says tonight.
Larry, you are way out of line and your argument is irrelevant. If you don’t want to be a soldier, don’t be one. But don’t go throwing a pity party imagining you know how a vast number of people whom you don’t even know are contributing to the cause.
OK, let’s look at what Bush will likely say tonight.
Energy security – he’ll push some pablum about switchgrass (ie biograss) again but that’s just for the utopians amongst us.
He will also come out with a crash program to build more nuclear power plants, and fast. Why is that important? Because we are poised to become as dependent on hostile suppliers of fuel for our electric supply as we are already for our transport fuel.
We are moving to become dependent on LNG for our electricity. If that LNG tanker doesn’t show up every two days, the lights will go out.
That program won’t solve our energy problems but it will PREVENT us having another vulnerablity, equally critical.
In my paranoid moments, I suspect that Gore’s global warming hysteria is about blocking domestic coal to ensure that LNG dependency.
Bush may also accelerate our nuclear hydrogen programs – ’bout time!
I have also seen how rough it is on military families. I know one couple who have traded years with their son–Dad spends a year in Korea, he gets home so Mom can spend a year in Afghanistan, and when she gets back, Dad goes off to Iraq.
What some people don’t realize is that as hard as this has been, every other war we’ve been in has been harsher, and the stakes have rarely been as high. Casualty rates are of course far higher than I’d like them to be, but they’re nothing compared to WWII, Vietnam, the Civil War, etc.
What bothers me about most anti-war folks is that they seem to have no grasp of what’s at stake here. The overall War on Terror makes more sense to some, but the Iraq theater matters, too.
If we leave Iraq prematurely, our enemies will be emboldened like never before. Osama said before 9/11 that the Americans are paper tigers, that in Vietnam, Beruit, and Somalia, even though the Americans had far greater firepower, they didn’t have the will to win.
Do we really want to prove him right again? Those who share his ideology are causing havoc from Thailand to London to Nigeria, and if we let them win in Iraq, it do nothing but embolden all of them.
If we back down again after losing 1% of what the North alone lost during the Civl War, our moment as a world power is over. Nobody will want to be our friend for fear that trusting us will cause them to get slaughtered by our mutual enemies when we loose interest. And our enemies will know that they can beat us everywhere without even winning a battle. All they’ll need to do is plant some random IED’s and they’ll beat us.
And believe me, that’s what they’ll do.
The major problem with America today is the fact that the same cowardly idiots who were demonstrating, rioting or running away to Canada during the Vietnam War (not “conflict”) are now running the country. The only reason John Kerry served was because, even then, he had his eyes on the White House and needed military service on his resume. As soon as he got back he (early , after cheating on rules which were designed to protect real heroes) immediately reverted to his true core chicken-shit belief that appeasement and running away from conflict equates to protecting American values. If I could serve in the armed forces fighting the terrorist threats to America I’d be in line tomorrow morning. I’m 61 years old. I enlisted in ’63 and served with the Marine Corps in Vietnam. I was called a lot of names by the chicken-shits back then and still get the same feedback when I express my support for the War on Terror (once again, it’s a “War”). Call me anything you want. Just remember that we had to fight to establish this wonderful country with the Revolutiony War, to make the world respect us with the War of 1812, to preserve it with the Civil War and protect the values that we held so dear in WWI, WWII and the Cold War. I’m ashamed of my generation. We were given so much and have wasted it with careless abandon.
So Joel, unless you see our leaders as being pure in heart, you do not believe we should act against those who threaten us? You anti-war goobs will throw up any argument and hope it sticks, but it is irrelevant to the issue at hand, which is, how do we confront the threat of radical Islam which has already killed more Americans on Americal soil than any war of the 20th century? Is there any chance you dopes could get serious for a few minutes and confront the real issue?
The problem with this speech is that it comes too late and is being made after too many blunders. Bush’s crediblity on the issue is nil. The tenor of the speech is correct but our strength has been sapped by the focus on Iraq when it should have been and be on Iran and Afganistan and even Syria (not to mention the source of extremism, Saudi Arabia.)
Apologies:
Skeptic, I’m sorry. Some of my best friends are rocket scientists.
Larry, You served. I’m shutting up now.
Kent – So people who would choose to use their brains to find diplomatic ways to combat terrorism are needledicks
No, people who refuse to recognize that no diplomatic solution exists are needledicks. You cannot debate with a man who will blow himself up in order to take a few women and children with him.
Bunnies – as hard as this has been, every other war we’ve been in has been harsher, and the stakes have rarely been as high
Exactly. It’s as if the hippie libs are angry that we don’t have gas and butter rationing. Their idea of hardship is cold Starbucks in the AM and they project this attitude onto all others. Being a soldier is rough, it’s also voluntary.
“Bush’s brainless physical aggression has done nothing but raise up a much greater enemy than we had before.”
That’s an empirical statement. So…
What was the number of Islamic terrorists before the Iraq war?
What is the number now?
Sources would be appreciated.
So tell us Kent, exactly how many terrorists are there? How many were there five years ago? How come liberals insult the intelligence of others while at the same time spewing out hyperbole as fact? Fact is, we have had no terrorist attacks directly against US civilians or assets in the past five years. (Unlike the 90′s where they occurred every other year). If there are ten times the number of terrorists, they must be 100 times less capable.
JOEL……
The tax cuts resulted in a robust growing economy and tax revenues have increased greatly as a result! It is you who insult the American people!Your ideas are disgusting and your output is puke. You do not speak for or represent the American people. I am an American and I totally disagree with you and yours. Obviously, I do not speak for the American people either. I speak for (and with) the ones who love life and liberty and are willing to fight and die to preserve and protect it!
I pray he DOES give the speech, so he can kiss his political ass goodbye.
“It wasn’t my fault. You people are cowards.” Good message!
Larry – I’m sorry, but I didn’t buy the chickenhawk argument from Republicans for Bosnia, and I don’t buy it now. We have a volunteer Army, and are currently meeting recruiting and retention goals. I chose to serve in the Army; others are serving in other ways, like educating our children, providing jobs, or healing the sick. Also, I wouldn’t want a society where you “had to serve” in the military, for that’s the prequel to a military junta. We are governed by the consent of the governed, not the consent of the military.
Kent – you are a fool for thinking that we can “negotiate” with the terrorists. We can no more negotiate with them than we could have negotiated with either Germany or Japan. It seems to me that you don’t want peace; you want to be spared war, as though the absence of war was the same as peace. It isn’t. true peace is not just the absence of conflict – it is the presence of justice.
Forgive me for thinking that there is not a diplomatic way to tell someone not to fly an airplane into our buildings or not to strap a bomb on either themselves or a pregnant woman(as happened outside of Haditha to friends of mine in April of 2003).
What a load of horse pucky. The American people are very willing to fight for what it believes in. It just so happens that we don’t believe in invading a country that isn’t threatening us, and when the CIC decides to do it anyway and creates a stinking mess, we don’t want to keep making the same mistake.
Htom,
Sincere thanks for what you did and what you gave up. God Bless and I hope the V.A. takes good care of you.
Bart
You lost me, owing to the fact that I was a soldier.
I don’t think I am out of line or irrelevant.
We live in a world where the Army HAS raised the maximum enlistment age to 42, where guys are getting their second set of Mob orders, and other guys are getting their second and sometimes third combat tours extended.
If you don’t want to enlist and are out there screaming “no Blood for Oil” that makes you a moron, but at least you are honest and consistent, and I respect that, even in a moron.
But if you were born since 1965 and want to run around the blogosphere being all “Hua-Hua-Hua” for the war, and the only uniform you have ever worn involved a paper hat and the sale of french fries I think you owe and explanation to the men and women who are being told to stick around Baghdad a little longer for this surge and that ARE serving and are 1-4 on the “being there for the kids birthday” and 3-7 on the “being there for the wedding anniversary”. I think you need to explain to them why THEY are getting called upon to sacrifice AGAIN while you sit at home reading spreadsheets and watching football.
I’m too old to serve.
In addition, I live in southern Arizona, near the southern front, so my priority right now is to defend against the invaders coming in from Mexico. And no, most of them are NOT fine people just looking for a job and a better life.
