Monday, June 11, 2007

A Change of Heart

But then again, maybe not. For some time I have had mixed ideas about the Iraq conflict - I am hesitant to use the word "war" because it implies that two opposing armies confront one another and actually fight, which is hardly what is going on in Iraq now. The situation is highly confusing, with a largely Sunni insurgent force receiving backing from Iran and a Shia majority that can't seem to figure out who they hate more - the Persians, the Sunnis or the US and her allies. Regardless, I cannot, in all good conscience, say to myself or anybody else, "I approve of my country's involvement in Iraq."

My reasons are my own and nobody else's, although many of my sentiments may be held by the neo-Marxist illegitimate left, those who I will always consider to be my enemies. As I have contemplated my position these last few months, I recalled the Farewell Address of the first President of the United States, George Washington, when he warned the nation against involvement in foreign entanglements. Read it here. I have not gone "soft;" I have not taken the positon of, "Oh, if we just try to talk and be nice, blah, blah, blah..." My reasons are those of selfishness and what I consider to be in the best interest of the nation of my birth, the nation that I love, the nation that I put myself on the line for when I served. This, certainly, has earned me the right to state my case, just as those who oppose the war for entirely different reasons - who have only taken and never given anything back to the nation that has asked for nothing in return - have done.

I used to be in favor of what we were doing in Iraq, hoping that somehow an overwhelming majority of Iraqis themselves, once freed from the tyranny of Saddam, would take up arms against their own enemies of freedom and the foreign insurgent invaders, and fight for their own destiny and freedom. I once thought that we were securing a strategic foothold in the heart of that medieval, ass-backward shit-hole known as the Middle East. Bullshit; we'd have done better airlifting Playboys, Playstations and alcohol. "Be patient," I thought; "This will take time and will not happen overnight." Then I began to wonder, "How long, and at what cost?" I, like many others, used the analogy of past wars to justify what we were doing, but it is a flawed analogy because we are not fighting a nation with an army. We are fighting thugs and cowards who will continue to come out of the woodwork like ants with an attitude. Thusfar, this mess has cost the taxpayers of the United States well over a half-trillion dollars, with no end in sight. I honestly think the bedouin bastards are counting on us to spend ourselves into national bankruptsy.

I never bought the WMD line to the extent that I thought they were a direct threat. Of course Saddam had them - he got them from us when he was fighting Iran, and he never proved what he did with them (which was part of the cease-fire agreement after the first Gulf War) despite what little Hans Blix and his UN cronies said. I am Machiavellian enough to know that governments more often than not will seize on feelings of nationalism and patriotism (and in this case, fear) in an attempt to sell a foreign combat effort. "Spreading democracy" has never been at the heart of anything; there is always another agenda. That said, the argument of the illegitimate left of "war for oil" does not wash either. If that were true, we'd be swimming in the black stuff by now, having seized the oil fields for our own interests and those of the oil companies. This has not come to bear.

And, please, any Bush-bot sycophants, spare me the "If we don't fight them over there we'll be fighting them here" bullshit. Recently thwarted plots to attack Fort Dix (more on the "Fort Dix Six", 3 of whom are illegal aliens) and JFK International Airport show that, if left unchecked, we can be struck at any time. Fighting in Iraq has absolutely nothing to do with "Homeland Security." The muslim scum already have cells (and a front group known as CAIR) in the US thanks to the Bush administration's treasonous inaction on the issue of the border with Mexico and illegal immigration (which is cause for another post dedicated to that issue) and Clinton's negligence in managing overall immigration policy. Let's not forget that President Reagan, with his first round of amnesty, cracked open the door; Clinton opened it further by turning a blind eye to the hordes coming into the country legally and illegally; and now this administration has virtually removed the door completely. It makes no sense fighting halfway around the world when one leaves the back door of our nation wide open to, what would be called at any other time in history, an invasion. That just turns my stomach.

