The Cheese Sandwich has collected some quotations from W about his stand on war exit strategy.
I know there are two POV's here, but here's how my unpolitical mind sees it: Being a leader is about getting things done, but at the same time explaining to the general public how you plan to get things done. We hired you (technically I was on the nay side of the table, but I was still at the table) and I'm pretty much not seeing a reason not to fire you... I have no idea if another president would be doing a better job in your place, but you're the person in the hot seat, and I really don't know of very many people who are happy with the US reaction to September 11. We caught Saddam, who is not Osama. Oil prices are skyrocketing. Our goal is to win "the war on terror", with NO CLEAR VISION of how to achieve this end. If I were grading this project I'd give it a D-.
Right now as I type this entry my friend Roger is on a plane to Kuwait, his one stop before Iraq. I continue to believe each day that he will come home safely to us, and can see no good side to why he has been taken from his family, friends, and co-workers who care for him as if he were family.
Update: Apparently I was smaht and posted the wrong flip-flop link which got one reader all pissy at me. So, please reread the war exit strategy link if you plan on yelling at me. Chrissakes...
8 comments:
He lied.
First we were going to Iraq because there was a direct link between bin Laden and Hussein. Nope, not true. Then we went because there were WMD. Not true again. Then we went because we were liberating the country. Still not true.
I know we can't do anything because the Bushies control the ENTIRE government, every single branch...just biding time right now.
Look, war sucks. But the worst thing we can do is up and pull out before Iraq is somewhat stablized. What message does that send to the insurgents and terrorists? "Be a big enough pain in the arse and America will turn tail and run?"
Noone likes to see our troops in harms way but that's the reality of enlistment.
Frankly, I appreciate the fact that the President seems committed to completing the goal of a stabilized Iraq.
That doesn't sound like a flip-flop to me.
I say that as a pretty moderate person who also has friends and family involved in the middle east. I hope they all make it back safe and sound.
Did you read the link I referenced? That's where the flip-flopping is documented. Those are W's words, no one else's.
Read it:
http://thecheesesandwich.blogspot.com/2005/06/master-of-his-domain.html
Then comment.
Sorry, read this,:
http://thecheesesandwich.blogspot.com/2005/06/is-that-your-final-answer.html
(not that one.)
Then comment.
And, just to address your other comment, my co-worker signed up for the reserves. He was all for going to Afghanistan to look for Osama, but the current "war on terror" is not something he supports (why the hell should he?! it's a made up war, Bush is playing war with real people!) so he's having a very difficult time with being a part of this "war" with no tangible finish.
There are always more insurgents and terrorists, it's a NEVER ENDING WAR. You don't say "I'm going start a war on cockroaches today" and EVER expect to be finished with it... Unless you blow up the whole planet, and problem is solved.
If we were still in Afghanistan, I would have absolutely no problem whatsoever with an indefinite time period.
WE SHOULD NOT BE IN IRAQ. We never should have GONE to Iraq.
It was all lies, lies, lies, and it's all documented and proven.
And there's not a damned thing we can do about it.
Misfit, I was going to comment and then I read yours. Bravo. You said it better than I ever could have.
Sorry this is late...
**COUGH bushisanarsehole COUGH**
Whoo. My throat. So scratchy!
Hmm, I keep reading information that tells me that the majority of Iraqis don't want our troops there.
It may be true that it would cause problems to just up and leave Iraq, but my problem is with the original action of choosing to invade Iraq based on lies. When we were targetting Osama I was all for that. I definitely didn't appreciate civilians dying while we looked for him, but I thought looking for him was (and is) a good cause.
Going after Saddam Hussein because he's easier to catch and forcing democracy on a country that didn't know how to be democratic is not right in my mind. Teaching how to do something, with the presence of soldiers with guns (the message here: "become democratic or I shoot you"), is asinine.
Why does the US assume we are the best nation and then force other countries to convert to our ideals? Do you know how against their religion it is for Iraqis to adopt our materialist and "live free or die" attitude?
I definitely welcome amnesty for Iraqis who choose to come to our country if they consider the US to be a safe harbor. I'm not sure I consider the US a safe harbor for Iraqis at this point because our notion of nationalism is becoming more French every day. (That's not a good thing. Sorry if I just offended any French readers.)
My observation of the world view is that the US isn't exactly safe, and Americans in foreign countries are taking a big risk because people of other countries either hate us or don't want to be anywhere near us for fear that they will end up targeted as well.
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