>>> The total Iraq effort was outstanding. The promise was real.
The effort was outstanding, on the part of our soldiers. And indeed Obama went out of his way to blow it to smithereens. But I would argue that the promise was not real. GWB sold (or tried to sell) us on two notions: Islam was a religion of peace; and Iraqis were freedom loving people.
I think careful observation reveals those promises to be false. Islam is not peaceful and the first instinct of a Muslim is to impose his will on everyone else.
Were these notions knowingly false on the part of GWB, or did he truly believe them at the time? It doesn’t really matter, does it. In retrospect, they were sadly mistaken and we still pay the price to this day for them. I would only add in closing that, even if the two notions were truthful, an honest reading of American politics would say that we as a nation did not have the singular purpose of mind to stay the course long enough to make it so.
Well, I often repeat that Islam is a war plan, so I don’t disagree with your ROP objections.
“Staying the course” is the title for the honest biographer’s best seller where mission and sacrifice are measured against political perseverance. Korea and Vietnam come to mind, but it’s a rich subject that obviously pertains to Iraq I and II.
The vast majority supported the Iraq War. And only a minority continued to support the investments years thereafter. Indifference prevailed as far as I’m concerned.
>> The effort was outstanding, on the part of our soldiers
And finally to your opening point — I’ll close with the same.