Bush shill! Bush shill! Quagmire! Quagmire!
Liberals need to be reminded of the anti-war, anti-Bush, anti-Troop stances they’ve espoused over the past seven years. Because, now, the surge is working, we are becoming successful in Iraq, and the left opposition is strangely…quiet. You would think that they might come forward to own their prior stances, to ‘fess up to their wrongness. I haven’t seen much of that. Democrats want to forget, and be forgiven, for so loudly decrying the efforts so many American soldiers have put forth, and died for.
We are winning in Iraq.
From Anthony J. Diaz, in today’s Washington Post…
Hard-Won Progress In Baghdad
Since I arrived here last August, I have been struck by four things: the financial commitment we have made to reconstruction; the precipitous decline in violence; the inklings of representative government; and the small yet significant progress in communal relations between the mostly Shiite Iraqi army and the predominantly Sunni residents of this area. One often reads of the chaos plaguing Iraq. Yet the media accounts only infrequently seem to grasp the successes being achieved.
From late-night Senate holdovers to burning the flag and troops in effigy, the left has produced a seven-year constant drumbeat of retreat, lose it, give up, Bushitler BDS. Murtha’s Mob. General Betrayus, that hateful, vile rhetoric produced by Move On dot org, George Soros’ pet Democommie kennel.
But, now, we are seeing that General Petraeus was correct. As I said last September “We see that the Democrats have put all of their political eggs in the failure-in-Iraq, surrender-at-all-costs basket, and now that it seems that thing are going much better, those Democrats who turned mightily to the left (at the whim of KOS, DU, Soros.com Moveon.org, and all the other nutroots and moonbats who suffer BDS) might actually have to back off of their prior leftist stances.”
Now, the chickens will start coming home to roost….staff sergeant Anthony Diaz…
There is still much left to be accomplished in Iraq. But the successes of the men and women serving in this once explosive area of Baghdad cannot be overstated. Sitting here in Adhamiyah, one thing is certain: The surge has worked.
Chickens. I hear chickens.
crossed from home.
h/t Fu*ked in the Head Moonbat, Protein Wisdom commenter, for the post title…
Still UnConstitutional, Still Un-Necassary, Still Un-Winable.
Still unbiased, eh?
As long as we’re unbending, we’re unbeatable.
But, unapproving, uncomplimentary, unhappy…
Unbelievable!
Rustyedge convinced me — now, just 70% of America to go!
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Ummm…’Gnashvegas Scooter Monkey‘, I presume…
(walks away shaking head)
Change the subject. You have no choice.
You say, “We are winning in Iraq.”
70% of America doesn’t see it that way.
You have your work cut out for you, so you best hit the whetstone, Rusty.
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The Iraqi people desire some stability, and deserve not to be left to certain civil war if American forces are prematurely withdrawn. We (Americans) have an obligation to give them some time to stabilize, those Sunni and Shiite factions that traditionally hate each other. We destroyed the Sunni-minority regime of Saddam Hussein, a verified monster who had torture chambers and filled mass graves. We did not have a ‘plan’ in place to restore Iraqi government once the deed was done. Our bad.
The nascent Iraqi government (voted in place in 2005) is now mostly Shiite, now the majority, but they aren’t used to governing anything at all.
So, 70% of Americans feel we should cut and run? And you think that’s acceptable?
That’s one of the reasons I believe that 70% of Americans are largely spoiled and narrow-souled folk. 70% are willing to forbear our responsibility and just dump Iraq, while instead sitting and watching America Idle while supping a latte. Sacrifice for the good of others? HA! Not much our prior generation (the ’60’s children, represented by Hillary Clinton), nor this generation, nor probably the next.
But I blame the MSM, and Democrats, for leading you astray.
So, 70% of Americans feel we should cut and run? And you think that’s acceptable?
Yes.
Some people think that the Iraqis cannot determine their own future. I’m not one of those.
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1) In 4 years, more Iraqis died in the war and in the aftermath than Saddam killed in 15-20 years due to the incompetent Bush invasion plan that lost control of the county.
2) Last week, CNN interviewed Iraqi military on their opinion of the US election. Of the many dozens of soldiers they interviewed, they could not find a single Iraqi that supported the Republican candidate.
3) The surge is working? Really?
Sects in Iraq have been waring for a millenium. How long do you think “the surge” will continue to work assuming you really believe that BS. Hoping to turn enemies into allies, U.S. forces are arming Iraqis who fought with the insurgents. But it’s already starting to backfire. Moreover, the gov’t has proven ineffective. Gen Petraeus said last week - “Iraqi leaders have failed to take advantage of a reduction in violence to make adequate progress toward resolving their political difference.”
