Re: TR 8/30 Big Show Synopsis

On Sep 1, 11:34 pm, Brady <watercl...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Gary wrote:
On Aug 31, 11:11 am, Brady <watercl...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

*MISCELLANEOUS MEANDERING*
So Senator Clinton says we should we begin redeploying troops from Iraq
'now.' It's clear to me that President Bush has no intention of ending
his ill-conceived (and ill-planned) war while he's still in office, so I
think Congress should do it for him. I think Congress should insist on
attaching strings to the next supplemental appropriations bill. If need
be, I think Senate Democrats (with the help of some Republicans) should
filibuster the bill. And when President Bush and Vice President Cheney
(et al.) inevitably begin accusing members of Congress of 'not
supporting the troops,' I think they should push back, hard.

I'm so sick of the notion forwarded by some that supporting the war is
analogous to supporting the troops. What's really laughable is listening
to various pundits, talk-show hosts and assorted hacks who
sanctimoniously talk about how they, from their armchairs, 'support the
troops' simply by blindly supporting Bush's 'strategy.'

President Bush keeps saying that Congress should reserve judgment until
General Petraeus presents his progress report in a couple of weeks. Does
anyone think General Petraeus' report -- whatever it says -- will have
any bearing whatsoever on President Bush's policy? No matter what
General Petraeus says, the Bush administration will spin it to suit
their agenda.

I just hope Senator Clinton and her colleagues -- the ones who want to
begin withdrawing our troops from Iraq *now* -- will have the courage of
their convictions when it comes time to vote on President Bush's request
for more funds. To me, the best way to support the troops is to begin
the process of bringing them home. Now.

That's all I got.

Have a good Friday, people.

Later ...

Brady

America can't just leave Iraq now. I was totally against the war in
the first place, but the American people and government went in and
broke the county - so now it has an obligation to at least provide
some sort of help and support for the Iraqi people today. Just leaving
would lead to a worse catastrophe.

Oh, I agree that we can't simply abandon the Iraqi people. Nor *should*
we. I said the following here in AFL in October 2006.

"First, I think President Bush made a step in the right direction by
setting up so-called benchmarks. He's about three years late, but better
late than never. I would take it a step further and set actual, bona
fide timelines for withdrawal, to coincide with those benchmarks, after
which the United States pulls out *all* forces and dismantles *all*
bases in Iraq. US forces could be stationed in nearby countries in the
event that the Iraqi security forces go through times of coordinated
assault for which they're not prepared or if they otherwise ask for
assistance. If that happens, the United States should pull back out just
as quickly as it goes back in. Second, I think the United States needs a
period of proactive reconciliation with the Iraqi people. In their new
book, "Out of Iraq: A Practical Plan for Withdrawal," George McGovern
and William R. Polk argue that a simple gesture of conciliation would go
far. I'm not talking about conciliation with cold-blooded killers who
have planned or carried out indiscriminate killings or violence directed
towards civilians. I'm talking about a gesture of good will towards the
people of Iraq. For example, some of the money that we're currently
spending on maintaining troop levels and equipment -- just a *fraction*
of it, even -- could be poured into an even-more-accelerated
reconstruction effort. I would also set up foundations to help the Iraqi
people in their educational and business pursuits. Think of how far just
a billion dollars would go in setting up commercial enterprise zones in
Baghdad and other major cities. Funds could also be used to build more
schools and fund community outreach programs, as well as help improve
infrastructure throughout the country. I know we're spending lots of
money on construction already, but think how much more could be done if
we used just some of the billions that we're currently spending
fighting. It's not about buying off the Iraqi people; it would be a
gesture of friendship and reconciliation to a people that have suffered
grievously because of our mistake. I think it would even go a long way
towards helping reduce intra-country (i.e., internal Iraqi) tensions.
And if it doesn't? Well, what's the alternative? Staying the course,
with benchmarks? Besides, a public gesture of good will (both verbal and
fiscal) just seems to me the right thing to do at this point. While
we're at it, I agree with James Fallows: let's declare victory in the
'War on Terror' and use our resources more wisely, efficiently and
effectively. (Yes, fighting terrorism *is* a law enforcement issue.)"

[http://tinyurl.com/28dw7g]

Brady

Brady, I'd agree with most of this.
Kinda reminds me of the Bill Hicks line from the original Gulf War...
"what if we spent all the money on firing *food* at these people
rather than missiles"

Gary

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Iraq Officials to US: Dont Pull Troops is a lie from Newsmax
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  • Re: OT: Obama recommits to surrender in Iraq
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  • (off topic) How to quit Iraq without losing face
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