RE: http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,148055,00.html

While I enjoy a political curb-stomping as much as the next guy, or maybe more, what was the point of this article? What is the writer trying to say?

Just more whining from from a tired old man.

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When will enough be enough?

On Election Day??? I pray that every man or woman that can vote will go to the polls and vote!

We are indeed in a chaotic position and it is going to take a lot of courage and sacrifice on behalf of the American people to get us back on track. Unfortunately this War got away from us and though it may have accomplished "SOME" good in Iraq....It did nothing for America and our Homeland...with the exception of building our Homeland Security system and with a few laws broken at that!

It is going to take a lot of dedication for the American people to right the wrong and face the truths of ill fated decisions, but do it, we must!

The fight in Iraq is NOT keeping the terrorists out of our Country...WE ARE with beefed up, heads up, security and the sooner people recognize that the better.

Now we NEED desparately to secure our borders!

Iraq is going to have to stand on their own to feet eventually and from the looks of it Maliki wants to do that very thing with Iran...Ooops!

Huge mistake!

If the Generals think we have made much leeway with the 30,000 or so new troops then why didn't we use them to began with??? The President said we did not need them in 2005 in his speech regarding Iraq and the War.

How soon the tides turn...How many lives are torn apart by gross mistakes and negligence on behalf of our INTEL? Oh you say ..Nothing wrong with our Intel??? Then whom do we turn to, to explain the catastrophic place we find ourselves in?

We certainly do not want for our Troops to have fought in vain! That was a different time...or was it? When will we start getting it RIGHT?

God Bless Our Troops! God Bless the people like Joe that have an eye for what is right, or if nothing else the guts to say it!

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Or, as they say, in for a penny, in for $1 trillion, and please ignore the fact that we can't find the money or the leadership needed to repair our own failing air traffic control system, our aging infrastructure of roads and bridges and sewer and water systems, health insurance for the 47 million Americans who don't have it and can't afford it, or our military forces and equipment, which have been stretched beyond the breaking point by endless combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The last part of this quote could easily be fixed if the "supporters" and/or their kids put their $ where their mouths are and signed up to serve! Can't seem to find them when you need them..

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Originally posted by 13409584:
Just more whining from from a tired old man.

...........................................

That's really the sad part about Joe. He is better than this. His writings have become fodder for the loony left web sites. Hatred will consume one. Joe is living proof.

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Originally posted by smokey5:

quote:

Originally posted by 13409584:
Just more whining from from a tired old man.

...........................................

That's really the sad part about Joe. He is better than this. His writings have become fodder for the loony left web sites. Hatred will consume one. Joe is living proof.

Smokey, I do not believe Joe is spewing Hate per se' I think he is telling it like it is and people do not want to hear it...So many peeps are in denial about the condition of our Country and our position in this WAR.

Human beings are just impatient and not always as tolerant as they should be or would like to be....I pray for the Prez...He has a lot of stuff rolling down hill...and I don't have the vaguest where it will stop, with the exception of knowing he will pass the Command to another with a full plate.
I feel sorry for HIM...not Joe. Joe speaks from the heart and is a very intelligent man...also a VET. so he knows some of what he speaks..at least I think so...Anyhow my .02...

I am disappointed in Joe. I normally find his articles engaging, even if I disagree. This one is just a ranting whine that really does not say anything, IMHO.

I simply can not see how yanking out the troops, whether or not you agree on the reasons for the war, is the answer. What do you honestly think will happen when we leave? The Iraqis will all hold hands and sing kumbaya?

The insurgents are desperate. US casualties, way down; former insurgent strongholds, being pacified (Ramadi); Iraqi security forces, gaining in strength and capability. More, not less is required. Security is what will allow the people of Iraq to focus on their political situation. Until Iraqis can walk their streets without fear of death, a political solution is a dream.

Simply stated, if we leave now, who will fill the vacuum? Think on THAT.

No "left" or "right" on this... Joe's complaints are right down the middle. "Branding" harsh opposition to this Administration is an old-fashioned and tiresome ad hominem rhetorical ploy. The machinations, overreactions, schemes, scandals, cronisms, miscalculations, even criminality shadowing this Administration and the 107th, 108th, 109th GOP dominated Congresses (does anyone remember Abramoff?) are all a matter of record. The reviews of past lame duck Presidents have been coming out regularly and do not flatter this President. Conservatives and Moderates challenging this Administration speak for themselves, not for anyone else who may also be dissatisfied with the last six years. (Remember, this whole "lame duck" thing is distinctly American. In a parliamentary system there'd be a new resident in the White House.)

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Originally posted by 13409584:
Just more whining from from a tired old man.

That or more hot air.

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Originally posted by sloverev:
I am disappointed in Joe. I normally find his articles engaging, even if I disagree. This one is just a ranting whine that really does not say anything, IMHO.

I simply can not see how yanking out the troops, whether or not you agree on the reasons for the war, is the answer. What do you honestly think will happen when we leave? The Iraqis will all hold hands and sing kumbaya?

The insurgents are desperate. US casualties, way down; former insurgent strongholds, being pacified (Ramadi); Iraqi security forces, gaining in strength and capability. More, not less is required. Security is what will allow the people of Iraq to focus on their political situation. Until Iraqis can walk their streets without fear of death, a political solution is a dream.

Simply stated, if we leave now, who will fill the vacuum? Think on THAT.