I’ve been wondering these past few weeks how the war would have gone if the majority of Americans, especially those who have access to the media’s soap boxes, would have come out early and loudly in favor of the war.
Just last night I watched the National Geographic Documentary on 9-11. It was a sobering reminder to watch the final five minutes as various people shared their views on what it was going to take to get America to be in fighting mode.
Right after that show was over, my husband and I watched 24, which was the first episode after the nuke went off in LA. At one point I turned to my husband and said, “I just can’t see Hillary or any democrat being able to handle this sort of a terrorist attack.”
And that is the sort of test that America and the next president will potentially have to face.
In the final analysis this is the test for our generation and the next few presidential administrations.
President Bush may have to yet deal with Nuclear Terror in his final two years.
And it is likely that our next president will have to deal with unimaginable terror in our heartland.
Question is, Do we want these future acts dealt with as Clinton Dealt with the first Trade Center Bombing and all of the other attacks on our citizens and troops around the world during his presidency?
Monica servicing the president under his desk in the oval office while our soldiers died.
Or do we want a response like we had after 9-11?
Complete Resolve and total Clarity.
Its a no brainer to me.
I don’t really care what he says tonight. He has been the absolute right man at the right time in our nations history. God Bless President Bush and God Bless our Troops!
Jenny Hatch
Larry,
You miss the point. We volunteered – that’s our job. Do I want to go off and leave my wife and daughter? Of course not, but it’s part of what I do. If I didn’t think going to war for extended periods wasn’t likely to be part of the deal, I should have either gotten out when my four years were up(in 1999) or never joined in the first place.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
It doesn’t matter what we think or our political preferences… the bottom line is the country has spoken – we’re not on the right road. Although we’ve made some advances on the ‘war on terror’ our overall failure cannot be ignored.
Following 9/11 we had a opportunity to solidify our position in the world as a leader and shape a global policy towards terrorists etc… Instead we focused and assisted in the capture, trial and execution of thugs who had nothing to do with 9/11 (and we can’t even do that without screwing it up). As a result we’re caught in the middle of an escalating civil war and our leaders won’t or can’t get out of. We have alienated our allies, lost world support and are footing this one on our own.
Our troops have done more than their share time and time again. When will their sacrifice end? How many tours is enough? Honor our troops by bringing them home and giving them good health benefits (not that VA crap), real financial support and anything they need to get there lives back. That’s what we owe them. The rest of us just want a straight answer and a leader you can heal us by just admitting that he made a mistake. And then admitting he lied.
Yes history repeats itself in strange ways – we’ve morphed into the bully and occupier that our forefathers threw out to start our great nation. If we were Iraqis we would be doing the same thing to any occupier of our land. Can you really blame them?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm2weLS5gJ4
We should withdraw from Iraq. The situation is untenable now because of how badly the Bush administration screwed up in the beginning months of the war. No doubt our enemies are evil. No doubt our men and women in the service are pressed to the max and deserve our support and love. No doubt we are on the right side of this conflict. No doubt it’s over and we should cut our losses, choose a new tactic to protect ourselves in the future. Overwhelming force might have won the war at the outset. It’s too late now, the population of Iraq is too polarized, and too much time has passed allowing the insurgency to grow too deep into the soil.
Hot damn, LNG. Fly almost any aircraft into one of these. BOOM!
The left uses many absurd arguments to oppose this war. Among them none is more rediculous than this one: by opposing and attacking the Islamists we are making them hate us, and this makes their forces bigger and stronger. Yes, bullies, thugs, fanatics, suicide bombers and other savages get angry when they are opposed. So what. When FDR and his Congress declared war on Japan for attacking our military bases at Pearl Harbor, not part of a State of the U.S. at the time, and threw in Germany for good measure, it undoubtedly made them angry, and probably caused a lot of enlistments. Actally, the bigger the Islamist forces get, the less will be their ability to avoid conventional warefare, vs. guerilla warefare. That’s good for us, for then we can canalize them. Just ask the North Viet Namese veterans about Tet. “Canalize” is a tactical term that means sort of herd them together in order to destroy them more readily.
Yup kicko, let’s withdraw, b/c that’ll surely fix the situation, just as withdrawing from Vietnam didn’t lead to re-education camps, boat people, and 2 million dead Cambodians right next door.
FANTASTIC. IF ONLY WE HAD A PRESIDENT OR ANY POLITICIAN THAT WOULD SAY THESE THINGS. WHAT ARE YOU DOING THE NEXT 4 YEARS ?
The saddest part about what is happening in America today is that it is all so damn predictable. Just look at the latter part of the Vietnam War.
In ’65 the VC attacked with impunity throughout South Vietnam. In ’68 the VC were destroyed after the Tet Offensive and the North Vietnamese were actually considering surrendering… until they watched the American press paint Tet as a disaster for the US! They realized they didn’t have to win, they just had to keep fighting because America would give up! Four years later, after getting their butts kicked repeatedly, the Vietnam War had turned into large-scale pitched battles on the borders of South Vietnam and in neighboring countries between US and North Vietnamese forces. We had eliminated the NVA/VC as a threat inside Vietnam. And, then we abdicated the battlefield. We left. We quit. The North Vietnamese tested us, invaded in ’72, and the South Vietnamese army and US airpower beat the sh!t out of them, so badly that it took them three more years to build up again, with Soviet and Chinese help. They tested us again in ’75, but by then the Democrats led by Ted Kennedy had legislated our abandonment of our ally. We were prohibited by law from any military assistance to South Vietnam, and the North rolled in and rolled over. The result: millions upon millions killed AFTER the war in Vietnam and Cambodia.
There are two lessons of Vietnam. One is ‘Don’t fight a war unless you’re willing to commit the necessary blood and treasure to win.’ The other is ‘Bloody the Americans enough and they’ll quit; they have no stomach for a fight.’
We evidently haven’t learned the first lesson. Bush should have clamped down hard on Iraq, declared martial law, and attacked insurgent/terrorist logistical sites in Syria and Iran.
Our enemies have learned the second lesson all too well. Iran can provide weapons, training, and sanctuary for those fighting us because they know there are no consequences to attacking America or Americans. And, why should they heed the diplomatic calls for them to discontinue their nuke program? Where’s the downside for them? It’s not like the UN would support anything meaningful against Iran.
And before I hear any ‘chickenhawk’ arguments, I was in the military in the early ’80s, and tried to volunteer twice to go as a grunt to Iraq but was turned down because of my age (I’ve been just over the cutoff age even after they raised it). I don’t want to go because I want to be a hero, but because I have a young son and I know that if we don’t finish this now it’s going to be a lot uglier later, and I don’t want his generation to have to face what we should have.
What will it take before America gets serious about the war we’re fighting? Unfortunately, I do think it will take at least one more massive attack on US soil. When (not if) that happens, those deaths will be on the conscience of all of the “cut and run” among us.
Amen, Larry Price, thanks for your service and vision. And thank you to all of those who have served, are serving and would serve if they could. You guys are my heroes, I look forward to serving in the Navy soon.
What complete nonsense. You want Dubya to admit mistakes only to blame those mistakes on anyone but himself.
There is only one thing Dubya could possibly say tonight that will make things better in Iraq:
“I RESIGN.”
I firmly believe we should stay in Iraq until we finish what we set out to do there. But I am hoping that the Democrats stop Bush dead in his track and don’t let him send one more solider to Iraq. I am not the one NOT supporting our troops when I say that…you’re thinking of the President. When I see reports on the news that we have been there for 4 years and spent billions, and Iraqi troops have no bullets, then I want our troops brought home, because we obviously have a Commander in Chief who is not up to the task. We’ve heard for 3 years now about training Iraq soldiers so our troops can come home. But just last week, they interviewed Iraqis who had no bullets and we’re picking up scrap metal to use as shields when they get shot at. I would be the first one to say, yeah, stay and fight. But as long as we have a President who will not listen to his generals (fires them when he doesn’t like what they say) and cannot even get bullets in the hands of Iraqi soldiers so our boys can come home, then I refuse to support remaining in Iraq.
This country has the most fearsome fighting machine the world has ever seen, when it’s administered right. When it has an incompetent leader, it’s ineffective and puts lives as risk unnecessarily.
George, how can you call this the greatest threat our nation has never known and yet only ask for sacrifice from the military class?
