So we're sending in at least another 20,000 more troops. That's almost the size of my entire city. It's half the size of my university. I simply don't understand how we can continue justifying this.
Wars today are not what wars were 100 years ago. In past centuries wars were things of conquest, of taking land and reclaiming it. They were fought in very direct, physical things. But in this age of information, wars simply cannot be fought like that. We aren't aiming to conquer Iraq like the Normans did to England in the Battle of Hastings, like the Crusaders did in the Holy Land. We simply can't do that, which is a good thing. But some people refuse to see that because of it, wars can't be so easily considered "won".
I think we most closely "won" the war when we removed Saddam. Unfortunately, but it began a civil war there. That really isn't our war to fight, though. We can't sit over there forever, acting like harsh parents of impertinent children. What would our government consider winning? Nobody can answer that, because there is no end to this fight. Unless you're going to answer with "a permanent, stable government is established in Iraq", in which case I don't think that maintaining a serious military presence there will help much.
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We did start it.
More than that, though, America has always been eager to meddle in other countries. For publicity, perhaps, we need to stay there, but we also want to install a government that will be friendly with us and will last when we leave. If we left it to them, there's a good chance that the government that would rise would not like us. So we stay. And while our media continues to rail against that policy, we aren't going to do anything about it.
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Oh, also: does anybody know the name of the song that plays during the dogfight scene of Cowboy Bebop, The Movie?
If so, please let me know @ gatorrelay251@gmail.com
Best movie EVER. Maybe. Definitely best Anime to hit the U.S.
You're right, we did start it. But there is no possible way that we can finish it. It really can't be done, at least not in the way that Bush envisions, and probably not for a very long time.
For 'publicity', it'd be better if we left. We are not getting good publicity by staying, not when so many other countries disagree with what we're doing. I've been to Europe twice since the war started, I've spoken to many people over there, and I know that they do. Sending more troops there is not an effective way to start up a lasting government.
We are now far enough along in this conflict where President Bush must ask congress for funding and more soldiers to be sent. So chances of us sending more troops there, slim to no chance.
Also, we cannot win the war like Bush wants us to. If he would simply look at history, he would see that violence and wars have been going on constantly over there for millennia. Fighting will never stop over there. So we will never quell all the violence in Iraq or any of the Middle East.
So in the aspect of want Bush wants, we will never "win" this conflict.
Agreed. And yeah, considering that Democrats have pretty much retaken Congress, he won't get funding.
That area has been in conflict since before the Crusades. It's impossible to think that we'll bring peace there in the next few years. Either we can stay their indefinitely, fighting what is essentially a losing battle, or understand when a situation is simply beyond our grasp.
Wow Bush won by 80% at your High school?!?!?! Where do you live? in the 2000 mock elections we had in my middle school Al Gore won by a substantial amount and in the '04 mock elections at my high school Bush won by less than 10 % (btw I'm from Southern California, Orange County to be specific which happens to be uber Republican).
--Pauperes Commilitones Christi Templique Salomonis--
I live near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Midwestern suburbia, where the kids are Republican because they just don't know any better. Honestly, I'm not being condescending. I knew one die-hard 'Republican' girl there who liked Bush because he would "pay for her college and health care". I was like no, honey, that'd be the other side. And half of their parents probably work at a factory under a union, or are teachers (and obviously part of a union), but they still don't care. Uck. I was so glad to move to Madison for college, which is in the only county that voted AGAINST the gay marriage ban that we recently passed.
Sorry, I'm ranty, but it was pretty frustrating.
I know how you feel, sort of. Here in Orange County kids are Republicans because they are well off and their parents are Republicans. After taking Political Science her Senior year one of my friends said to me "I just realized I'm not really a Republican, I'm actually pretty liberal" I was just like "wow" but I was glad that she was able to find who she truly was, whether Republican or Democrat, without having to depend solely on her parents political affiliation.
--Pauperes Commilitones Christi Templique Salomonis--
Yeah. I talked to too many people who didn't even know which party was which (they couldn't tell me which party was the elephant or which was associated with the color blue!) and really did rely solely on what they heard from their parents. It's disappointing. Thankfully, I think some of that has gotten better since they graduated. Apathy is scary, though. Especially on a grand scale.
You're really biased. Being neither party myself, it's absurd how poorly you view Republicanism based on the ignorance of those around you instead of the beliefs of the party in general.
That's probably true. Although I honestly don't think that I view Republicanism that poorly, and in a lot of areas I think of myself as more conservative. I agree with a lot of Republican ideas, such as the government should not interfere in peoples' lives. But many of the students in my school were so staunchly pro-Bush, without taking the time to research what exactly he believed in, and it frustrated me.
Republicans only stay out of your life if you are using your life to make money and pay taxes. When it comes to social issues, most Republicans are perfectly happy to interfere in your life or mine.
This is a bit off topic I suppose. hmm...
Res ipsa loquitur.
memor mori, mahalo.