Posted on 02/24/2006 7:12:07 PM PST by CometBaby
"I can tell you the main reason behind all our woes — it is America." The New York Times reporter is quoting the complaint of a clothing merchant in a Sunni stronghold in Iraq. "Everything that is going on between Sunni and Shiites, the troublemaker in the middle is America."
One can't doubt that the American objective in Iraq has failed. The same edition of the paper quotes a fellow of the American Enterprise Institute. Mr. Reuel Marc Gerecht backed the American intervention. He now speaks of the bombing of the especially sacred Shiite mosque in Samara and what that has precipitated in the way of revenge. He concludes that “The bombing has completely demolished” what was being attempted — to bring Sunnis into the defense and interior ministries.
Our mission has failed because Iraqi animosities have proved uncontainable by an invading army of 130,000 Americans. The great human reserves that call for civil life haven't proved strong enough. No doubt they are latently there, but they have not been able to contend against the ice men who move about in the shadows with bombs and grenades and pistols.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
Maybe he's still smoking dope which would explain the current article.
"This is funny..cause Thomas Friedman of the NY Times...says the reason of all the new bombings is that WE are winning...and Al Quaida can't lose at home...it will destroy them..."
Didnt Tommy Franks say something about preferring we fight them over THERE than over HERE.
Buckley is right and wrong.
He right: We havent won. Yet.
He is wrong in thinking that just because we havent won yet, doesnt mean we wont. Iraq not ready for civil society?
Try this:
http://powerlineblog.com/archives/013235.php
Buckley ought not trust the New York Times so much. He should know better.
The way the Iraqi constitution is structured, there almost has to be a coalition government. The Sh'ia are in the majority--that's a fact. They will be the most influential group, but they are not a monolith. It is too simplistic to think of just three factions--Kurds, Sunnis, and Sh'ia. It has more to do with tribes and other centers of power. It will take a while to work things out.
It has been less than three years since we went into Iraq. Remarkable progress has been made. It will take patience and perserverance to succeed. Democracy and stability in Japan, Germany, and South Korea didn't happen overnight. It took many years to reach a level of stability and order. The MSM and the Dems have created unreasonable expectations hoping that Bush will fail.
"In my youth", Father William replied to his son
"I feared it might injure the brain
"But now that I'm perfectly sure I have none
"Why, I do it again and again."
Leni
"I agree with you. Conservatives can be just as hypocritical and close-minded as liberals, and sometimes more. If Buckley wrote a column praising the President, he would be applauded, but because he disagrees, he is labeled as old and senial."
The problem is simpler: Buckley is wrong.
He first mistake was using the New York Times as his main source.
Iraq is not falling apart not even after this vile attack.
Some (only *some*) of al-Sadr's goons sparked reprisals, and there was a day of violence in revenge, but the vast majority of Iraqis want and are demanding calm.
See this much more pertinent, fact-based, and on-target report:
http://billroggio.com/archives/2006/02/an_ebb_in_fighting.php
I disagree with Buckley here but think Iraq would be in better shape if it had been partitioned.
Buckley deserves repect. There would have been no conservative revolution without him.
If you are saying that WFB was a windbag, you have something of a point, IMO. I revere him for his role in modern conservatism and he is, apparently, a grand fellow in his more personal qualities. I tried to catch every broadcast of Firing Line back in the day. But I can not read the tortured, pointlessly obscure prose of our dear friend and saint.
"The United States Army is not the Department of Education. We dominate in ways that the Romans couldn't even imagine and yet idiots in this country continue to chant "failure"."
GOOD OBSERVATION.
No. I am not one of these people who jettisons individuals or rejects their opinions forever because they happen to disagree with me once.
Of course age can be a factor and often suspect of senility, but I don't believe that Ronald Reagan, for example, ever penned a socialist view following his own clinical wasting of "brain-muscle" - neither in the form of Alzheimer's nor any general dementia expressed beforehand.
"Do you really think the FreeRepublic is a liberal piece of crap website?"
Hyperbolically, yes. In reality, no - it is still a useful tool for conservative agendas. We are miles off-course however, but thankfully, too, Republicans are well above modern-day democrats in all ways that matter (or at least culturally and policy-wise...).
More personally, I am questioning my own views of elitism and intellectual leadership. This is a classic conundrum, recognizing the certainty of failure and incompetence, but wishing to respect the freedom and deserved opportunities of everyone to excel as individuals.
Well, we must say that he has hobbed more nobs than most of those whose hobnobbing days are over.
He'll be a national treasure, at least.
I'm not sure if Barry got senile or just liked to stir up sh*t.
That's yet to be seen.
I always thought that the US invasion would facilitate the kind of revolution needed to take the country from autocracy to Democracy. The continued American military presence may in fact avoid the rise of an oligarchy or a theocracy.
Chaos paved this nation's road to Democracy as well, they just have the additional problem of a religion that tries to double up as a form of government.
I lived in Saudi Arabia for five years including during the Gulf War. I visited Kuwait a few days after the war was over. I have also lived in Iran for two years during the Iranian Revolution and was there when Khomeini took over. I have visited most of the countries in the area except Iraq.
My gloomy assessment is that we are close to losing on the home front, just as we lost Viet Nam at home while Gen. Giap was in despair over the military hopenlessness of his situation.
I am also a Vietnam vet and was in Danang during the Tet offensive, which was a resounding defeat for the NVA and VC. The only similarity between Iraq and Vietnam is the possibility that we could lose the war at home. There is no way we can lose militarily.
However good the situation is on the ground, American public opinion is at the point where very little alarming news is needed to tip it against the war, IMO.
Only if we listen to people like Buckley or Cronkite clones. I don't view the situation as dire as you apparently do. American public opinion ebbs and flows depending on the latest news. People have a very short attention span. It is up to the President and our political leaders to remain resolute and strong during these bumps in the road. I am not as alarmed as you I guess.
"The people over there don't seem to want democracy, only chaos."
Now, I'm as pessimistic as they come, and pride myself on my crumudgeonliness, and have NO LOVE for the Muslim world, or its people, but I gotta say it seems "the people over there" DO want democracy as they turned out in droves to vote, multiple times at the risk of their lives, a risk I've never (and I'll venture you've never) had to take.
Sure, there are some people over there who crave chaos, but I doubt it is the majority. It's never the majority who want chaos.
I didn't read the posted article, if Buckley's going wobbley let me just say that he was my original hero and that would be a disgrace.
I'm still not ready to give up on that gal with the purple finger. Although I'm way past ready to stuff her chaos craving brothers, cousins, and uncles 'round the globe down the sh*t hole.
Bush's vision may come to fruition, it may not but William Buckley's vision is hopelessly blurred.
I'm not saying that Buckley is right, just that he should be criticized based upon the facts and ideas he presented, not his age. Whether or not we agree with him on this issue, he has done alot to promote the conservative movement.
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