It seems to me that the Iraqi situation is a relatively straightforward repeat of our Vietnam dilemma -- namely, just the way our soldiers served as the only security upholding a series of corrupt South Vietnamese regimes over a decade, our troops in Iraq have been the only force propping up a series of venal Iraqi governments now for five years. In both cases, we hoped that these administrations would gain public backing, but found them to be failures. In the end, our country has to decide, just as we did in Vietnam, whether we are going to continue to send our men and women, our military and infrastructure resources, and our tax dollars to keep this ineffectual Iraqi rule going -- or whether, like a bad poker hand, we finally throw the cards in and leave the game, and allow the tribal forces on the ground to come to their own settlement.
The American people have spoken repeatedly through regular polling data that they want us to leave -- not precipitously, but nonetheless with dispatch. However, the hearings in Congress over the last two days does not give one much confidence that this message is getting through. By next year, under the Bush/Petraeus plan, indeed, we'll have absolutely the same number of troops in Iraq by next summer as we have had for the past years. In other words -- absent the surge extras -- we are back where we started and another year will have passed, more lives lost, more Iraqis displaced, more mayhem in the streets, more waste of US assets. Despite Bush's standing at 28% in the polls, it appears unlikely Congress will do anything to change his Iraqi policy (unlike what it did about Vietnam) leaving him as mastermind for the next 17 months. This is a wrenching outcome.
I'd make that bloated old cow Barbara clean up New Orleans too!
Viet Nam had no real strategic importance to the United States survival or safety. It also contained no resources the USA depended on.
The quagmire in Iraq makes Viet Nam, Cambodia, and Laos look like child's play. There's no China, Kissinger can go to with a secret surrender deal,(let us get our troops out and do what you want.)
Cheney and Wolfowitz REALLY "screwed the pooch" with Iraq, and 2 generations will pay for this FIASCO.
If the Republics would just quit supporting the occupation, the war would be stopped very soon.
President Bush's trip to Viet Nam last year revealed a country that suffered neither a genicide or an economic collapse. Considering the current state of affairs in this country, many Americans find the current upscale socialist economy of Viet Nam, with free state sponsored college education and healthcare, an appealing alternative to the Bush ownership society that has resulted in the destruction of the middle class and the biggest transfer of wealth, in this country's history, to the upper 10% of the population.
To elect Republicans who dismiss our Constitution as a 'hurdle to overcome' or a 'impediment to efficient government' or an 'antiquated document that no longer speaks to the world's situation' is TREASON of the highest order! Republicans have shown no respect, no support and no allegiance to this
remarkable historical document, The Constitution of the U.S..
The evidence is confirmed through the legislation they produced, through any policies they enacted nor through any
national programs they instituted- all of their actions and legislation were to help the fascist corporate interests who left America and our Constitution for Dubai and Asia where they could raoe the natural resources of those 3rd world countries after leaving our economy in a 3rd rate state.
And if this is such an important war, let's tax rich people to pay for it. Let the Dems introduce that notion as a bill in the House, as well.
have 100 G.I.'s killed every week. Every week
for 10 years, on average. We don't have the
Draft that was necessary to provide up to 500,000
troops 'in country', for a year at a time, for
10 years (more or less).
Oddly enough, there were always said to be
oil & gas deposits hidden off the Vietnam coast,
and afterwards, these were even found! Nothing
like the Middle East, if that matters.
somewhat similar to the Banana Wars in Central
America (c. 1910-1934), carried out by the
USMC to serve the interests of various US fruit
companies, believe it or not. Substitute Oil
for Fruit, & you have it.
Unless you think Iraq is all about freedom & politics & stuff.