Historical Folly of "Exit Strategy" for Iraq

Special to FreeRepublic ^ | 16 November 2005 | John Armor (Congressman Billybob)

[Congressman Billybob]

As often happens, an article posted on FreeRepublic inspired this rant. An alert Freeper posted Rep. Harmon's drivel, and that caused me to write this article.

I think you will appreciate this piece.

John / Billybob

[Bahbah]

Very much appreciated, Congressman. The strategy is to fight untill the bad guys realize they are whipped, which we can do quite decisively...if allowed by the politicians.

[Rummyfan]

Strategy: fight as long as necessary to win.

The hypocrisy of Congress is astounding. We have had troops in Bosnia for how long now, with no hue and cry to bring them home. For that matter, where is the call to bring the troops home from Germany and Japan (present for sixty years now) and Korea (present for over fifty years)? I swear to God, we the people are more committed to this war, and understand better what's at stake, than the elected bozos in the Congress. Is there not a leader among those sheep?

[Not a 60s Hippy]

The Socialists Dems, Libs and Media are trying to REWRITE the history before the Iraq war so they can REPEAT the history of how the Vietnam War was lost.

 

Today you can see that the Socialists are repeating the same strategy on Iraq they used on the Vietnam war. They will use every opportunity, either real or made up, to destroy the President and the Iraq war progress. Yes we are making great progress; the Media just won’t mention any of it!

[OldFriend]

I call Senator Kennedy's office every few months.

I begin by saying that I am aware that the Senator is concerned about our exit strategy for Iraq.

When the aide answers, yes......I go on to ask if the Senator had an exit strategy for Mary Jo.

Have been slammed down on......and have been told....WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT NOW!!!!!!

Clearly, they are not happy with me!

[tet68]

Well done, John, in Aikido one learns that you must LOOK
in the direction you want to go, and that you cannot get
there by walking backwards.

So the choice is victory or death, defeat means
death in any event, the death of all we hold dear,
the end of our ideals and the foundations of freedom
that should be the birth right of all.

We have seen the price paid by our ancestors to keep that
idea alive and to bequeath it to us, we MUST do no less
for our children and our posterity.

[sarasmom]

Any chance your peers are capable of understanding that I too, am eager for the bulk of our armed forces to exit Iraq as quickly as possible.
Through Syria or Iran?
Make the wisest choice regarding which "exit" point is next, but there damn well better be a "next".

[Sodbuster]

Congressional Status Report

Re: Iraq

Dear Senators:

We're still working for freedom in Iraq.

Are you still with us?

George W. Bush
President - United States of America

[Christian4Bush]

BillyBob BUMP

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

No substitute for victory Bump.

[joanie-f]

… you must LOOK in the direction you want to go, and that you cannot get there by walking backwards.

So the choice is victory or death, defeat means death in any event, the death of all we hold dear, the end of our ideals and the foundations of freedom that should be the birth right of all.

We have seen the price paid by our ancestors to keep that idea alive and to bequeath it to us, we MUST do no less for our children and our posterity … tet68

Amen!

Quasi-related to this thread, Tom …

I saw a program on the History Channel a few weeks ago … ‘Dogfights: The Greatest Air Battles’. I was spellbound for the entire two hours, watching the archival films, personal recollections of fighter pilots from World War II, Korea and Vietnam, and beautiful computer graphics of air battles that were not captured on film. Rickenbacker’s contributions during the air battles of World War I were also discussed, but of course there were no films to back up the commentary.

I found myself literally holding my breath as the World War II pilots described some of the dogfights they survived – in such great detail, and with such passion (yet with great humility), as if those air battles had occurred just yesterday. Capt. Bud Anderson, especially, (a Triple Ace, with 16 enemy aircraft downings), who flew the P-51 Mustang, was mesmerizing as he described his engagement with an ME-109. I had to remind myself to breathe as he re-created his strategies and the responses and offensive and defensive maneuvers of the German pilot.

When the credits rolled, I couldn’t help but reflect on the dramatic changes that have taken place in the American psyche in the sixty years since Bud Anderson and his compatriots performed their heroics, with little thought of personal safety, and a stubborn focus on bringing the enemies of liberty to their knees.

That is not to say that the American military is any less courageous or any less focused on the defense of our people and our homeland than was Anderson. The difference lies in our political leadership, and in the public’s ignorance of the techniques of modern propaganda, and their general thirst for instant gratification.

During World War II, few if any in national leadership positions would have ever considered openly criticizing the administration in power during wartime … or sabotaging our own military personnel by accusing them of barbaric behavior toward the enemy … or denigrating their stunning victories … or questioning the reasons for their sacrifice.

During the Civil War, the public was horrified by the Matthew Brady photographs of the aftermath of historically unprecedented bloody battles – especially Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. Brady depicted, as no one ever before, the ravages of war on both man and landscape.