One of my positions that has not changed is the idea of why we send troops into combat. There is only one reason for that, and it is to kill. Period. If one is not fully commited to bring to the fore the full might and capabilities of the military, one should stay home and find another way. No doubt our boys, when they do actually engage the goat fornicators, are kicking the shit out of them, but the overall policy is one of a policeman on patrol, trying to hold his own. An end-game of victory is untennable in the current strategem which is akin to a street fight where one person fights with one hand tied behind his back while the other is free to bite, kick, scratch, and eye-gouge.

One does not put one's own troops in harm's way with a protracted set of ROE (Rules of Engagement) as part of some politically correct bullshit policy of "winning hearts and minds." That was the policy that failed in Vietnam, and it is failing today. And make no mistake about it, politicians on all fronts of the political spectrum are guilty of this feeble mentality. It is clear to me that the Iraqis, like the Vietnamese, would rather live than live free. One cannot "give" freedom to people; a quick look around the globe will show that freedom is not a default condition of human existence. Freedom must be earned, fought for, and lots of blood must be shed, or it has no meaning. I can see no reason for our boys dying and shedding their blood any longer. It's time for the Iraqis to fight and die for their own freedom.

No doubt this will not sit well with many people, and they may call me a sell-out or worse. I don't care. I do not write to be popular. Have no fear, though. I do not think Bush is Hitler, nor have I joined the Democrat Party or MoveOn.org.

This is Part I of a two (or more) part series. I have identified what I believe is wrong with the current situation. Next I will offer what I believe is the correct course of action and a solution to the islamofascist problem. Hint: It involves the Kurds abroad and an isolationist policy at home.

Cross-posted at It's a Matter of Opinion

10 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I couldn't agree more.

9:15 AM GMT+12  
Blogger BobF said...

"One does not put one's own troops in harm's way with a protracted set of ROE (Rules of Engagement) as part of some politically correct bullshit policy of "winning hearts and minds." That was the policy that failed in Vietnam, and it is failing today. And make no mistake about it, politicians on all fronts of the political spectrum are guilty of this feeble mentality".

That right there is the biggest thing that turns me off on the war. Too many of our young men have died because of those restrictive ROA's. Were not fighting this like a war but like you said, a police action. We allow news reporters who "embed" with the troops and look for the slightest infraction of the rules so they can broadcast them to the world. We demand a young kid make the correct instant decision in life and death situations or we will make his life a Hell on Earth if he falters. Eight months ago this same kid they're wanting to Courts Martial was having a hard time deciding what to wear to his Senior Prom.

Looking forward to part two.

11:29 AM GMT+12  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree with Bob about the stupid ROE's. This whole business about winning over "hearts and minds" is nonesense. And Joe, you're absolutely right about calling these animals killing our soldiers "ants with an attitude."

If we're not going to be ruthless enough to kill them all, then the most we can do is separate ourselves from the moosie world. By that I mean, stopping immigration from those countries and finding another source of fuel, so that these rogue states are left with nothing.

3:47 AM GMT+12  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Joe,

Been looking forward to PART 2.........

By the way, I had never heard the term ROE
which now explains why "indiscretions" BY OUR TROOPS get bad press......

My reaction has alway been WAR IS HELL & SHIT HAPPENS.

I have, of course, never been in combat,
but I can not image capturing an enemy
who was just trying to kill you, then serve him tea and cookies!!!

4:42 AM GMT+12  
Blogger Joe Ramen said...

OCM, Lisa, and Bob, thank you all for your comments. This whole thing has been eating away at me for some time, and I just had to "get it off my chest." I simply think this whole thing has been a big mistake, and nothing seems to change while the cost to the US taxpayer and our brave young men keeps going up. I would have no problem with either IF there were some real, measurable progress - such progress that the MSM could not spin it away; progress that would be self-evident and would not have to be found on specialty sources like Michael Yon or Blackfive.

It has been said that if one repeats the same actions expecting a different outcome, that is the definition of insanity.

