2002-2004 saw me avoid this forum. I am very glad I came back but those who I agreed with seemed to have disappeared. I was tired of being personally insulted and having my patriotism questioned. Fortunately, cooler heads have prevailed. I look back at that era as one of having a political disagreement with brethren conservatives. It was NEVER personal with me but it sure as hell was for a lot of people. But what frosts me to this day are those who were banging the war drums the loudest, have tried to reinvent themselves as a war opponent and now self righteously rail against globalism or what ever. (Shades of Vietnam circa 1970s)
I hear you, but I too supported going into those places and kicking some ass, after what they did on 9-11 and the way Iraq HUMILIATED our country by not complying with the agreements that they signed to end the first Gulf War.
But I’ve changed my stance because I’m not an idiot either and I know that unless you bring people to their KNEES, as in WW2, they will simply ride you out, as has been done to us, since we dumped lives and treasure into those countries that had no intention of ever taking us seriously. A totally different conclusion from the first war, and something that should have never been attempted.
Would you have REALLY preferred we just ignored Osama Bin Ladin and continued the exact same thing Clinton did with him during the 1990s, which amounted to treating him like a schoolyard bully and ignoring him? That led directly to 9/11, and made our having to go to Afghanistan inevitable (heck, forget 9/11, we had the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing, that bombing of that airport, and also U.S.S. Cole). Besides, by your logic, we might as well just not even bother fighting against Japan in World War II even after Pearl Harbor.
I’m not fond of Bill Kristol, and I’m mixed with globalism (the only reason I even CONSIDER it is because we Americans unfortunately were pretty much guilty of getting Lenin into power in part, not to mention made a mess with China during World War II where we effectively backstabbed Kai Shek and handed it to China on a silver platter, so globalism is OUR punishment for pretty much aiding Communism despite fighting against it.), and quite frankly, I think we should outright end the UN altogether, get rid of one of the last instances of Marxist influences in America. However, under Just War doctrine, Afghanistan WAS necessary, especially after they bombed us, repeatedly, and we under Clinton were too stupid to try and take Osama bin Ladin out despite multiple opportunities. And ultimately, Iraq WAS necessary due to CIA documents confirming they had trained al Qaeda. If it was okay for us to go after Nazis and Italian Fascists in World War II despite their having no direct role in Pearl Harbor, I see no reason why we can’t fight Iraq for its indirect role in 9/11. If I have to blame Bush for one thing regarding Iraq, it’s screwing up by trying to make Iraq into a democracy (I’m mixed with nation building. I’m not exactly for it in practice, but then again, nationbuilding Afghanistan probably would have at the very least made it more difficult for Osama bin Ladin from gaining a foothold and establishing al Qaeda.), especially when “democracy” is what ruined France and Germany, heck, several other countries.