He knows whiners like you won’t step up anyway. Never have and never will.
In the past when drafted, you fled to Canada. For a fight you don’t believe in, fleeing is a moral imperative.
It seems that to some of you the only way to make up for Bush’s mistakes is to make an even bigger one by telling the terrorists that they can beat us without winning any battles.
We seem to forget that while some will see as a loss for Bush, our enemies will see as a loss for America. Both parties were responsible for losing in Vietnam, a Republican for retreating in Beruit, and a Democrat in Somalia, but our enemies look to all three for inspiration and don’t care who was president at the time.
Please, can somebody who wants us to pull out explain how they can seriously think that Al Queda wouldn’t be thrilled if we did exactly what they want us to do?
Sam,
You contradict yourself. You say you want us to do what we set out for, but then won’t support what it might take to get the job done. Do you not see the inherent contradiction in that?
However, there is more that should be done. Admittedly, I don’t know the whole plan, but if I came up with one of my own, it wouldn’t be solely military:
1. Get the Department of Corrections from several states involved to train Iraqi police and prisons.
2. Get the Department of Education involved to train Iraqi teachers and build schools.
3. Get HUD involved for the rebuilding projects. The Army has the Corps of Engineers, but those with more knowledge would be better.
4. Get Treasury and coporations, as well as the SBA, involved to build the infrastructure.
5. Bring power plant execs over to rebuild the power system.
If we truly want to win, then more than the military must be involved.
Open letter to our military personnel stationed in the Middle East and Abroad:
It is appropriate to thank those of you who are serving in the armed forces and taking the battle to the terrorists, not sitting back and waiting for it to come to our shores again. You make the majority of us proud, regardless of the coordinated attempt to give you a bad reputation in the media.
I have a 15-year old son who is aspiring to be a Marine. He’s a tough kid, evidenced by the fact that he plays defensive noseguard on his varsity football squad. What makes him tenacious is that he’s doing it at 5’8″ and 115 lbs! He has no fear, and will do anything you ask him to do for the betterment of the “team.” He is very disciplined, very intelligent and honorable. The thought of seeing him standing at a graduation ceremony wearing a US armed forces uniform brings tears to my eyes…not tears of sorrow or loss, but of celebration and honor that he had chosen to “serve” rather than to be served.
I think we have too quickly forgotten that it was only a few short years ago when we were attacked on our own soil, with a death toll that exceeded Pearl Harbor. We must not fall into disregard or ignorance…we must continue to diligently defend ourselves and use all means to do so to ensure not only our safety, but the safety of generations yet to come.
However, there is one caveat to all of this. Had our son been of an age to enlist under the Bush administration, we would have supported and encouraged him in his decision to pursue a military career. However, with the recent cowardice Congress and many presidential candidates are displaying, plus a media pool that is doing its best to convince people we should tuck in our tails and flee Iraq, we have grave reservations.
Although it ultimately will be his decision, we have concerns about him serving under a Democratic administration with the likes of Hillary or Obama at the helm. The thought of Nancy Pelosi being third in line as Commander in Chief is already harrowing enough to our psyche, let alone the thought of another 4-8 years of “Billary” at the helm of our military and our nation.
We cannot appease Islamic Extremism. There is no “chatting” with them. These folks don’t care if you’re dead or “converted”. Their ultimate goal is to flush out all “infidels” worldwide through the the sword and spread of Islam.
Too many times, we as a nation, have interfered politically with what should be exclusively military operations. I’m convinced that right now is one of those times.
You were given a mission and told to win, but now politicians are making career-based decisions with your lives instead of mission based ones, and the message they are sending is “we can’t win.”
I, however, believe that we have the personnel in place in the Middle East to complete this mission, if only we’d allow you to take the gloves off and issue the knockout punch. But in order to do so, the politicians must get out of the way and allow you, the professional soldiers, to do your jobs. Once completed, we could then “redeploy and reunite” you, welcoming you home to warm embraces and victory parades as we did in WWII, not to cold shoulders, jeers and sneers as those who have preceded you experienced.
While I did not personally choose to serve in the military, I thank God for the men and women like you who have chosen that path. Because of your dedication to the cause, my family and I rest comfortably at night knowing that you have the watch. Your training and skills, combined with a ferocity and determination matched by none, keep this country and her people safe at home and abroad from every threat to her security.
We will continue to pray for your mission and safety, and for the peace and comfort of those loved ones who eagerly await your return. We will also carefully watch and actively stoke and participate in the political landscape to ensure that America will continue to stand strong, instead of sacrificing herself on the alter of the Democratic Party.
Granted, George Bush is not perfect. He has made and admitted his mistakes. But we have no doubt that first and foremost in his mind is the security and safety of this great county and those who serve her. To that end, we support him, the mission at hand, and those of you who would lay down your lives for the cause of Freedom.
‘Tis no greater honor than the sacrifice that you make. Rest assured, there are millions of us out here who support you and daily pray for your safety.
May God bless you and your families as you serve your President, your country and my family. We never fully understand, this side of heaven, what it truly costs you to give of yourselves.
Your efforts do not go unappreciated here in the heartland.
May you find encouragement and optimism within these words of thanks. Fight to win, and then come home soon!
Sincerely,
an Ohio Family
Hey Phil
Do you realize that the American public fronted almost the entire last 3 years of WW2, Both theatres,on their own (War Bonds). No British Pounds or French Franks, Sure other troops fought in Europe and the Pacific but the bill was ours and the only country to ever repay it was Belgium. By the time Iwo Jima came the public was tired and support for the war was flagging. But we pressed ahead and persevered by the blood and the sweat of the boots on the ground. They call them the greatest generation I served my time in the Sunni Tiangle LSA ANACONDA JAN-JUN 05 and if we float the boat in the direction you want it to I will be in the same crowd as the Vietnam Veterans who’s country ABANDONED THEM! You really want to honor the troops. Shut your mouth and let them win, dont call what they do for a living bullsh*t,
and dont hate what they stand for. Your neointellectualist self hatred and conquering imperialistic bully view of our country is a creation of your mind as well as the mind of the rest of PC ,bead wearing intelligensia from the land of OZ. Get a grip, take a vacation, move to Sweden, just please realize that you are the #1 publicist for the islamic front THE ENEMY. YOU ARE BIN LADENS JOSEPH GOEBBELS. You are the only one with real power who stands in the way of the ONLY thing on this tiny planet that is resisting islamic Rape, Murder, Torture, and extortion, The Amreican Military Juggarnaut. Zawahiri can call off the bravado tapes because your cohorts and you alike do extremely effective PR for him. In the battle of cold harbor in the American Civil War one fourth of the entire Union army fell the first day of the battle. That was a horrible loss. But the Union picked up the pieces and won. FAILURES HAPPEN AND THEY ARE EASY. VICTORIES ARE HARD AND TAKE A LOT OF WORK. When is it enough? WHEN WE WIN!!!! Thats when it is enough. I get shot at for you, my friends die for you.Shut your wear your man pants, read a book about George Patton, Watch a John Wayne Flick, and listen to your Alpha Male Self help tapes,then join the rest of us who live in America.You know America, that country where the vast majority of political asylum seekers in the world flock too. Its hard to imagine fleeing an oppressive regime bu floating wor a month in a bath tub with no food just to join the worlds largest bully and oppressor. Grow up Kiddo
There is only one thing Dubya could possibly say tonight that will make things better in Iraq:
“I RESIGN.”
Yeah, cause when that happens the islamofascists will lay down their AK’s and detonating devices, hold hands with the nearest liberal, and sing kumbaya. Things will be glorious.
Thank God for Don. He’s got it all figured out.
Mr. Myers, ref your crack about the President resigning. If he did, the Vice President would become the President. He might, I say might, be inclined to show a little less Christian charity to our enemies than President Bush has. And what if we pull out entirely from Iraq? Will that, “…make things better in Iraq.” Many Iraqis who worked with us would be slaughtered or interned.The others would likely keep on fighting. How would that make things better there? Or is it just that you don’t care? You hate the President and that’s all that matters. Very sorry for you, and for the rest of us because a lot of folks seem to “think” the way you do.
