Post #49

Subject: 2007 – it’s hotter than an oven!

As always, the question is “Where do we go from here?” In my Post #1, I quoted from “Is defeat now an option?” – the June 27, 2006 column by Pat Buchanan at http://www.theamericancause.org/ :

“We may be at a crossroads in both Iran and Afghanistan, where he has three choices: Ratchet up the U.S. troop investment to stave off defeat. Endure in what appears to be another "no-win war." Cut America's losses and get out, risking strategic disaster.”

Yes, I said, three options:
1. Win the war. I opposed the diversion into Iraq to begin with, but it is/was winnable. Bush has lost it and probably cannot win it at this point
2. Stay the course. More lying, more dying as Bush prays for a miracle.
3. Withdrawal. I personally favor #1, but, as that option gets farther and farther away, I favor #3. I find #2 to be morally reprehensible.

In my Post #27, I said, “Ummm, well, why did I oppose the diversion into Iraq to begin with? We hadn’t finished in Afghanistan, and, as I feared, resources for our Afghanistan mission were diverted. I consider our mission in Afghanistan to be justifiable, an appropriate use of our military force. ‘To make no distinction between terrorist organization and the governments that harbor them.’ – yes! Iraq was a mistake.”

Iraq was a violation of Bush’s own anti-terrorism policy, ‘To make no distinction between terrorist organizations and the governments that harbor them.’ As I also said in my Post #27, “There was no Al-Qaeda in Iraq… until our invasion.” What will Bush do if democracy blooms in Iraq tomorrow and they vote to harbor terrorist organizations? He don’t have no Army. :p

As I also said in my Post #27,”no matter how much money, no matter how many lives, no matter how many years, we will leave… as occupiers, not democracy’s champion.” I personally favor #1, but, well, #1 is wrong – a false choice.

The Iraq War was winnable – our military objectives were obtainable, and they were! However, Bush’s “democracy that’s an allay in the War on Terror” is a political objective – an inappropriate use of our military. I find #2 or a “New Way Forward” to be morally reprehensible. #3 – let’s just declare victory and come home.

Again, from my Post #27, “I saw on TV the other day a ‘talking head’ ask somebody who was in favor of an immediate withdrawal – forget whom [blush] – about the potential problems of withdrawal. He said ‘We’ll see.’ In other words, it is better to leave now and face the consequences now than to leave in, say, 10 years and face what definitely will be even worse consequences. And, yes, we will be leaving at some point.”

Let’s “Get out… now!” and get back to the War on Terror….