Mark Goldblatt on Iraq: Containment & Context (answers General Anthony Zinni's recent spewage)

National Review Online ^ | May 15, 2006 | Mark Goldblatt

[NutCrackerBoy]

Among other things, this piece succinctly summarizes some of the counter-arguments routinely needed against moonbats.

[kabar]

The real question that should be asked of those who were/are against the invasion of Iraq and removal of Saddam: How could we possibly have allowed Saddam to remain in power after 9/11 and fought the WOT?

[hawkaw]

Bush—despite his domestic failures ...

Unemployment at 4.7 % is not a failure .....

[okiedog]

General Zinny is an honorable American. If we used this gibberish as a criteria for invading other countries we would occupy Israel for its refusal to comply with U.N. resolutions or to disclose its nuclear arsenal. The problem with neo-cons is not their intellectual arguments against foreign enemies like Saddam Hussein, its their arrogant denunciations of patriots like General Zinny who disagree. Kids have taken over America's foreign policy and I am pleased there are still a few men, like Zinny to remind us.

[JacksonCalhoun]

If only the White House were as succinct in their arguments. Unfortnately, Gen Zinni's assertions are considered the gospel truth by the MSM and the Dems, retreads and wannabes on the right such as Pat Buchannan, and probably half of the Republican party at this point.

[jazusamo]

and firing on American aircraft patrolling no-fly zones.

General Zinni was supposedly a well respected officer. I don't believe the American pilots that were being fired on in the no-fly zone by Iraq would consider Zinni's assertion that containment was working to be credible.
j

[NutCrackerBoy]

"Spewage" aside, I mean no great disrespect to Gen. Zinni, other than that he is wrong.

Your post creates a repugnant moral equivalence between Saddam's Iraq and Israel. Moreover, your position is refuted in the article.

[lormand]

"Kids have taken over America's foreign policy..."

Still drinking Post-Modern Koolaid eh?

[avacado]

--- If we used this gibberish as a criteria for invading other countries we would occupy Israel for its refusal to comply with U.N. resolutions ---

When you grow up and become an adult you learn the difference between UN resolutions that are mandates and UN resolutions that are not mandates.

[okiedog]

Not repugnant to my Palestinian Christian relatives who are caught in the middle of both side's disrespect. This old fear doesn't work anymore to stifle the debate. Zinni is an honorable man and American patriot, so is Powell, so is Pat Buchanan for that matter. Americans are interested in their own welfare and while the neo-cons have every right to speak and defend their own proposals, this is our party too. The best thing about Iraq is that it demonstrates the second worst thing about Wilsonian idealism -- it is costly not only to those who serve but also to those who only stand and watch.

[Blue State Insurgent]

How many Arab children had to starve to death under UN Sanctions in order to 'contain' Saddam? What was the number George Galloway told congress? 2 million?

Gee, I wonder what motivated the 9-11 hijackers?

[cinives]

Zinni is so honorable that he trashes a war he helped plan only after he retires and starts to collect a pension and shill for his book sales.

Honorable my *ss. Zinni should have resigned like Cyrus Vance did re Iran if he disagreed with the war effort.

[okiedog]

Zinni’s decorations include: the Defense Distinguished Service Medal; the Defense Superior Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters; the Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V” and gold star in lieu of a second award; the Purple Heart; the Meritorious Service Medal with gold star in lieu of a second award; the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat “V” and gold star in lieu of second award; Navy Achievement Medal with gold star in lieu of a second award; the Combat Action Ribbon; the Vietnamese Honor Medal; the French National Order of Merit; and the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.

His son, a captain, currently serves in the Marine Corps.

How many have you earned, Kid ?

[Argus]

Hollywood mouth-breathers

Apt phrase.

[NutCrackerBoy]

History will render its judgment in due time. What remains, meanwhile, is the incessant drumbeat of defeatism. The political Left, both in America and in Europe, has become a mindless, wandering rabble, a coalition of 1960s retreads and wannabes held together by a congealed psychic-mucous of rage, paranoia, and self-righteousness. They are desperate for Bush to fail in Iraq. Their irrational hatred for him resembles not so much the Right’s substantial hatred of Bill Clinton but the South’s pathological hatred of Lincoln—who, for the record, oversaw prisoner abuses far worse than those at Abu Ghraib, and who took liberties with the Constitution far beyond warrantless wiretapping.

The judgment of history on Bush-haters will not be kind. -Mark Goldblatt

Heh heh. He said congealed psychic-mucous.

[cinives]

Zero. How about you ? I don't think you have to have medals to know what honor means. That sounds just like the argument Kerry used to deflect criticism.

Zinni may be brave in battle but a moral coward in other respects. Go read the story about Cyrus Vance.

[okiedog]

"Honor my **s" were your words not mine. The whole point of my posts has been to draw attention to the way this administration handles critics. Defamation, calumny, character assassination, etc..
As for me, I was a Capt. in the Marine Corps and earned my only medal in Iraq I.

[driftless]

One inescapable fact remains: Hussein had a working arrangement with Al-Qaeda that together with his support of other Islamo-fascist terrorists made him an ANTI-AMERICAN ISLAMO-FASCIST TERRORIST!!! Period. Which made his removal necessary. End of argument.

[driftless]

"occupy Israel"

You can't be serious. Your argument is ridiculous. Is Israel a friend or an enemy? Was Iraq under Hussein a friend or an enemy? Is Iran a friend or an enemy?

[cinives]

I'd like to know who you think in the Administration is engaging in characte defamation or character assassination ? I sure haven't seen it.

I'm no shill for this administration, but the charges of character defamation et all must surely be placed at the feet of the Democrats. I haven't heard Bush or anyone in the Admin calling anyone a liar, but I sure have heard it in plenty from the Dems. Are you proud of Rep Murtha, a retired Marine, calling the troops broken ?

BTW I don't like it when anyone engages in anything other than factual argument. If my facts are wrong I'll gratefully accept the correction but I won't accept that some class of people have a higher moral authority than others.

I have an x-brother-in-law who was a Lt in the Marines in 1968 and an X who was an E7 in the Army - flew helicopters in 69. Being female there weren't many combat positions for women at that time and they weren't looking for older women when women were "integrated" into frontline (or suport for frontline) troops ... I appreciate the service of all military personnel and their sacrifices, but I don't believe it confers special dispensation on them regarding accountability for personal conduct.

Remember, Zinni was a Clinton man.