Russ:
Sorry, but no, I did not see the contradiction. I clearly said that we should stay and finish the job…just not under this Commander In Chief. And sadly, he is the only one we have. So the best way I know of to support our troops by bringing them home. No one is talking about pulling funding while they are still there. We did that in Vietnam and it was wrong and cost lives.
No man is an island and Bush has taken dangerous freedoms with the lives of our troops by not listening to his advisors and most importantly, his Generals. The Presidency is not about one man, it is an institution and it must be administered by someone who can listen to others and acknowledge that he doesn’t know it all. When I see 4 years, thousands of Americans dead and billions spent and our soldiers still cannot get the equipment they need, then it’s not me that has failed to support our troops…it is our President.
You people are *still* trying to tie in the invasion of Iraq to Osama Bin Ladin?
Here’s a hint – He’s not in Iraq. He never was. None of the hijackers were from Iraq. There was no significant tie between Iraq and Al Qaeda, no funding form Saddam Hussein for any attacks against the US was made.
None.
And BTW, there were no WMDs. Just an update, in case you missed it.
But do all of us who voted against Bush a favor, and keep reciting these words, because they make a difference. They increase votes for democratic candidates, and they keep Bush’s approval ratings plumeting like a lead baloon. Eventually, we’ll be free of Bush, and of people like you from the seats of power, and we can get some actual work done.
Puleeeeeze!
Bush stared into the face of the enemy, the “existential threat to our very survival and way of life”, the clash of civilazations, and what did he see? Evil? Nope. He saw a political opportunity. Now that he has hosed things up so bad that he has left us with no good options, he (via the author) scolds us for not being up for the fight. This is a fight we never should have been in. When all is said and done, Bush will be seen for what he really is: A coward backed by the most powerful military in the world.
Yes, there is a contradiction, and this is it – you say you want us to finish the job, but won’t send more help to do so. Why do you think we don’t need the surge? Not that we should pull back, but why we don’t need it.
You aren’t supporting me by pulling the rug out from underneath me. It’s not support to tell me to stop short of my objective. Bringing us home only gives vistory to the enemy.
You want to truly support us? Give us all the tools to win, and then let us stay there until the job is done.
After last November’s election, I was forced to recognize that the American people have lost their collective minds. I may have disliked much of what Bush has done domestically, and disagreed with his half-assed attempts at war-fighting internationally, but there’s no way in hell I would have voted for any member of the Jackass party as an alternative. Faced with that choice, I would rather have not voted all.
The sad fact is the majority of the people of this country have shown their true faces to the rest of the world, and that is the face of the asinine leftists among us. They are the majority, like it or not. These intellectual monsters, and their craven fellow-travelers, have plotted, planned, undermined, and now have succeeded in the destruction of the greatest political and economic system this world has ever known, or is ever likely to know.
Let’s face it. The people have spoken. From the mindless acceptance by the American people of the absolute lies dished up by the lying liars in the MSM, to the cowardly bastards at our universities populated by geriatric hippie professors getting their asses kissed by their student “truthers”, to the Oprahfied sucker moms. These people ARE America. Lets finally accept this fact. And this one too; this war is already lost because of who we are and what we have become as a nation.
I can no longer support any further casualties by our brave servicemen who are fighting and dying under pathetic, piss-poor “leadership” to preserve the freedoms of an American people, who have terminal cases of recto-cranial inversion, and ingrate Moslems, who stand idly by while IEDs targeting American servicemen are planted in their very midst.
I say, bring the boys home now. They, more than any of us, have earned the right to enjoy what little is good in this country before the inevitable big blowout happens and our ultimate collapse.
On a day when the media is constantly blathering about the State of the Union Address, thousands of American troops are putting themselves in harm’s way in Iraq and Afghanistan, and other places we don’t know about. Our cultural elite is at the Sundance Film Festival gushing over two films. One starring a 12 year old, whose parents think it is ok to portray her in a sexual manner, the other about beastility. Sometimes I almost think the Islamists have a point about our society.
Russ,
I thought that’s what we were doing when we gave Bush more powers than we have ever given any other President in war time. Four years and billions of dollars later and he can’t get bullets into the hands of Iraqi soldiers? You were asking before for training and education, schools and teachers. If Bush can’t manage ammunition, then how will he manage all that?
Great speech! Let’s superimpose an audible version of the speech onto a video version of Bush’s State of the Union, post it on YouTube, and believe me, it will get more air play than the President’s State of the Union speech when it is broadcast live. Heck, I’d watch the YouTube version of it!
GC
TW: “To follow Kent logic, we should just surrender and convert to Islam since fighting them makes them mad at us.”
Perhaps our invading their holy lands has made this particular genre of terrorists mad at us.
Joe: I should have said “nonmilitary” instead of “diplomatic.” There are many ways to combat terrorism. Most experts agree that killing terrorists only creates more (as those who tried to stamp out Christianity learned).
Standing between people who want nothing but to see each other dead is pointless. Oh, yeah, I forgot the oil. My bad. The Iraqi culture has no understanding of democracy and it cannot be forced upon them or anyone.
TW, Dave S., Terry: Since you asked for evidence…
Global Terrorism Statistics (RAND/MIPT figures)
Year—Attacks—Deaths—Injuries
2000—-1,150——783—–2,570
2001—-1,732—-4,571—–6,403
2002—-2,648—-2,763—–7,349
2003—-1,897—-2,346—–6,200
2004—-2,647—-5,066—-10,860
2005—-4,961—-8,191—-15,257
2006—-4,981—-9,175—-16,006
Not quite tenfold, but I have read much higher numbers on Iraqi deaths that are not included because they were labeled as “military conflict” deaths.
I know it’ll never happen, but I keep hoping that the President will name names, thus:
“You want to surrender to evil forces that want to kill us … [pointing] yeah, YOU, Ted, and YOU, Nancy, and YOU and YOU and YOU…”
Given that he has zero chance of working amicably with them *ever*, how could it hurt? And it would make such a refreshing change to politics as usual.
Democrats can’t handle the heat but they keep trying to take over the kitchen. Maybe they will, and burn the whole thing down.
If we’re lucky, they’ll keep making excuses for why they lost the last national election, over and over.
Sam,
Sorry, but your comment about this President having more power than any President before lacks historical perspective.
More than FDR, who jailed Japanese Americans and summarily executed German spies?
More than Lincoln, who suspended habeus corpus and institued the first draft?
You might not like the policy, but let’s keep things in perspective, please.
Kent, I said attacks on civilians and assets. Attacks on our military in a combat theater is something completely different. Our military expects to be attacked in a combat theater. They understand and accept the risk when they signed up. How many attacks directed at civilians who neither expected it or signed up to be targeted.
How does one respond to the question below? It was asked by my poli-sci teacher.
Serious question…im not looking for “Bring it on!” type of responses.
Thanks ahead.
Terry, The statistics I posted are for worldwide terrorist attacks/deaths/injuries on civilians, not attacks on military.
I was saying the numbers shown should be even higher because quite a few civilian deaths in Iraq were wrongly classified as military, such as terrorists car-bombing an Iraqi recruiting center and killing 30 civilians who were signing up to join the Iraqi forces.
The level of discourse on this site tells me a great deal about the readership of the blog and the community to which it speaks. Let’s just say I’m not impressed with the clever “speech” or the reasons why most of you are either defending it or attacking.
I like the comment which said that voting for Bush was a “no brainer”.
That pretty much sums it up.
I thought I might add something to this discussion but 75 people trying to steer one ship is a bit futile .
Kinda illustrates the Presidents dilemma regarding Congress and the voters. About 275 million opinions and which one should he choose.
The 75 comments on this page ( some more than once) are each convinced their view is correct. There are millions of opinions from people with real knowledge and substantial experience, so which path should he
choose?
Lets back off and see what the enemy is doing ! Maybe we can determine their situation. Well , we have killed, wounded, routed and decimated their forces where ever they can be detected . They must hit and flee . Set bombs alongside roads and spring sneak attacks where we least expect it. We have annihilated them where ever they are….. and we are told WE are losing. They have killed more innocent people ,women and children than we will in 50 years, and We are the bad guys. They are hiding in places where they have no legal or natural sanctuary and We are told to get out.
Yet. I do not hear middle eastern leaders crying for the insurgents to surrender. I don’t hear or see any responsible leader calling for the insurgents to stop murdering the innocent. There is no call in any Arab country for the enemy to stop this war.
