Kcody- Don't apologize or justify man! that was great! Let me know what you were drinking! I gotta get me some a that!
Coma-one - There is a right decision, it's just not always the easy or palatable one. There is no such thing as a "good war" only necessary, and unnecessary ones. It's NOT right that THOUSANDS of people die (this is STILL an extension of 9/11, remember?) We very rarely pick the fight, but we never turn away from it (in the case of VietNam, the troops were holding their own quite well, but were placed in a situation where they were not allowed to win, and then the politicians threw in the towel) we have NEVER been beaten! World politics is the last great refuge of the law of the jungle. Governments and tinpot dictators do things that would get you a lengthy prison sentance if you did them yourself. Someone wiser than I stated "War is robbery writ large" and the liberals insist on painting Bush as the robber. But unless we forget, and I somehow think that many in America have, let us remember that aside from 9/11 Saddam Hussein INVADED his neighbor to get oil, and money (if you want details I'll do another post on contemporary history). We broke off our attack, with a UN mandate because he agreed to the terms of a cease fire, terms that he NEVER MET!!! Some seem to think that Osama Bin Laden and Saddam eache lived in a vacuum and didn't have anything to do with eack other, even though they shared common hatred and a common enemy. As for going to war for tangent reasons, there are ALWAYS tangent reasons . Nam a war, and I'll show you economic reasons. One countries "fight for survival is another countries grab for "Liebensraum" or "desparately needed natural resources" (no not us, Japan) No one who is happy and content with their lot goes into a war unless provoked out of their contentment. That is why the idea of fostering democracy in the middle east is so important. If the people can govern themselves, and attain prosperity, they have nothing to be jealous of or begrudge anyone else. Probably the most unjustified war we ever fought was the Spanish American War. Fought over the Blowing up of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor, it has been generally surmised that a boiler blew up on the ship, not sabotage, But public opin was hawkish, and we went to war. At the start of that war, Spain was a world power, and we were still the upstart. At the end, Spain lost their empire (Cuba, The Phillipines, Guam, Samoa, Puerto Rico) and the world had to reassess the upstart. We ARE a powerful nation, and must remain so. WHY? "if you desire peace, prepare for war" that original quote (I dont know who said it) was in latin, it's so old. Once again, bullies don't attack those who can clearly kick their butts. I would never advocate the blind obedience to the President by the civilian populace, to do so would be to derail the checks and balances of our Republic. But we MUST show some respect for our leadr, as some of us in the military can attest, this may have been difficult in the 90's, but you could respect the OFFICE if not the man. Our differences should not be so publicly bitter as to cause an enemy to think we are divided and weak, or double minded, as this would invite disaster. I'll stop rambling now. night all, Sleep well, we have the watch!
Point is we are the US, and like it or not we MUST remain a powerfull nation, WHY? Because that is who we are, no other nation in the world has ever achieved what we have, This nation is young, but strong. I don't mean to be dissrespectfull, but US soldiers (to whom I owe the uttmost respect to) know from the time they enlist that there is a possibility that they will die in war, and so they sin up anyway, why, because they have been called. Do I like war, no, do soldiers like war?, I don't imagine so. But that is something that we must do to preserve America. Would I go to war, I guess if it came down to it I would, would I be happy? NO. Let's remember this, that weather we like our President, any president, or not, we must support his desicions. A house divided against itself will not stand, survive, last!!!