4) The US can not financially afford to sustain this war. It is wrecking the economy. If Kerry had been elected, he had pledged to hold a MidEast summit to get regional nations to help take responsibility for Iraq, but no, we continue down the path of arrogance that if we spend enough and kill enough and police enough, things will be happy forever after. A neo-con fantasy. Enjoy it while you can.
The point of “the surge” was to create a lull in the violence in Iraq so that political progress could take place there. We’ve gotten the temporary lull in violence, at great cost, and yet the political progress remains elusive. So “the surge” is only “successful” if one ignores its stated purpose, which is cheating. We’ve succeeded in the means, but this hasn’t done a thing to achieve the stated ends. In this regard, the surge remains a failure.
Calling the surge a success is like calling the Fed’s interest rate cuts “successes,” because interest rates are in fact lower, even though the economy hasn’t rebounded (which was the stated purpose of the rate cuts).
William:
It’s not just about the financial cost of the war. It’s also about the long-term damage we’ve done to our armed forces. Attrition is at record levels, and it will take a generation to rebuild the army to its prior strength. But to the true believers, it’s all still “worth it.”
But we’re safer, right?
I agree with you Serr8d, I like to call it the “Puddenization of America”. We are all about the big thing for the moment, and then when a couple of weeks pass and we have to actually sacrafice, it’s time to stop. That is the way America has been since the 60’s. Man our Grandfather’s or should I say Great Grandparents would really be ashamed. The men went over sea’s willingly, and the women started to work at home to provide equipment for their troops. I can think back at the stories my pawpaw told me as a young girl….The one where he got the Japanese sword, and the one where he was shot in the leg. That same man came home to the country he loved and proudly flew his AMERICAN Flag high. I was raised on that pride, and now it so disappointing to see that so many Americans just think that freedom is free. Sorry, I don’t know if you’ve noticed yet, but nothing is free, and it never will be.
so disappointing to see that so many Americans just think that freedom is free
So, what tour are you on in Iraq?
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No, freedom isn’t free, but that doesn’t mean that every single US military action is justified and worth the cost, nor does it mean that criticism of US foreign policy is born of a lack of pride. I criticize our leaders because I love my country, and I want it to live up to the standards it claims to.
Mindless jingoism is not the same thing as patriotism, and there’s simply zero similarity between WWII and Iraq.
JP:
I have a brother in Iraq and a close Cousin. I know a little about sacrifice. If they would’ve allowed a single mother to join the Air Force, I would’ve been gone in a second. So you maybe you shouldn’t be so quick to judge.
tgrisch:
You make a good point. I want our troops (and my family) to come home with the rest of you, but I don’t want a job unfinished. The truth is I’m tired of us policeing the world and getting zero credit for our efforts. When there is a problem in another country, who is the first person they call for help. Yet when we help, we are the devil, and we are trying to rule everthing. I think if they hate us so much they should fend for themselves, but some people have a bigger heart than I do. They have the “Good Samaritan” attitude. Not me though! I think we should help our own, and let them worry about themselves. Maybe then, they will learn to appreciate the goodness of our hearts, and the goodness of the families who have sacrificed loved ones for their cause. My brother is not worth their freedom to me. Selfish but honest!
anon:
The question, though, is whether the job even can be finished, and if so, at what cost.
And a big part of what you understand is that a big part of why “they hate us so much” isn’t because of who we are, it’s because of what we do, specifically, us constantly mucking around in their affairs, propping up oppressive regimes in places like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and yes, Iraq (in case you forget, we helped install Saddam Hussein).
If you’re genuinely interested in the true long-term costs of our involvement in Iraq start here, but let me warn you that it can be pretty infuriating.
Spam filter ate me.
In case my other comment doesn’t clear, read this:
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2007/0712.tilghman.html
…but let me warn you that it can be pretty infuriating.
So you maybe you shouldn’t be so quick to judge.
I’m not judging — I asked a question, and I got an answer. An unsurprising answer.
“Who will help me plant the corn?”
“Not me!”
“Not me!”
“Not me!”
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JP:
You’re an idiot. Don’t really know what you are talking about. I tried my best to get in the military, being as though most in my family are. Like I said I was unable to. I do my best to support them and their efforts while I’m here. Though I don’t want to sacrafice my brother or cousins life for the unthankful. I would gladly sacrifice my own. So I guess in your idiotic words “I would gladly help plant the corn”. Also my “little brother”, who is only 19 years of age, that I’m very protective of, probably wouldn’t appreciate the lack of gratitude he is getting from people like you, and the undeserving in Iraq.