So , lets take a page from the enemies book and hunt them down and kill them.
Give them no quarter or sanctuary. Kill them ruthlessly and kill them often.
In this way , will the outcome be decided. When the killing ends the war will be over. If we have a cessation now we will ultimately have to start killing them later. If this carries into Iran, kill them in Iran. If this takes us into Pakistan , kill them in Pakistan. They have made it crystal clear that they intend to kill us. No diplomacy, negotiation or appeasement will alter their objective. So I say kill them now.
Then we may have Peace.
Red in Blue
I would respond that “IF” the US had signed a cease-fire agreement with said foreign government in which we committed to getting rid of all of the nukes and then Bush refused to honor that agreement and he was not democractically elected then absolutely I would agree!!!!!
We’ve heard since the start of the Iraq war that if you questioned Bush, or outright did not agree with him, you automatically sided with terrorists, Islamo-fanatics, and assorted bad-guys. Methinks the old political ploy “You’re either with us or against us” is wearing thin.
It is ironic that the column at the top of this page invokes Vietnam. Weren’t both G W Bush and Dick Cheney of proper age and able-bodied to fight in Vietnam? Yes… So, they both volunteered to go to Vietnam, right? Welllllll, noooooo……
How could Buish or Cheney expect to “learn the lessons of Vietnam” when niether of them bothered to go there?
The real dishonor in American politcal discourse took place on Sept. 12, 2001, when nobody would step up and support the ultimate wartime initiative: that initiative is spelled d-r-a-f-t.
In a time of war, especially a multi-front foreign war, all Americans should logically expect a military draft. Worked for us in WW II. Sufficed during much of the Cold War.
Strangely, now the very notion of a draft is taboo, even offensive in some quarters. I watched one “conservative” pundit call the notion of a draft everything short of evil. The late Colonel David Hackworth wrote a column titled “Uncle Sam Will Soon Want Your Kids” on Oct. 4, 2004 in which he spoke of the necessity of the draft.
http://www.sftt.org/cgi-bin/csNews/csNews.cgi?database=Hacks%20Target.db&command=viewone&op=t&id=92&rnd=300.4983133382988
[The link above archives Col. Hackworth's column on the Soldiers for the Truth web-site.]
I’ve often wondered where this push to quiet any talk of a draft came from. All I had to do is turn on the TV and see Paris Hilton and some of these other “reality” shows. Couldn’t you see some of these rich brats opening a draft notice? No way they’ll stand for that.
If the career politicians of both parties in Washington won’t seriously discuss a draft, how seriosuly can we take their politics?
“One wishes that if terrorists must strike U.S. soil, they’d hit a Starbucks or a faculty lounge because maybe, just maybe Larry would get it.”
I am pretty sure that there was a Starbucks in at least the WTC, and probably in the Pentagon as well. Perhaps instead of wishing terrorists would attack blue states/areas you could recognize that they already have — that the only attacks in red states have been by homegrown terrorists like the Atlanta Bomber or McVeigh — and its only when Muslim extremists attack your home the way they destroyed others that you will “get it.”
And I would love it if Bush actually made a speech accusing the American people of cowardice — teen approval ratings were we come!
The problem I have with Bush is not his politics or worldview, but his basic incompetence. Iraq need not have turned out this way. If proper post war planning had taken place, if every trained Iraqi policeman or soldier wasn’t sacked day one, if there were enough troops to keep order in the first year, the argument would not be about staying the course now but which regime change is next (Iran, Syria, North Korea?). After Iraq and New Orleans, if the administration was a private corporation, there would have been a new CEO a long time ago. Due to the terrible implementation of his policies, the world and the US is a more dangerous place.
Kent,
One more try…. Attacks on US civilians and assets?
In the future, we should ONLY invade countries that we know for CERTAIN won’t put up a resistance. Look for the president to announce an invasion of France tonight. Except then, there just might be a French insurgency. The insurgents will blend into the cafes and bakeries across Paris, and whenever American soliders pass by, they will toss bread at them. OK… I crack on France because their behavior since 9-11 is symbolic of the fact that the U.S. truly is alone in the world. President (Hillary) Clinton, President Edwards, or President Osama or whatever his name is won’t do squat to change this reality: Most of the world HATES America, Bush or no Bush. 9-11 (which, according to the Left, didn’t really happen) was proof wasn’t it? Or, back in 2001, were the 8 months of Bush’s policies “creating more terrorists” like some of you toads like to say? No, wait — maybe Bin Laden and the fanatics were pissed off about hanging chads in Florida! Major mistakes have happened all along the way, but they are IN THE PAST. If I could go back and not date a few of the girls that I once dated, I surely would – but WHO CARES? Tomorrow is the only thing that counts when it comes to this Iraq debate. Bush is no genius but he’s the only one TRYING to do something about the problems that are staring us in the face, whether it’s Social Security or fighting terrorism. But the blogger who referred to Idol was right – we HAVE become the Paula Abdul Nation. It’s time to hold our loved ones close, because once we run away from Iraq, led by our bunch of screaming, back-stabbing school girls also known as the U.S. Congress, the stage will be set for Act Two (with 9-11 being Act One). One question: Once we run away, will Al Qaeda and its sympathizers be celebrating or not? If the answer to that question does not matter to you, then you are with “them” – whether you have the cojones to admit it or not.
Good idea, Jules. Nothing the American people need or want more than a good, stern lecture from W.
“Forgive me for thinking that there is not a diplomatic way to tell someone not to fly an airplane into our buildings or not to strap a bomb on either themselves or a pregnant woman(as happened outside of Haditha to friends of mine in April of 2003).”
Forgive me for forgetting what Iraq had to to with 9/11 or how many people were strapping bombs to themselves in Iraq prior to the misbegotten, idiotic, and ultimately tragic decision to invade when Bush and Co. had so woefully managed the as yet uncompleted task in Afghanistan.
You wingnuts can rationalize, play the “blame game”, and call names all you want, but a lifetime or more of perpetual war against an ideology on foreign shores (purportedly so that we “don’t have to fight them here”) is not going to work.
That you’re all willing to conflate the invasion of Iraq with the overall GWOT (again, Afghanistan was mostly forgotten) shows the real lack of mental bandwidth to which you have access.
Then again, you’re also all willing to forget that what? 17 or so of the highjackers were from and schooled in the hatred of America in Bush’s best buddy’s country, Saudi Arabia and that Pakistan is continually aiding the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.
But wait, we were talking about Iraq, and you don’t get to re-write history no matter how tough you try to act.
Terry, Sorry, I didn’t see the “US” civilians in your first query. I was responding to several people who wanted statistics that terrorists/attacks have increased greatly — without regard to what country.
People are people in my book. I hope we’re not saying it’s okay to foment bloodshed, as long as it isn’t on our soil.
A Men!
Tallyho,
“He saw a political opportunity”
If you really think that, you’re incredibly naive. Politically he was at an all-time high after 9/11. The easy, “political” path for President Bush would have been to stop after the invasion of Afghanistan, and go talk to the U.N. about creating a task force to study terrorism.
“Forgive me for forgetting what Iraq had to to with 9/11 or how many people were strapping bombs to themselves in Iraq prior to the misbegotten, idiotic, and ultimately tragic decision to invade when Bush and Co. had so woefully managed the as yet uncompleted task in Afghanistan.”
No, Iraq was not directly connected to 9/11(although I’m pretty sure they cheered for it), but there are NOW al-Qaeda terrorists in Iraq. It is NOW a part of the GWOT. Or do you think there are no foreign born terrorists in Iraq.
And the war was pre-emptive. GWB never said Iraq was an imminent threat – he said they could not be allowed to become an imminent threat. However, experience in Iraq, thanks to the mealy mouthed press corps that is giving misleading coverage, will prevent us, more than likely, from stopping Iran until it’s too late.
My biggest fear? I fear that it’ll take a major catastrophe, even worse than 9/11, before we wake up and realize that evil MUST be fought. We can’t sit back and hope they won’t hate us anymore.
Every so often, I have to listen to drivel that we’re oversimplifying the War on Terror. Especially, the left claims, when we state that the terrorists hate our freedom.