Mostly as a result of the powerful effect of Brady’s photos on the populace, from World War I through the Korean War, the American media, in co-operation with our national leadership, made it a point to avoid focusing on visual images of casualties, so as not to diminish or undermine public support for the war effort.

And during World War II, the citizenry was busy doing their part at home to support the war effort. They would never have considered whining about the duration of the war, or demanding that an end to hostilities be publicized before it was safe to withdraw from the conflict.

Not so in 2005.

We now live in an era in which we expect our food to be prepared in five minutes. We believe that time-saving is often more valuable than depth or quality. We prefer sound-bites to in-depth analysis. Indeed, we much prefer to have others do our thinking for us, because spending time in weighing pros and cons, or engaging in personal study, would waste precious time that could be better spent watching reality TV or getting our nails done.

It is sad when instant gratification, and lack of appreciation for the things that matter, permeate the national psyche of what was once the greatest civilization in the history of mankind. But now that same need for instant gratification, and lack of a spirit of thanksgiving, threaten to erode our national unity in a time when the black evil that we face is obsessed with destroying all that is, and ever has been, good about America.

Now, when we need national unity and resolve perhaps more than ever before, we are allowing the leftists among us (in politics, the media and academia) to attempt to demoralize our troops who are courageously standing in harm’s way in order to preserve the American way of life, by minimizing their accomplishments and victories, criticizing the strength of their resolve, and demanding that they perform miracles in the relative blink of an eye … or we will declare as counterfeit (at best), or corrupt (at worst), the reasons for their sacrifice.

Such is the hallmark of an emotionally immature, self-absorbed society, drowning in superficiality – without an appreciation of heritage, ancestry, and the sacrifices of more than two centuries of patriots who did not measure the breadth of victories and achievements in nano-seconds … and whose countrymen honored them for carrying a selfless, open-ended vision of liberty and goodness into battle … rather than a vulgar, carping stop-watch.

~ joanie ...

[ottersnot]

stupid is as stupid does

[Congressman Billybob]

Thank you very much for your thoughtful, accurate, and worthy response to the article with which I began this thread. I would have said many of the same things that you did, but I was restricted to not much more than 400 words. LOL.

You got it. Thank you.

John / Billybob

[Czar]

"The difference lies in our political leadership, and in the public’s ignorance of the techniques of modern propaganda, and their general thirst for instant gratification..."

"...Now, when we need national unity and resolve perhaps more than ever before, we are allowing the leftists among us (in politics, the media and academia) to attempt to demoralize our troops who are courageously standing in harm’s way in order to preserve the American way of life, by minimizing their accomplishments and victories, criticizing the strength of their resolve, and demanding that they perform miracles in the relative blink of an eye...

All great comments but, for me, these are the two direct hits.

Your post expresses the thoughts of many of us. Unfortunately, the Rats, the MSM and the party-over-principle weasels continue on with their efforts to undermine America's noble mission in Iraq.

[La Enchiladita]

That is not to say that the American military is any less courageous or any less focused on the defense of our people and our homeland than was Anderson. The difference lies in our political leadership, and in the public’s ignorance of the techniques of modern propaganda, and their general thirst for instant gratification.

I can't argue with that. Your entire post is accurate and right-on. I'm too emotional to express what I think as clearly as you do, so thank you.

[La Enchiladita]

There has never been an “exit strategy” for any major war in American history.

Thank you, Congressman BillyBob. You're a great American. I am deeply disturbed by recent subversive pronouncements from the U.S. Senate, undermining our valiant Armed Forces.

Sadly, I live adjacent to Insane Jane's district. A parent who drops off a child in the morning at a nearby elementary school sports vanity plates saying "WMD Lie."

The lies, of course, come from the left and have for quite a while, without adequate refutation. I am tempted to believe we can no longer expect leadership that will stand up for America and for our military.

But, in accordance with tet's expressed commitment, I will pray that we can turn the current lily-livered trend around.

[wolfcreek]

Like with Germany and Japan, we will have bases there for a very long time. There will be no total exit. It's necessary for us to have a foot-hold for the security of the region.

[Gritty]

The only type of “exit strategy” that can exist in any war is a strategy for defeat.

You are quite right.

Excellent article!

[Congressman Billybob]

The paragraph right after the three that I quoted contains the "commitment" this lame-brained Representative wants, that the US will NOT retain any permanent bases in Iraq after withdrawing. So the obvious point that both of you make, is nonexistent to this historically-illiterate Member of Congress.

John / Billybob

[Rembrandt]

'We had an “exit strategy” in Vietnam, and hundreds of thousands of people were murdered as a direct result of that strategy.'

The direction of the numbers is right but the actual number slaughtered is estimated to be 2,000,000 on the low side and 4,000,000 on the high side. Just like John F'n promised, those nice folks from the North are just great human beings.