by Jack
Decades of war, renewed sectarian violence, over 135,000 civilian deaths, 4500 American dead, over 20,000 severely mangled soldiers and trillions of US dollars gone and for what? Iraq is suffering worse today than they were under Saddam Hussein. All that money, the lives and good intentions have all come to naught.
Few traces of our generosity can be found in Iraq these days, it’s almost as if we were never there. Baghdad has lost control of everything south of the city to Al Qaeda and other terrorists du jur. Sunni and Shia are locked in a death struggle…one that dates back to the time of Mohammed’s successor. In retrospect, it seems their fear of Saddam Hussein was about the only thing keeping these mad dogs apart. Now their economy is virtually ruined and hope is fading fast that any of this misery will change soon.
One wonders. . . could it have been any worse if we never invaded, never spend a dime, or never lost a soldier?
If it were not so tragic, the frivolous nature of the issues that have Iraq’s Muslims at each others throats would be almost comical.
There are many lessons to be learned here and they are timely. Because it looks like the US has reached it’s zenith and we’re politically divided. But, one thing the left and the right can agree on is, we can’t afford another decades long war. We can’t throw tons of money into a sink hole of a nation and expect anything good to come from it. Those days are gone along with our money and we are poorer and weaker for trying. The foreign policies that took us there should be in a book titled, World Policing – What Not To Do.
Another lesson to be learned: A country can’t invade another country, no matter what the reason, without a large percentage of the population seeing us as an occupying imperialist force. A large number of these people will become an underground resistance force and/or global terrorists.
If our time, money and lives had meant something, if we had brought peace and stability to the region, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. We didn’t – mission not accomplished.
To sum it up, here’s an excerpt from USA Today: “The price of democracy is soaring again in Iraq. This time, it’s not Americans who are paying. As a climate of fear and hatred spreads across the still deeply divided nation on the eve of the first post-occupation parliamentary elections scheduled for Wednesday, Iraqis are paying. The same hatreds that brought us to Iraq in the first place, always simmering beneath the surface, are bursting through again as the nation goes to the polls — an unnatural act in a nation where dictatorship has been the norm.
It’s Shiite against Sunni again in the Middle East nation where this bitter, ancient sectarian battle is most sharply and dangerously defined. The arrival of U.S. forces en masse, first in 1991 and again 12 years later, only lit the fuse on this powder keg. Now, each side is preparing to demonstrate yet again in a most deadly fashion what the price of democracy might be.” Read more…
Muslims.
Better them than us.
Agreed.
A great reason why we should stay out of other countries wars.
If people want to live in a democratic republic let them move here and abide by our laws.
Peggy you said it right! Let them move here and abide by our laws…unfortunately too many people come here without any connection to our laws, customs and history (illegals) and this causes no end of problems for running a secure and stable democracy.
Winning in war is denied those tasked with fighting in the modern world; public has no stomach for it and succeeding presidents fail to follow through adequately. The result is sad/dangerous all the way around and the original problem for the entire world remains.
Orthodox Israeli’s are joining the military in droves, unheard of before now. I doubt they believe they can count on anyone to come to their aid anymore. Russia, China and Iran are forming a nice little alliance. ( I gotta say, Biblical prophecy is shaping up nicely)
Iraq in chaos is one thing…how about others also now in chaos…Libya, Syria and Iran with nuclear capability moments away.
Anything can happen and probably will. There are no exits.
America (And our leadership) is no longer being the shining example either.
Jack, I believe legal immigrants who move here to get away from the oppressive laws and lack of freedom in their country are willing to accept our laws. Just look at our history and our own ancestors that did just that.
Born in the US citizens and those educated here can’t compare to the knowledge of our Constitution, civics and laws of those who pass the test to become citizens before taking the oath of allegiance.
Recently there was one of those on the street videos where the people were give a question from the test. Most did not know the answers.
It’s the illegal immigrants that are causing all of the problems. They want/demand we ignore our laws, grant them equal rights as citizens and refuse to assimilate into our culture.
We need immigration reform that will accommodate the volume of people who want to come here. We did it before with the Ellis Island process, we should be able to do it again.
Our immigration dept. is as broken as the VA. It’s criminal that people have to wait months and years because both departments are so poorly managed it’s become a nightmare for everyone involved.
As I’ve said before, open four Ellis Island-like buildings one on each border at a point of entry and set up a system that streamlines the process.
Right now there’s a poor Marine stuck in a Mexico jail. Been there for over a month because he took a wrong turn and ended up across the border with guns in his car. The US removed it’s check point on this side of the border which put him on Mexican soil where they arrested him.
According to the report tonight no US citizen has been returned in a timely manner. It’s taken months and lots of money. One congressman went down there on his own, because the State Dept. failure to help, and freed the guy on his own.
Oh, this is rich … coming from you … Mr. WMD, WMD, WMD.
I distinctly remember telling you that the Shrub, et al., had to be, as a matter of common sense, let alone military intelligence … full of it … but would you listen?
No.
Yeah ’cause everybody in Iraq, in fact the entire Middle East, is so much better off now after five years of the kind of leadership you prefer.
Just because you resurrect the disparaging, unkind, and adolescent name you chose for GWB doesn’t mean you’ve grown smarter or wiser, Libby.
You have zot to brag about on this issue.
Oh, yes I do! By God!
I cannot BELIEVE the nerve of you people.
The decision to go to war in Iraq was ENTIRELY a matter of energy policy. The welfare of the people of Iraq NEVER entered into it.
YOU were fed a lot of BS about WMD, which you swallowed … whole … to justify the enterprise. And the welfare of the citizens of Iraq was NEVER a consideration.
So if you think I’m letting any one of you go all pious over the state of that nation now … you’re out of your FREAKIN’ MINDS!