“Oh, posh,” they say. “Nobody hates freedom. You’ve just invented that so we’ll follow you.”
I’m sorry, but it is you, my poor, delusionally naive liberal friends, who are kidding yourselves. Yes, they hate us for our freedom, and I can prove it. Let’s look at the practical aspects of our freedom:
: They believe women should be covered head to toe and not be in public unless with a male relative. They think women should not be educated. We think women should be allowed to reach their full potential. We might not be completely there yet, but we are striving towards a more gender equitable society – they think that’s immoral, and they hate that.
: They believe that there is only one God and his name is Allah. You better pray five times a day facing Mecca or you’re an infidel. We believe that you should be allowed to worship in your own way and attend any church, mosque, synagogue, or temple you choose, if you choose to worship at all – they think such religious freedom is immoral, and they hate that.
: They think homosexuals are an apostasy against God and are doomed to Hell anyway. They think homosexuals should be stoned to death in the city square for such perverted views. We believe that as long as you keep things in your own bedroom and don’t try to force them down our throats, you should be allowed to love whomever you want. We may not want homosexuality taught as a normal lifestyle to our children, but we’re not going to force you to renounce yourself either – they think that’s immoral, and they hate that.
: They believe that only non-elected religious leaders should lead, for only they are holy enough to understand God’s will and give it to the masses. We believe that the power to govern is derived from the masses and that it is those masses that should decide their own governance – they think that’s immoral, and they hate that.
These are but a few examples, and there are many more, but they are part of the practical aspects of our freedom. It is not some nebulous word that exists for each person’s interpretation, but how it is applied.
Yes, people, they do hate our freedom, because they think it’s immoral. It’s time we awoke to that fact.
Kent,
So let me see if I understand the logic. We were attacked on average every two years from 1993 to 2001. Then nothing for over 5 years even though there has been a 90% increase in the numbers of the enemy. We (the US) are creating 10 times the number of terrorist who are then attacking everyone else except us??? If we are the root cause, then why attack everyone else? Something doesn’t add up.
Wow – how incredibly simplistic this writer’s political views are.
“Evil”??? There’s several countries & persons who could levy the same adjective against US after some of the stuff we’ve pulled in the last 50 years.
Oh well, more black & white BS from those who can’t seem to learn about the concept of gray….
Nice Jules! It would indeed have been interesting to see the reaction if your words came from GWB’s mouth.
Unfortunately, I fear far too many American’s feel like Larry R. or McReagan commenting here. They will likely only change their feelings about this threat when we experience terror similar to that being portrayed on ’24′
Ronald McReagan is the exact kind of person that is a problem. We are all evil, shades of gray, blah blah blah.
I’m sorry, but I’m going to impose a few moral judgments:
1. I walked the streets of Sadr City and talked with the families of the girls whom Uday would pick up on Wednesday for a weekend rape party(their weekend is Thursday and Friday) and take home for a weekend of “fun.” There were hundreds to thousands of such incidents. A regime that condones rape IS evil and deserves to be destroyed. Those who can’t understand that are morally vapid.
2. I saw the mass graves north of Karbala and the grief they caused. The dead were there for daring to oppose Saddam – not by deed most of the time, only by word. Any regime that committs such acts of murder IS evil, and those who think we had no “right” to do anything are morally vapid.
3. I met a 6 year old boy in Karbala whose foot was permanently sideways – smashed by the Fedeyeen b/c his parents refused to let the Fedeyeen use their house to store weapons. Any regime that allows such wanton state sponsored violence against children IS evil, and those who think we should have let them continue are morally vapid.
McReagan, there are MUCH greater evils in the world than what you see in the USA. But you seem guilty for living in such a privileged nation.
See things in black and white? Damn straight, for that’s how they are sometimes.
And to any nation that wants to try the same against us, wel…to quote a “cowboy”…”BRING IT ON!”
Larry Rasczak,
I fought in Iraq. People like you do not deserve freedom because you are too much of a coward to fight for it.
You should be dumped in a corner of Tehran to face the enemy, to see the evil they are capable of. It is people like you who will refuse to do anything about the current situation until New York gets vaporized in a nuclear attack.
Once again, read the post dumb ass, those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it. It isn’t a saying, it’s a fact.
Albert Einstein who was indisputably the most intelligent man of the twentieth century had something to say about people like you.
The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing. — Albert Einstein
You’re a do-nothing Larry, a whimpering coward. You oppose a war and by doing so you support evil.
After reading all the posts, just a comment or two. The men in ww 2 left for at least 4 years, no breaks, no going home to the family. So being able to come home after a year or 6 months, I guess those guys would have thought “ah what a luxury” I am sure some complained, but you didn’t hear about it….the people back then KNEW that America came FIRST, not our “feelings” geeze people, GROW UP, stop being such wussies.
Also this diplomatic crap? just who do you want to talk to? oh the islamofacists will talk then cut your head off, thats about it. I dont understand why Americans can not see this obvious point. They say it plainly, you think they are kidding? Look at the bombs going off in Iraq regardless if kids are women are around, or innocent civilians. These people (I use the term loosley) do not care about human life at all, not even their fellow muslims. Bush may have not done things perfectly, I believe he listened to his advisors, but I do believe that no dem could or would have even tried to do what he has done in trying to keep us safe here at home, and I must say, 5 years plus with no attacks here at home says ALOT….so anyone that wants to cut and run, please head to france where that is there motto and seems to have always been their motto.
G*D Bless America and G*D Bless our President George W. Bush
My fellow americans
i hope that you dont mind if i masterbate while i give this state of the union speech, i’ve been jerking off for 7 years straight, and now i cant stop.
i take consolation only in that fact that i’m part of a 2 party farce, and that you democrats suck as bad as i do, and that’s prety bad
the truth is, everyone in this town has sucked for a long time, only now, we’ve taken it a level lower
The chickenhawk argument isn’t perfect, but it gets across a very important truth. If this war really *were* the existential threat the President and Jules like to say it is, no one would hesitate to take much sterner measures than we’ve taken. The reason war supporters don’t volunteer is that they know, deep down, that this isn’t that kind of war — another World War II or a conflict with the pre-1989 USSR. Their failure to enlist doesn’t make me doubt war supporters’ courage – far from it. I think it’s evidence of their sanity.
That said, I wish they’d recalibrate their rhetoric and talk sense about the real nature of the threat. But we can’t have everything.
Which leads me finally to Tiny. Tiny, I wish the President would deliver the speech Jules suggests. His approval ratings would go from 30% down to 20%, and we might really force some change.
In addition to Melinda’s excellent comment above, I have a question for those of you who think we should bail out, give up, walk away, give diplomacy a chance, etc.
Whereas:
The nutters give us four choices: convert to islam, accept 2nd class status under islam, die, or fight,
Whereas:
This has been islam’s policy for 1400 years, and gab, gab, gab hasn’t made a dent in their policy in all that time,
Whereas:
They finally have the capability to reach out and touch us at home,
And whereas:
They recognize that the USA is their only significant enemy,
My question is, do you have a realistic fifth option?
I don’t think you do, and I’d think that you’d have at least enough instinct for self preservation, if not just the common decency, to quit attacking the only people willing to keep your pathetic selves from being murdered, enslaved, or forcibly muslimized.
“So … are you with me, or against us?”
If by “us” you mean third rate hacks such as yourself, then I’m against “us”.
Jules, it is a joy watching you and Losers like you struggle and drown in your own vomit and wankery.
I don’t know what else you call people who fly passenger jets into
office buildings; who rape women in front of their husbands and children, and
execute their opponents in acid baths; who seek to spread tyrannical and archaic
religious regimes that enslave women and stifle fundamental freedoms.
Fundamental freedoms…like Habeas
Corpus?
Fundamental freedoms…like not being sent
to Syria to be tortured?
In that case, I would call those people…Republicans.
TIM and MELINDA, you are very wise. Geo and Dammitman–go back to sleep.
Actually, I’ve heard a lot of lyberals saying that if conservatives truly believed that this war is very important, they would have already enlisted. Well, by this standard, I am sure we can say that lyberals are not interested in global warming, deficit and underfunded government schools. After all, we know they would have gave all their money to the government and cut personal CO2 emmissions by at least a half.
Does it answer the question?
