Only 86 Traitors?I would have thought that with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) behind Rep. John Murtha (D-PA), he would have garnered more than 86 votes. But who knew that Democrat members of the House of Representative would care about a 26 year old transcript (from the ABSCAM Sting) in which Murtha said that he would consider taking a bribe later, or a man that served (honourably) saying that American soldiers could "...not win militarily in Iraq." In the end, the more deserving (and patriotic) man, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) won out in his quest to become the number two Democrat in the House.
This demonstrates, for the moment at least, that the Democrats are not as crazy as some of Murtha's statements would have led us to believe that they were. Of course, the battle over Iraq, and the American (and Coalition) presence there has now been joined by the Democrat Party.
Whether or not you disagree with the US presence in Iraq (and the broader Middle East), one must realise that a four-to-six month timetable for redeployment (read "surrender") is unrealistic, and suicidal, in light of the following:
Osama bin Laden had previously stated that America was a "Paper Tiger" and would cut and run once the American public grew weary of the war;
Iran continues their nuclear programme, with frequent claims that peace can only come to the Middle East once America and Israel are gone from the region (Israel, permanently);
The collapse of South Viet Nam once the Democrat-controlled Congress cut off funding to the Republic of South Viet Nam;
We are killing insurgents, terrorists, and other troublemakers in record numbers; and,
Our word to oppressed people will mean less than it already does (witness the hard feelings once the US abandoned the Kurds after the First Gulf War, and forget any change in Iran if we leave, not to mention the hard feelings in Israel, who will truly be left all alone in a very hostile region).
Additionally, one should not forget that Israel has atomic weapons, and would presumably use them against Iran, or any other invader, to preserve the Israeli state.
Also, I can not imagine the world today had the United States abdicated its moral responsibility in WWII, making peace with the Nazis, and leaving Hitler in power.
5 comments:
an article in today's new york times quotes condoleezza rice as saying that comparisons of iraq with other wars are unproductive.
this is relative to bush's visit to ho chi minh city this week, his first *ever* to vietnam, though if it applies to vietnam i would say that it applies equally to WWII. the lesson he is taking from the war that he so assiduously missed is that we would have won if only we had stayed longer. because 1959-1975 wasn't long enough!
the real truth is, he is going to have to resort to a draft before this is over. he's only been able to carry this, politically, as long as he has because of the all-volunteer army. leaving aside who is likely to make up this all volunteer army (basically all the same underprivileged kids who couldn't get educational deferments in vietnam), even you must admit that the only logical conclusions for our enemies to draw are:
1) we can't win guerilla wars, and 2) we only attack countries with no nukes, so the surest way to keep us from bothing you is to develop a nuclear program.
no matter what our "moral imperatives" are, and i would say that they are hazy at best at this point, things are going to get a whole lot worse over there before they get any better. if they ever do get any better....
I realise that comparing Iraq to Viet Nam is unproductive. What I meant to convey is that, in some ways, this is a "holding action."
We spent 16 years in Viet Nam, but there is ample evidence that this venture kept some other dominoes from falling.
I agree that winning an asymmetrical war is difficult, especially one fought on the 6:00pm news. The collateral damage is bad for PR, and in the case of Islamic Collateral Damage, it creates martyrs. Plus, frankly, they don't care if they die, in many instances. The hope of Paradise is more compelling than living in the present.
My objection is that we say "We will leave in x months." That is a recipie for disaster. Instead, we need to commit ourselves to killing insurgents, and strengthening the Iraqi Republic.
As for attacking only nations without nukes, just let Iran lob a missile at Israel. I give the glorious Iranian Islamic Republic about 19 minutes before the whole lot of them find out just what Paradise is like.
Seriously, I think that if Ahmadinejad makes good on his bluster, we can expect to see just what our level of commitment (and the rest of the world's, too) is.
By the way, Cartooniste, more people volunteered to serve in the Nam than were drafted.
This is exactly the opposite of WWII (or what the mainstream media) would tell us.
As an aside, in light of John Kerry's comment, what does it say about him that he was in Viet Nam and Bush was flying F.102s?
Hmmmm. Could it be that Bush just studied a bit harder at Yale?
a lot of the people who "volunteered" did it to have some measure of control over where they were sent, rather than just being used for Cong-fodder. my dad included, i should say.
i would venture that kerry went over there because he felt a duty to his country, rather than weaseling around pretending that the communists were about to land at galveston bay. i have respect for the men who went, and i have respect for the men who took a strong moral stand against going. it's the men who took the coward's snekay sideways approach that i have no patience for.
Kerry went because the other JFK went.
Actually, Kerry went because he didn't get a deferrment to study in France. For real and for true.
And let's not forget the people who volunteered in WWII for the same reason. My father was holding a draft notice from the Army in 1945, but he joined the Army Air Corps, voluntarily.
As an aside, his friends, who wanted to fight the Hun, and indicated Europe as their preference, got sent to the Pacific. My father, wanting to go to Europe and fight the Hun, listed the Pacific as his preference, and got sent to Hawaii.
Just when you think that you have the military figured out, they up and surprise you.
And, I note that the commies never landed at Galveston Bay, so your father's work was not in vain.
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