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Ok, interesting film. Inspiring, too.

If I were tiring of the fight, this video has invigorated me. I'm quite willing to see this country fight on for the next 100 years, right up until the last dead Arab.

President Bush stated, after 9/11, that "you're either with us or against us...". Was that just hyperbole? Or, did this President mean what he said. He took us to Afghanistan, and then on to Iraq. I'm thrilled that both countries may become stable, free democracies. But alas, they may become something entirely different after we leave, and we cannot control that. However, these nations will be unlikely to ever pose a threat to the U.S.A. or it's citizens again.

Nation building may have many fine moral points to recommend it. However, the need for national security is an absolute obligation for U.S. government leaders. If this country under the current President and Congress will not do what's necessary, either make war or peace, to protect it's citizens against hostile foreign nationals led by, supported by, or independent of foreign nation states, no one else will. Much as we have fine allies such as Britain and others, ultimately, the only country who can work in the interests of American citizens is the America herself. No one else gives a damn whether American's die or live.

As this video demonstrates, we are at war with an enemy who is killing our military citizens, and who can't wait to expand their war to include every American man, woman, and child. Again, I ask, was President Bush serious in his post-9/11 statements?

I know I'm dreaming, but there are a large number of veterans who still have usable logistics or fighting skills, who'd be delighted to join in the fight for a year or so. The only thing we'd ask is what every sailor, soldier, airman, or Marine on active duty would ask - i.e. that our service and lives not be wasted by a halfhearted effort. How many veterans would honor a national call for volunteers? 100's, 1000's, or hundreds of thousands? If we could start at the Syrian or Iranian border, it'd be worth the effort. I'm old and overweight, but I still have uniforms and boots in my closet, I can still hike, run, and fire a gun, and still act in my previous, military-professional position. We might not be our nation's "cutting edge" anymore, but I guarantee you that we're better than anything Syria, Iran, or their surrogates (Al Qaeda et. al.) can field.

If this is a war we're serious about, it's time to put the men of this country into the field to win it and end it. It's not just one American's pride speaking, but an informed American's concern that the Bush Administration is now playing Vietnam era politics with the war effort. (Of course, the Democrats made traitorous "hey" of the war from the start, perhaps in silent glee over every fallen soldier - every body - just that much better to damage Bush and their political enemies. They aren't worth bringing into the discussion; no Democrat is patriot at this point).

In 2001, my son was 14 years old. In 2005 he's 18 years old, and may have to decide whether he'll carry on the fight. We're not fighting Hitler's Germany. This country has the ability to end this war, but this will not happen unless Iran, Syria, and perhaps a few other silent-partner nation-states involved in the war against us are defeated or neutralized. Otherwise, the war will continue, our military men and women will continue to die, today yours, tomorrow perhaps my own, and after that - our grandchildren?

I'm willing to support whatever it takes to win the war, and for however long. But don't waste American lives. Don't play politics with the war. Get it done, Mr. President!

In 2001, we had a President who appeared to mean what he said. In 2005, it's not clear we have the same man in office. I could go into his promises versus results in the SCOTUS nominations as an example, but that's another issue. Unfortunately, Bush's do have an established record for going soft on their campaign promises, and compromising on the conservative principles AFTER elected. "W" appeared cut from different cloth than his father, but his credibility is starting to look a bit weak at this point.

SFS