As for the diplomatic means – I think it would be just as effective against the Islamo-fascists, as it is against cancer.
BTW, haven’t the lyberals tried diplomatic means to deal with common criminals? I am curious to see how it all worked out before we expand this practice to deal with criminals in charge or Iran. I need some empirical data before we abandon the methods which hukanity used for centuries. We don’t want to experiment – it’s too risky.
The President did well tonight, and the passages concerning foreign affairs were brilliant. Pelosi and Hillary were squirming in their seats. Advocating defeat is never a smart move in a time of war.
You’re doing a heckuva job Georgie
Sorry, here is a stunningly false statement.
What a skewed view of history, considering the US promptly intervened under administrations of both parties.
Perhaps this is a big typo …
>The Soviet Union, evil personified, invaded Afghanistan, knowing we’d do nothing about it.
The Middle East is a virtual powder
keg, and we seem to just make it
worse when we intercede.
I was in the Middle East during
the Six Day War, and I can tell
you that one is not safe, even
with those he considers friends.
http://www.ussliberty.org
Gringo said
“Actually, I’ve heard a lot of lyberals saying that if conservatives truly believed that this war is very important, they would have already enlisted.”
Well Gringo, I’m a prior service Army vet, I’m a pro-life conservative gun owning Texan, and I think the Liberals (or lyberals if you prefer) are actually right on this one… and I am saying that if all the tough talking macho guys around here truly believed in the war they would have already enlisted… well unless they were, you know…dare I say it…Chickenhawks.
The max age for a non-prior service enlistment is now 42. If you were born since 1965, are in good physical condition, and don’t have prior service or a disqualifying disability; and you really think this is an all important war against EVIL then I ask “Where the heck are you?”
I’m sure some of the guys here have a good answer to that. I’m also willing to bet a lot don’t.
No Russ, I’m not saying anything against or about you and the other folks who are or have been in uniform, except perhaps that you could use some help. I’m sure you would happily go do the Birkenhead Drill if ordered to do so. I’ve served with a lot of guys just like you, and was proud to do so. That’s not the point. The point is that in Iraq (as one Marine said) we have “more barn than paint” and I’d like to see some of the tough talking bloggers that support the war from the comfort of their lazyboys get out there beside you. I’m asking if they have the courage to “go all in”. I know that you allready do.
Neither is the fact that Liberals drive SUVs the point. So they are dishonest… that doesn’t excuse being just as dishonest. Neither am I calling for the draft. (Don’t know where THAT came from…). An all volunteer Army is a great thing, I’m just wondering why more of the macho guys here, who obviously DO understand the situation much better than Kerry or Murtha or Pelosi haven’t gotten around to volunteering yet.
I’m just wondering what all the tough talking bloggers who haven’t done anything are going to say when their little girl looks up at you one day and asks “What did YOU do in the War Daddy?”
Tim, thanks for your service in Iraq. If you had read earlier posts you would see that I did do my bit. I was a staff weenie I admit, but as an alumni of Ft. Huachuca I had a useful skill or two. I got my Mob orders in 03, spent 5 months overseas in the sandbox, came home, signed up for another 12 months, and then did another 6 months, four weeks of which was spent back in the Sandbox. This does not count my reserve service back in the 80s and 90s before I went IRR. No I did not get shot at, (except maybe once, but I was asleep at the time so I don’t think that counts) and I am glad to see that the guys that shot at you did not hit you. BTW the quote is not from Einstein, it is from Lord Acton a 19th Century British politician who said “All that is necessairy for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
Which kind of brings me back to my point. If Acton (or Einstein if you want to follow Tim) is right, then why are all the tough talking conservatives here talking tough but DOING nothing?
Everybody is yelling about how bad it is that Democrats are advocating defeat, and I don’t disagree with that. The consequeneces of a Vietnam style defeat would be very bad. I just want to know why all the tough talking, perfectly healthy, under 42 year olds here who apparently already understand that aren’t down talking to the Army Reserve Recruter where they work to prevent that defeat and get the chance to do more than just “Blog for Victory”.
“No, Iraq was not directly connected to 9/11(although I’m pretty sure they cheered for it), but there are NOW al-Qaeda terrorists in Iraq. It is NOW a part of the GWOT. Or do you think there are no foreign born terrorists in Iraq.”
There now may be “al qaeda terrorists” in Iraq, but only because the idiot in charge created a huge power vacuum which allowed people to align themselves with this ideology. And I am certain that there ARE foreign born terrorists in Iraq. Again, there weren’t before (abu nidal, blabbity blah blah).
“And the war was pre-emptive. GWB never said Iraq was an imminent threat – he said they could not be allowed to become an imminent threat. However, experience in Iraq, thanks to the mealy mouthed press corps that is giving misleading coverage, will prevent us, more than likely, from stopping Iran until it’s too late.”
Come now. You must be kidding. Is this the level of discourse you’re used to? You think you can simply rewrite history on the basis of a convenient assertion? OF F’ing COURSE Iraq was portrayed by the administration as an imminent threat. They said he had WMDs. He didn’t. They invoked images of mushroom clouds. No nukes program. The list goes on and on.
And besides, if you think that stopping a country from maybe, possibly becoming an imminent threat is a justification to go to war, then you can apply that rationale to ANY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.
Good God. What kind of Kool Aid have you people been drinking?
And re: the chickenhawk argument – I agree. If you think that what’s happening is such an existential threat, then you’d be doing a lot more than munching cheetos and cursing at your computer screens.
Amen.
It’s a shame he didn’t make this speech, because its the one we need ot hear.
Great points, definitely would have ruffled some overly stiff and defeatist feathers.
Let me deflate a few of the gas-filled balloons left here …
Iraq is not connected to Al-Quada … Iraq did not have WMD … this war is not justified …
In the simplest of terms, it was justified — Saddam & Sons shared AQ’s willingness to rob your life and liberty if it suited them, but Saddam & Sons had the wealth … had everything but the stockpiles when it came to WMD … and had willing allies in other elements of radical Islam, and in the UN to run interference for him … to do so.
Saddam & Sons also had a history of acting in accordance with that willingness, when the opportunity presented itself.
The critics assume that this is a static situation … that Saddam & Sons would always stay weak, that sanctions would always stay in place, that America would always be welcome to base troops in the region. All it would have taken is “passage” of one non-comprehensive weapons inspection by Iraq, for that house of cards to collapse.
To NOT go after Saddam & Sons, in the light of the destruction wrought by a few dozen terrorists in a low-budget operation, would have been the height of imprudence …
… or more precisely, the continuance of the imprudence perpetuated by our leaders of both parties, having fallen for the Big Lie of the Left: the lie that the direct, timely, resolute, and decisive confrontation of totalitarian regimes is neither necessary nor prudent.
Unfortunately, the “New Direction” the Democrat leadership wants us to take leads us right back to embracing that lie as policy … the lie that brought us 911, AND made this war far more costly in blood and treasure than it could have been.
If these critics possessed prudence, they would have been criticizing President Bush … Bush 41, in 1991, for deferring to the UN and the Arab street and ending the war in the light of the sensationalized media coverage of the alleged Highway of Death … instead of taking the decisive action to remove Saddam from power then.
Many of them, applauded that President’s action … just as they did his tax increase, before they used that to beat him out of office.
Their INACTION, over the last 40 years, in the face of totalitarian expansion, set the stage for this war … and made our enemies both stronger and harder in the process.
They have no right to criticize the man who did take ACTION. That man’s errors pale in comparison, to theirs … but they are never called to account for them, for too many of us have bought the Big Lie.
Ask yourself this … has there been one totalitarian regime, with expansionist aspirations, that changed to rights-respecting governance on its own — without facing the CREDIBLE threat of force being used against it?
And re: the chickenhawk argument – I agree. If you think that what’s happening is such an existential threat, then you’d be doing a lot more than munching cheetos and cursing at your computer screens.
Ever thought that many of these “chickenhawks” are ALREADY doing what is best for this nation with respect to facing down this existential threat … maintaining and growing its technological and economic base, which supports our military?
Ever consider that the symbolism of “chickenhawks” actually enlisting might be COUNTERPRODUCTIVE to the substance of the war effort … just as knee-jerk invocation of the Powell Doctrine would have been?
