Before everyone lines up to drink the anti-war Kool-Aid that Barack Obama has been passing out since the beginning of his campaign, I thought I would point to a few indicators that maybe you should think twice before you dawn the bright blue jump suit, hold hands for a sermon about the promised peace on a spaceship behind the withdraw from Iraq and drink down that colorful promise of a speedy exit from the real world.
In the real world Iraq has improved and is improving dramatically. Let me say that again…Iraq has improved dramatically. The Iraqi army is securing its own country under the command and direction of its civilian government, and is doing it without American help. The government has been able to move its parliament toward important political progress on a variety of important initiatives. Last month was one of the most peaceful months in Iraq since the war began.
And yet…Barack Obama continues to tell anyone with a microphone about a 'third Bush term under Senator McCain,' '100 years this and 100 years that,' and 'home in 16 months' or whatever the time. Perhaps he is not reading the papers or maybe he knows that all things being equal, Americans prefer peace. Maybe he is betting that we will drink the Kool-Aid without asking too many questions; like what is going to happen in Iraq if we just up and leave immediately? or will our enemies "leave it at that" when we go?
I don't know about you but I am not ready to bet on a mystical spaceship behind a comet. I am not ready to assume that our enemies will suddenly change their minds, decide we are not so bad or call the whole thing off if we would just leave Iraq. I am not ready to drink the Kool-Aid because a first term Senator from Illinois promised me a spaceship.
Instead I will stick with a man whose strategy is working, a strategy, I might add, that he supported because he knew it was the right thing, even when it was unpopular. I will stick with the man who was fighting for our country and enduring years as a POW while Obama was learning to tie his own shoes and ride a bike without training wheels. I'll stick with another man who even democrats (and New Yorker's at that) are starting to agree will be vindicated by history.
Don't drink the Kool-Aid without some answers. Peace, but peace through strength.
3 comments:
Let's be honest, you don't really have any republican friends. Anyways...
Kool Aid? What are you, an office manager? Likening the Heaven's Gate cult to people who believe the country could be better served through peaceful diplomacy instead of the violence, carnage, and poor global perception (for a number of reasons I won't get into) that war brings is utterly ridiculous. I do agree with you, things might be improving there. But a few small victories for the Iraqi Army (which by the way, doesn't really support your argument for U.S. occupation. if the Iraqi Army is now stable enough and can win, we don't need to be there) in tiny cities coupled with a U.S. death toll of 25(http://icasualties.org/oif/) so far for June is in no way an accurate reflection of the state of Iraq. Seems more of a hasty generalization. By the way, casualties from IED's, friendly fire, car bombs, and many other "non-military" acts are not counted in the DoD's death reports.
You are also generalizing the idea of troop withdrawal. I don't think it's at all realistic to think that anyone who gets elected will get us out of Iraq. And unfortunately, I agree with McCain when he said we'll be there 100 years or so. Who are our "enemies" you speak of? I remember some dude on dialysis with a penchant for killing on U.S. soil by the name of Bin Laden. Al Qaida? Where IS Waldo?
As far as McCain is concerned, you are incorrect about him and his support of the "strategy" of war. He was very vocal about NOT invading at the onset. And at that time, this was a very unpopular opinion for a politician, let alone a republican, to have. Maybe he didn't want to commit political suicide by being with the republican opposition. Hmmm, where ARE all of those folks nowadays? I do admire the man for his time served in Vietnam and his mental fortitude when it comes to enduring a POW camp. I also admire those same qualities about my father. Of which he never talks about and is quite reserved, unlike McCain and his campaign. I also don't wish to elect my father as president. Point being, there are thousands of veterans who went throught the same, so how does that qualify one for presidency? Thats just the crux of his entire platform. Whether or not you were learning to tie shoes or eating mudpies or fighting a war in 1967, it has no bearing on qualifications for presidency. Sorry, it just doesn't. Notice I didn't mention that McCain is old as hell, wait, I just did huh?
Kool Aid, hah hah.
hy·per·bo·le, n. an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally, as “to wait an eternity.”
I am glad the rediculous comparison to a cult grabbed your attention (apparently even made you laugh) sorry you missed the technique.
Obviously I do not think Senator Obama wants us all to commit suicide.
What the post points out, and what your comment confirms, is that he has pledeged to get out of Iraq in a certain time period without talking about what will happen after we leave (and if you don't believe he, or any next President, will get us out then are you saying he is lying? or is just saying what he knows he won't deliver to garner votes and gain the office or worse, doesn't have any idea what he is talking about?). [McCain is doing the opposite, and when I said it was his strategy I was reffering to the so-called 'surge' which he championed at a time when the war was going poorly and everyone wanted out. Now McCain tells the truth (which even you admit), saying we may be in Iraq for some time to come, even though these statements are VERY unpopular and he is ridiculed by Obama for it.]
Things are improving but you are correct that it isn't over yet, meaning you are right again that despite its recent successes it is unlikely that the recent stability would persist long without the American military hanging around.
Here is something you missed though. Our "enemies" in this war are in Iraq now even if they weren't at the start of the war. To suggest that they will not attempt to assert control over that country if we were to leave is short sighted.
And as for the 'peaceful negotiation' you speak of, as opposed to conflict, with whom would you suggest that we negotiate? This is not the cold war, we can't pick up a special phone and get the Kremlin. Even if we had the inclination to call them, they attacked us far before our invasion of Iraq or our interfence in Afganistan. The tapes that certain "dude on dialysis with a penchant for killing on U.S. soil" releases don't seem to be asking for a seat at some peace table or negotiation summit. The last I heard on CNN they pretty blatantly and simply ask for as many volunteers as possible to kill Americans, any Americans, throughout the world. They (our enemies)don't seem to be too interested in talking and I believe that if given the opportunity, they would kill as many of us as they possibly could manage.
Thus if there is nobody to negotiate with and every indication that our enemies throughout the world will not consider our exit from Iraq the end, my simple question, all joking about crazy people aside, is what happens when Senator (President) Obama withdraws from Iraq? Will we be in a better place than we are now?
(one other thing, although fighting for your country doesn't automatically make you qualified for the Presidency, it is possible [highly likely] that it might give you an inclination [good idea] as to how to lead a country through a war and regardless it certainly is more productive experience than learning to lace up your shoes)
what another combat-wounded Viet Nam vet thinks of McCain's creds based on McCain's Nam experience: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/11/gen-clark-mccain-is-untes_n_106457.html
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