I should have part II up some time this week.

5:12 PM GMT+12  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

A really good post, thoughtful commentary.

Looking forward to Part 2.

6:55 PM GMT+12  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Joe,

Tried posting under comments your post of June 11. Didn't take for some reason. ??

Anyway ..... Your comments were VERY well written and thought out. Truth to tell, I've been thinking along same lines for awhile now. It is frustrating.

I turned 70 in May, so let me tell ya, I've been hearing all about how we're gonna export 'democracy' all my life. We seem to especially think we can deliver it to those who really wouldn't know what to do with it if they had it. And to many democracy might mean nothing more then a full stomach. Not a free and open ballot.

I've seen billions of dollars in aid going to buy friends all over the world and especially africa, all my life. Nothins' changed Joe. Same old same old.

I don't believe we're fighting whatever you choose to call it in Iraq, in the right way. All I hear both from home in USA and over here in Blair's Socialist Paradise is noise from the left about how bad we are and how awful we treat prisoners and the Gitmo thing.
Our problem really is that we haven't been awful enuff. We pay far too much attention to foreign opinion when we should be telling them to plain fuck off. Pardon the bad language. I don't have a great vocabulary, specially when I'm frustrated. As I can tell you are by the post. Am very much looking forward to Part Two.

Nothin' pisses me off more then picking up a paper here and reading some euro-pee-on telling us we must close gitmo. Oh how I'd like to knock their collective heads together till they see stars and hear bells. Who the hell are these jerk offs to tell us how to run our affairs. And frankly I'm much disappointed in Bush for announcing he too wants to close it. ?? Least that's what is reported here in a conservative paper.

Finally Joe .... Recently read a book on our revolution, something I've taken for granted for too long. Anyway, there's a line in it that says,
"People who have a parliament or congress that subjects itself to any kind of foreign influence aren't free at all."

Book was originally written in 1939 and republished in '40. Called "Rabble in Arms."

Any advice re. posting comments appreciated. I didn't have any trouble in past, but did recently have a problem or two and cleared cache and deleted all cookies. Even so, I did correctly enter the letters before hitting publish but then another set of letters appeared. ??

OK, Hope I haven't bored ya too much. I do check the blog but you don't post often. I guess that's what happens when someone has a life.
Cheers ....

JayD

1:49 PM GMT+12  
Blogger Mae said...

jayD... I cut and pasted your email to see if I could post it under your own ID. Took. Don't know what happen to your prior attempts, however, if it should continue to give you grief, send Joe another email. He will be emailing you back shortly

1:51 PM GMT+12  
Blogger Mae said...

To all that still have not given up on this blog, I too have told Joe to hurry up and post his second installment, as I am as interested in reading part 2.

1:54 PM GMT+12  
Blogger Joe Ramen said...

jayd, it's great to hear from you, and no, you haven't bored me in the least. On the contrary, I found your comments quite reflective. I don't have all the answers, nor do I claim to. I just call 'em as I see 'em based on my own personal experiences in this world. The public sentiment you have experienced in the UK are quite similar to what I experience here in NZ, another socialist paradise. I swear to Christ, if I hear from one more half-wit spouting on about how hurricane Katrina was so mishandled by Bush (I remind them that for all W's faults, Katrina ain't one of them), Gitmo, or "Farenheit 911" like it was some "real" documentary I'm gonna lose it. The arrogance of some of these people who think they are so educated with their self-righteous attitude is astounding when they themselves are spoon-fed the most left-wing biased crap and take it for the "truth." Talk about insular media propaganda.

As for part II of this piece, hang in there; it's coming, I promise. I don't blog on a regular basis anymore because it's just too damn depressing to consider all the shit that goes on in this fucked-up world. I can't force it, so I just write when it feels right.

Once again, to all the regulars, I apologize for not posting more frequently, and I appreciate the fact that you still check-in. I hope you understand, and I think you do.

11:24 PM GMT+12  

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