Americans Don't Give Up
Topic: Iraq, Past wars
I bought a cheap DVD with old cartoons recently at Walmart. The first one was an WWII cartoon in which Daffy Duck operates a scrap yard to support the war effort. The Nazis send in a goat to eat the scrap. Daffy initially has trouble getting rid of the goat and says "I give up". An apparent dream reminds Daffy that Americans don't give up. Daffy not only takes care of the goat, but it captures a German sub. When he "wakes up" the sub is on top of the scrap heap.
Iraq isn't the worst situation Americans have been involved in. George Washington didn't give up even after spending a very bad winter at Valley Forge during the Revolutionary War. He and his soldiers survived the winter and went on to win the war because they didn't give up.
Americans didn't give up during the War of 1812 even after British troops invaded the capital and destroyed several buildings. They kept fighting and even won an overwhelming victory in the Battle of New Orleans.
Northern Americans had trouble winning battles in the early years of the Civil War, but didn't give up. They continued to fight and eventually won the war.
Americans didn't give up in World War II even after being forced out of the Phillipines. They came back and defeated the Japanese.
Americans didn't give up in Korea even after being nearly pushed out into the sea.
The situation in Iraq doesn't come close to comparing to the difficulties Americans encountered in these wars so why do Democrats want to give up? Are they as unfamiliar with American history as the people Jay Leno interviews on Jaywalking?
Or, are they losers whose only interest is playing silly little political games? They don't care about America. They only care about their political careers. They would rather lose in Iraq than risk having a Republican President handle it successfully. Democrats want to create a disaster in Iraq so they can blame it on the Republicans
Posted by reasonmclucus
at 12:01 AM CDT
Baker Hamilton
Topic: Baker Hamilton
The Baker Hamilton report is the same old nonsense, particularly the part about involving Iran and Syria. The threat of Saudi Arabia entering the situation isn't much of a threat. If the U.S. wants to scare anyone, it should start talking about bringing in our NATO ally Turkey. Turkey headed the most recent Middle EAstern empire.
The U.S. needs to set realistic goals and abandon the notion of "winning". Winning is only possible when there is a specific enemy to defeat. We cannot win by getting the other side to say "uncle" because there is no other side to say "uncle". If winning means completely eliminating violence... well we cannot do that in our own country.
The U.S. needs to recognize that most Iraqis are what Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn once referred to as "rabbits". That is they have been conditioned to stay quiet and accept whatever happens. The U.S. needs to find a way to get them to become involved in stopping the violence.
Even here in the U.S. the cops cannot do it all themselves. They need citizen assistance. In the U.S., the biggest problem is often in inner city minority neighborhoods where people have a long standing distrust of police. The Iraqis also have a distrust because of Saddam Hussein's police. Big city police departments that are having some success in getting minority cooperation with the police could invite Iraqi officers to learn how they are doing it.
U.Sl military officials need to recognize that the most important thing they can do is to train Iraqi police and military. Instead of discouraging officers from seeking such assignments, the military should try to assign the best qualified officers with guarantees that such assignments would aid their careers. Colin Powell's first combat assignment was as an observer/advisor to South Vietnamese Army unit. Any "career counselors" or whatever they are called who have been discouraging officers from seeking such assignments should themselves be reassigned to duties more consistent with their abilities.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-boot18oct18,1,2605384.column?coll=la-util-op-ed
Too bad they couldn't find some competent people to serve on the panel. These guys are totally out of touch with the real world. There is no diplomatic solution for the situation in Iraq. The lawlessness is primarily an internal problem that has to be dealt with directly not by talk. The other middle eastern countries have their own problems with violent elements that they are dealing with through totalitarian means. Is that what the panel means by a "political" solution? Establish a new tyrant in Iraq who will use arbitrary arrests and torture to keep people in line???
Although al Qaeda is part of the problem in Iraq, the ethnic conflict groups are more similar to the KKK or the Black Panthers. Trying to appeal to Iran or Syria to deal with them is a waste of time. They are too preoccupied with trying to foment violence because it is easier than trying to stop it.
the only Muslim country with recent experience controlling the Middle East is Turkey. Perhaps the U.S. could threaten to allow Turkey to take over if the Iraqis don't start getting along.
The U.S should also reconsider the goal of keeping Iraq together as a country. Perhaps the U.S. should offer to help those living where they are a minority to move to areas where they are a majority
Posted by reasonmclucus
at 12:01 AM CST