This is not WWII — skill and technology matter more than sheer numbers today. The objective is to use ALL our resources in the BEST way possible to counter this threat … not just through all our resources into the fight in a “human wave”, which very likely would result in no more progress … but greater casualties among Americans and innocents alike.
Finally, ever consider that those who sling the “chickenhawk” epithet are themselves “turtledoves” — as in, head-in-shell, unwilling to see the threat for what it is: easier to stop today if we act with RESOLVE … harder to stop tomorrow if we wait … and nothing short of decisive confrontation will stop it.
The idea is, to stop the existential threat — and it is an existential threat, for our enemy seeks to transform us to his worldview, which does not align with the PROVEN virtues of our civilization — BEFORE it takes a WWII-sized effort … and a nuclear bloodbath of millions … to stop it.
If you really seek peace, keep in mind who is pulling the triggers and swinging the beheading knives … protest the terrorists … not this President.
They … not him … are the enemy.
Larry — sorry I misunderstood, and thought you were not a vet. My medical care (for a training accident that gave me a head wound) through the VA was supurb, and the support of the DAV and AL was a great help. Others, I know, have not been as lucky, in either wounds or care. Epilepsy is one of those “invisible handicaps”, and the small medical problems were easily dealt with. The discrimination … but that was neither the military nor the VA’s fault.
Mike Hunt says: “And I am certain that there ARE foreign born terrorists in Iraq. Again, there weren’t before (abu nidal, blabbity blah blah). ”
What a deft way of vitiating those neocons’ arguments of Saddam’s “threat”! Following this logic one could also say:
* “invaded Kuwait, blabbity blah blah”
* “invaded Iran, blabbity blah blah”
* “gassed the Kurds, blabbity blah blah”
* “paid moneys to suicide bombers, blabbity blah blah”
* “attempted the assasination of a US president, blabbity blah blah”
If you don’t like the consequences of a fact, just sneer and it will go away. And you can accuse your opponents of being a chicken hawks. So if you’re not a police officer (you f’ing cowards!) you can’t talk about locking up robbers and rapists! If you’re not a lawyer (you f’ing illiterates) you can’t talk about the law!
Shades of the 1970s-Strobe Talbott-type sneer re the Soviet Union: “millions dead in purges, blabbity blah blah — we just have to accept an alternative economic system to capitalism”.
Its a well travelled path.
You miss the point. We volunteered – that’s our job. Do I want to go off and leave my wife and daughter? Of course not, but it’s part of what I do. If I didn’t think going to war for extended periods wasn’t likely to be part of the deal, I should have either gotten out when my four years were up(in 1999) or never joined in the first place.
Carl says:
“* “invaded Kuwait, blabbity blah blah”
* “invaded Iran, blabbity blah blah”
* “gassed the Kurds, blabbity blah blah”
* “paid moneys to suicide bombers, blabbity blah blah”
* “attempted the assasination of a US president, blabbity blah blah”
Ever heard of the Riegle Report, Carl? I think it will tell you a lot about how past, stupid American foreign policy executed under the likes of Reagan and Bush led to Saddam having possesion of the WMDs and biological weapons in question.
Should we continue to apologize for “realpolitik”?
Then there’s the part about how Reagan’s administration (and executive agencies under) ASSISTED SADDAM IN USING THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS AGAINST THE IRANIANS.
Then the part about how due to some faux pas on the part of the Bush I administration tacitly allowed for the invasion of Kuwait in the first place.
But then, that’s all moot. First they said he was an imminent threat, which it was determined he wasn’t.
Now you’ve shifted the goal posts a little and are saying he was an evil man. Well, duh! He’s an evil man that when working in concert with the policies of Reagan/Bush I we were more than happy to tolerate and aid. So you have to admit that your neocon/warmongering logic has some serious flaws. Anything else coming out of your mouth (keyboard) is simply propaganda.
Furthermore, you mental midget – you’ve completely and conveniently ignored the main proposition that Iraq was a *distraction* from the real GWOT (partly and precisely due to the “he tried to kill my dad!” rationale JUST AS YOU SAID).
The Taliban have come back en force in Afghanistan, Bin Laden et al were allowed to escape with the aid of our “allies” in Pakistan, and the Bush administration has yet to exercise any pressure on Saudi Arabia to crack down on the militant Wahhabi teachings that created the 9/11 terrorists in the first place.
In the words of John Kerry (hint: character assassinations that are sure to follow do not negate his point)”Wrong War, Wrong Time.”
And now you all want to paint it as some existential threat that must be addressed. And we’re all supposed to be convinced by your convenient retelling and manipulation of history.
Tell me this while you’re at it:
Why couldn’t Bush, Rummy, Cheney and the rest of them accomplish more during the time in which both houses of Congress were controlled by Republicans? The rarest, and most satisfactory answer I hear from the likes of the neocons is that the war was badly mismanaged and that the voices of reason (leaving aside the ones saying not to invade yet) were completely ignored out of blind ideology and ignorance.
Translation: Yeah, we F*ked up. Now keep writing us blank checks or you’re all going to get your heads cut off and your women will be wearing burkas.
Spare me, loser.
Was it evil when Pinochet was ordering rapes and torture? Or was it “less bad” because it was done against socialists?
When did The Onion change urls?
On chickenhawks:
Do you really want to set the military outside of civilian control? That is where the argument leads, after all – only military members past and present vote on when force is used. (Honestly, I think the military supports the war more than those at home – though most of the guys I’ve talked to are pissed with how it is being managed.) I wouldn’t mind letting the military decide about when to go war that much, actually. Until that time, I’m not going to shut up while Joe Moonbat gets cheer for the insurgents.
On Bush:
Sure, he has made mistakes, but it is insane to think that he is the source of all the problems we face. The idea of everything becoming heavenly after Bush leaves is classic Bush derangement syndrome. People act like he’s some dark god or evil emperor.
Red_in_Blue:
I’d probably be rather ticked at another country telling mine what to do. However, the analogy between Iraq and the US is flawed. First, we can vote for our leaders. I seem to recall the GOP getting hammered in a recent election. When did the Ba’ath party get a similar defeat? Second, we aren’t oppressed like the Shia or Kurds were. I don’t recall Americans being gassed lately.
Dear liberals: Please stop trying to shame this crowd into signing up for the military. I understand you’re just trying to call them out for their hypocrisy, but if even a tiny percentage were to take you up on it, we’d be even worse off than we are now.
The DOD hasn’t made exigency plans for a sheet shortage due to bedwetting.
Let me get this straight.
Anyone who beleives the war is necessary, but doesn’t want to take up the honorable profession of soldier, is a hypocrite?
Clearly, then, anyone who beleives Americans should have food but prefers not to become a farmer, health care but isn’t a doctor, homes but isn’t a builder, or water but isn’t a plumber is equally a hypocrite.
I have defended this country. Now I build it. There are many things worth doing, and a lot of callings that contribute (Theater Critic is not one of them). Someone, after all, has to PAY the salaries of all those guys out there on the line, and buy their equipment.
War is a conflict of nations, and those of us who do things that make our nation stronger, not only fighting it but feeding it, healing it, and building it, and heck, even teaching it, are contributing.
Ben
I am the mother of 4 young children, and it terrifies me to think that they may want to one day join the service and protect our country and what it stands for. But please read further…I am a mother who wants nothing more than to love and protect her own, and that makes me selfish…which is my RIGHT as a mother.
I am also a Christian and I lay a lot of stake in my faith and in GOD. He asks us to honor and to trust not only in Him, but also in those who are chosen to lead us. So I will pray to Him and ask forever for His guidance and will to be placed upon not only my heart, by our nation’s leaders as well. That is my RIGHT as a Christian.
I am also an American, and not only that, but an American female, and that means I am afforded much more opportunity, freedoms, and rights than women almost anywhere else in the world. It means my children can become anything they dream to be, that we can live in our faith despite the fears of others, that when it comes right down to it, our nation will and should choose to come together and fight to unite for these and so many other reasons. And that is not only MY RIGHT, but OUR RIGHTS as Americans.
The overall picture is that there is a substrate of conceptual structure in chimps, overlain by some uniquely human but not necessarily language-based subsystems, in turn overlain by subsystems that depend on the pre-existence of linguistic expression. ,