Posted on 12/07/2006 8:13:33 AM PST by tobyhill
Seminar caller line..... and a bunch of bunk.
Go buy some cookies, since you're clearly not intelligent enough to bake them yourself......
Now go bash our mission in Iraq and denigrate the sacrifice of our troops somewhere else.
I think most will agree that victory is important...it's achieving it that has everyone stumped.
Great post.
You can lose by abandoning the very principles you claim to represent. Bush tried to transition Iraq into a democracy before it was ready, so as to bump up flagging support for the war effort. It worked for a while, until it became clear the Iraqi government is both hollow and infiltrated by foreign influence.
If they were to abandon that, our supposed claim to be there, to help the Iraqis build their government, would be revealed to be false. It would all be about preserving American hegemony. That is the truth, but like I said before they painted themselves into a corner pretending it wasn't.
As for the troops not giving up, that's what I expect to hear. There have been other examples throughout history where the troops had the will to win, but the politicians didn't and thus made victory unattainable. Just think of the dedication and patriotism of the Japanese soldiers who were still in a war mode on those tiny Pacific Islands, not realizing Japan had surrendered to the USA decades earlier.
All President's have tremendous power and the ability to control what is reported in the press on a daily basis. As with all President's, Bush has the power of the Bully Pulpit. Public relations and propaganda are tools that every president has at his disposal. Problem has always been, that Bush is a poor cummunicator most of the time. That was the reason Tony Snow was brought in as WH Press Secretary. Many President's have understood how to use the power of the Presidency to their ultimate advantage and benefit. Bush is not one of those. Hence, the media and press are able to savage Bush at every opportunity. That has hurt this President on many occasions. When faced with tough issues, Reagan went over the heads of the media&press, speaking directly to the American people, and he was rewarded with success. Ignoring the media&press serves no good purpose for any president. Engaging the "presstitutes", as you call them, on all levels, is the right way to go. Bush`s inability to communicate his policy in the battle for Iraq, has left the American people frustrated, leading them to abandon Bush in his efforts to see victory in Iraq.
There's not much point in arguing this, since it's just your opinion vs. mine. But I hope you do acknowledge that I do know what the President says and does, and that my opinion on his actions is, by that measure alone, more 'realistic.'
Having seen the Bush-Blair presser, I must say that the Iraq Surrender Group intended to make President a gelding for the remainder of his term. I am pleased to say that their knife missed wildly. Mr. Bush was passionate, in command, and unrepentant. His unabashed use of the word victory has to be inspiring to the troops and those of us who are proud to stand behind them.
Pardon me, but it is after all a "forum," and as long as one abides by the stated rules he should be alowed to voice his opinion. You, of course, can choose to ignore it...as I have.
I have been a FReeperthon supporting member here since 1998, but is people exactly like you who who now poliferate it are forcing me to reconsider staying around here much longer as you seem to believe you alone own the site and can therefore bully anyone who disagrees with your point of view or is critical of the way the war is being fought in Iraq. "rbmillerjr" has stated that he is a veteran of the 82nd Airborne Division, and I have no reason to doubt it, so perhaps he's seen war up and close in a way that you haven't.
Point #3 is not something that you can just pop in a microwave and have it be done in 3 minutes. WHY is this so difficult for people to understand???
Now we're getting somewhere.
Wouldn't it make sense for the president, or better yet, tony snow, to give a weekly progress report?
"go bash our mission in Iraq and denigrate the sacrifice of our troops somewhere else."
I honor them by appreciating them. They are not chattel for keyboard commandos to offer in sacrifice. If we won't fight to win, then bring them home.
[why is it so difficult for peopel to perceive this?]
Because they're being hammered day in and day out with the negative ninnies reports in the MSM non stop. Despite report after report talking about progress in Iraq comming from those hwo are actually over there and leading the fight- the MSM simply will not conceeed that progress is being made! http://sacredscoop.com
President Bush has repeated things so many times, even the left complains that he is saying the same things over and over.
Given that, how can he be accused of not delivering his message? He is indeed putting it out there, repeatedly...but some people are apparently not listening, some of them on purpose.
I agree with your post kabar.
Are you trying to deny me my right to free speech and expressing my view, meandog?
Or do your standards of free speech not apply to me? Am I or am I not allowed to 'voice' my opinion?
That's hardly true. I cried like a baby at the end of "The Dirty Dozen" You remember the part, when Lee Marvin was dumping gasoline and stuffing grenades down the .. *sniff* .. down the bunker air shafts onto the trapped Nazi officers? *sniff* And poor Donald Sutherland got it by the f..ffrront of the mansion. I .. really thought he was gonna make it. I'm sorry .. I need a minute...
but have you ever considered that a lot of Freepers have family members in Iraq, and some have even lost their own kids (yes, 'kids') in this very noble cause?
I have considered it. I have friends and colleagues who's names are etched into walls, and I'm not at all neutral about it. I don't think they died for nothing, no matter how it all ends. They were men who died doing what they loved, and in the company of friends. It's a shame only in that they are gone, not how they left.
Back to honest discussion, life does go on. We can't get fixated on the past, we need to keep our eyes open, think about what we're doing, and talk about it. Lord knows it's the kind of things troops hope is going on. They want to know that people are thinking about them and evaluating the importance of what they are doing.
One more thing. rbmillerjr, you're being an ass. An airborne ass, perhaps, but I've met plenty of them, too. I used to be one myself, so I know what I'm talking about. They don't hand out wings for being smart, so don't think you can use them to win arguments with.
Don't think that the troops........at least the younger ones........aren't negatively affected by the betrayal of the politicians, and the leftist pacifists and far right isolationists.
They're negatively affected by a lot of things. Our talk, insofar as it's honest and respectful, probably least of all. I know you mean well, and your heart's in the right place. All I'm saying is, give them a little more credit. They may surprise you.
One thing I do know is that we will not achieve victory by treating the Iraq Surrender Group's "report" as anything more than a doorstop. It is, quite simply, the most public, shameless and disgusting act of political masturbation that I have ever seen, the DC equivalent of Britney Spears climbing out of a limo with no panties on.
Agreed. They deserve that much. Untie their hands and let them fight the way wars are supposed to be fought. We have the greatest fighting military that this world has ever witnessed. God bless them each and every one.
Those of us who support the mission know what the troops themselves think about it.
The families of those who have fallen, and whose sacrifice you denigrate, KNOW that their sacrifice was not a waste. (Other than Cindy Sheehan, of course).
You may speak for Cindy, but you do not speak for our troops, nor their families.
I follow closely what Bush says and does. After the midterms, I found him to be less confident about Iraq. His firing of Rumsfeld was a signal that he is ready to make a deal with the Dems. I also totally disagree with his stance on illegal immigration and his signing of CFR. That said, I am a broken glass Rep and have supported Bush and the GOP through volunteering my time and money.
There's not much point in arguing this, since it's just your opinion vs. mine. But I hope you do acknowledge that I do know what the President says and does, and that my opinion on his actions is, by that measure alone, more 'realistic.'
LOL. We will agree to disagree as to whose opinion is more realistic.
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