I understand what you are saying yet even as close as yesterday, a member of the Iraqi parliament said they will not be able to take over for another 12-18 mos. and our General said it will take an occupation of at least another 10 years....Now how far should we go with this? Also in light of the fact that the PM of Iraq...Maliki is uniting with Iran on our Buck$$?

I don't want this thing to escalate anymore than it has but I would've enjoyed a better equipped Army and a better plan for both engaging and disengaging...How bout you?

Have we ever been in as long a "war" as long as this one (5+ years) without having shared-sacrifice? The same brave men and women going for 3rd, 4th, and 5th tours is UNSAT!

Now we find that the military is so desperate that standards have been lowered so that even ex-cons might have a chance to join! Where are the supporters of this war? Why aren't they or their kids serving? I guess as long as it's not them or their children then it's ok to continue to support the war.

Seems like the Draft could alleviate this problem, but reintroduction would likely create more problems. Might a return to the Draft make the protests/riots of the late 60's pale in comparison?

This is why so many people are so angry! Whether one supports the war or not, ALL should share the burden, and not by "going shopping" or electing their daddy Prez a la "Mitt." Too many so-called patriots found it "inconvenient" to serve when they had the chance. Just look at the "conservative" talkshow hosts and sitting members of Congress.

It's a shame.

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Originally posted by GunghoNavyWidow:

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Originally posted by smokey5:

quote:

Originally posted by 13409584:
Just more whining from from a tired old man.

...........................................

That's really the sad part about Joe. He is better than this. His writings have become fodder for the loony left web sites. Hatred will consume one. Joe is living proof.

Smokey, I do not believe Joe is spewing Hate per se' I think he is telling it like it is and people do not want to hear it...So many peeps are in denial about the condition of our Country and our position in this WAR.

Human beings are just impatient and not always as tolerant as they should be or would like to be....I pray for the Prez...He has a lot of stuff rolling down hill...and I don't have the vaguest where it will stop, with the exception of knowing he will pass the Command to another with a full plate.
I feel sorry for HIM...not Joe. Joe speaks from the heart and is a very intelligent man...also a VET. so he knows some of what he speaks..at least I think so...Anyhow my .02...

Joe Galloway is a vet? News to me. He may have been to Vietnam, but he has never served in the ranks of the US military.

quote:

Originally posted by GunghoNavyWidow:


I understand what you are saying yet even as close as yesterday, a member of the Iraqi parliament said they will not be able to take over for another 12-18 mos. and our General said it will take an occupation of at least another 10 years....Now how far should we go with this? Also in light of the fact that the PM of Iraq...Maliki is uniting with Iran on our Buck$$?

I don't want this thing to escalate anymore than it has but I would've enjoyed a better equipped Army and a better plan for both engaging and disengaging...How bout you?

I would LOVE a better equipped Army. The problem is that we can not have everything we want. Could you imagine the budget if we did? Nobody wants to pay those kind of taxes. We equip and train our forces as best we can and adapt to situations when we need to.

If 12-18 mos is required to get the Iraqi security forces up, then so be it. If we are there for another 10 years, so be it. If this is what it takes to develop a solid, democratic Arab nation in the center of the Mid East, then so be it.

Everyone talks about disengagement and exit strategy. We had one of those in Somalia and look how well THAT turned out. 60 years after Korea and we still have 20,000 or so troops there, and until recently it was almost 40,000. We were still patrolling the DMZ until recently and unless I am wrong, we have never formally concluded an end to the shooting war with North Korea, only a cease fire that has held this long.

Why do you think we have thousands still there and had many more thousands there for 60 years? Why are we only NOW coming back from the DMZ? We stayed to ensure their democracy was safe and had time to flourish. Nobody talks about disengagement with South Korea, or an exit strategy.

A stable government in Iraq, chosen and supported by her population, is the most deadly weapon we have against Islamic fundamentalists. THAT is why they are fighting so hard. So yes, if it takes 10 years to help make this happen, the so be it.

Way to go Joe! People comparing Iraq to Korea?! Ok, bub where is the DMZ? Exactly. Just like we left Vietnam we can leave Iraq and work on a comprehensive exit plan with Iraq's neighbors. But we won't Cheney wants Iraq's oil reserves for his American buddies it's that simple.

Still, we cannot do it alone and even with the surge we are not nailing down security and therefore redevelopment is stagnating---we are no closer to stability than when we were at the outset of this debacle. Certainly there is progress, but it is shallow and fleeting solely to serve his lamentable personal purposes--much like his infamous "Mission Accomplished" speech engorged with falsity--shall more of our comrades die or suffer horrific wounds for this? I say h** no.

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Originally posted by rockriver04:
People comparing Iraq to Korea?! Ok, bub where is the DMZ? Exactly.

Read my comment again.

I was not comparing Iraq to Korea. I was commenting on the call for AN EXIT STRATEGY. My point was simply that we stayed in Korea until the job was done. Actually, that should be in the present tense, because we ARE STILL THERE!

IMHO, yanking our troops out of Iraq would be a worse option than staying and making this work. Yes the short term return in dollars and lives is appealing, but what would be the long term costs to such a course of action? An Iraq that is plunged into Somalia style conflict is unthinkable for the stability of the region and the world.

we are not going to take troops out of iraq until the oil rich of this country know the oil rich country of iraq if thoughly under their control.