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Mr Mike
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Posted: Wed Sep 12th, 2007 03:45 pm |
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Sometimes I feel as if I must be one of the few people left in America who is not a military expert.
For example, all sorts of politicians have been talking about all sorts of ways we ought to "redeploy" our troops. The closest I ever came to deploying troops was marching a company of Marines to the mess hall for chow.
[url=javascript:launchSlideShowWindow('/Photos/SlideShow.aspx?issue=12&ContentGuid=aa16c77a-07b4-4357-84ec-eec020e33283')]
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U.S. Army General David Petraeus, the top commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, testifies about the war in Iraq during a joint hearing of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, September 10, 2007. REUTERS/Jason Reed (UNITED STATES)
Related Media:
 VIDEO: Patraeus: 30,000 U.S. Troops to Leave Iraq
 VIDEO: Soldiers At Local USO React To Petraeus Report
But people who have never even put on a uniform are confident that they know how our troops should be redeployed. Maybe this is one of the fruits of the "self-esteem" that is taught in our schools instead of education.
The biggest flurry of amateur military pronouncements occurred just before General David Petraeus testified before Congress on the situation in Iraq. Many Democrats publicly dismissed what he said before he said it, and some implied that he was a liar before he opened his mouth.
The real problem is that many Democrats have bet the rent money on an American defeat in Iraq, and without that defeat they could find themselves in big trouble in the 2008 elections.
Politically, the Democrats are caught between Iraq and a hard place. Their left-wing base has been angrily pressing them to cut off financial support for the war in Iraq but Congressional Democrats dare not outrage the rest of the country by doing that.
Leaders of the Democrats in Congress have already tried various ways of sabotaging the war effort, with arbitrary timetables for withdrawal and financing the war for only short periods, so that President Bush would be forced to pull out American troops and could then be blamed for the defeat.
But that hasn't worked either because not enough Democrats in Congress are willing to risk political suicide by obstructing the military in ways too blatant to pass muster with the public.
The next best thing politically for the Democrats is to say that the situation is hopeless. The last thing they need to hear is that there is now some progress in Iraq.
Not only is General Petraeus reporting progress, so have a couple of Brookings Institution scholars who have studied the situation in Iraq -- and who are liberal Democrats who had worked for Senator Kerry's presidential campaign in 2004.
Progress does not mean inevitable victory, much less quick victory. Nor is it easy to define what "victory" would mean in the messy circumstances of Iraq.
One of most realistic of all the insightful statements by General Petraeus was that "We are not going to kill our way" out of the problems in Iraq.
There has never been a moment when anyone in Congress, the White House, or the military has ever advocated anything other than getting out when the time is right.
All the arguments, the rhetoric, and the shouting is about when is the time right.
Nobody thinks American troops have to stay in Iraq until the last terrorist is killed or driven out of the country. It is a question of reaching the point where the Iraqis themselves can deal with the terrorist and other problems of their country without American troops.
That is the direction in which the Iraqis seem to be moving already. It is not that we have "won the hearts and minds" of the Iraqi people.
The foreign terrorists -- whom our media still insist on calling "insurgents" -- have turned both Sunnis and Shi'ites against them with their barbaric attacks on innocent civilians.
You cannot be an "insurgent" in somebody else's country by killing the people of that country.
Those who warn that Iraq could be "another Vietnam" need to get their history straight about Vietnam. The South Vietnamese government continued to defend itself against military invasion from the north after American troops withdrew.
Only after congressional politicians pulled the rug out from under them by cutting off financial aid, while their enemies were still receiving financial aid from other countries, did South Vietnam fall to the invaders.
Only similar congressional sabotage, in response to similar left-wing supporters, can make Iraq another Vietnam.
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XGM
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Posted: Thu Sep 13th, 2007 12:12 pm |
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Personally I think the Military Draft should be re-instated and here's why. 1) Everyone in America should be interested to some degree in protecting our freedoms. 2) we would get college grads and smarter people in the military not just hamburger flip'ers, carpenters, etc. (They join for the money of all things). 3) It would put all parents and grandparents back in a position to raise hell with the politicians for keeping their sons or daughters in useless wars, etc. (now they can't say much, because "junior" joined up) 4)ALL persons, including the Bush daughters, should be drafted at a certain age...no matter who their dad is or who he knows. There should be NO exceptions here.
This would ease the financial burden on our taxes...not paying $30,000 to join, etc. plus it would put the voters back in the drivers seat of what they really want...not some half wit politician's idea of what's right for our country.
Of course it's not going to happen, the political folks don't have the baxxs to do it, just like they don't have the guts to do what the vast majority of voters want to do on the imigration issue... Be legal, speak english or go home!
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morrisjames
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Posted: Fri Sep 14th, 2007 12:26 am |
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I like what Chuck Hagel, R-Neb, said. I trust the guys on the ground in actual fighting over what generals claim. Here it is from a grunt from the Viet Nam days.
The way I see it. Bushy is forced into drawing down troops from Iraq in order to help the GOP party next year. If not, he would still be pushing for additional troops. Hang in there a little longer, folks, and we will win have been his claims.
Nearly three-quarters of Americans want us to get out of there. They will vote next year and their voice may be loud and clear, no matter what the talking points might be.
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Mr Mike
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Posted: Tue Nov 13th, 2007 01:15 pm |
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morrisjames wrote:
Nearly three-quarters of Americans want us to get out of there. They will vote next year and their voice may be loud and clear, no matter what the talking points might be.
Democrats zero for 40 on Iraq
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1107/6845.html
If nearly three-quarters of Americans want us to get out the Democraps would have theirs way.
Attachment: Cut And Run Bunch.jpg (Downloaded 85 times) Last edited on Wed Nov 14th, 2007 02:50 pm by Mr Mike
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Mr Mike
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Posted: Sat Nov 24th, 2007 06:57 pm |
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morrisjames wrote: Nearly three-quarters of Americans want us to get out of there. They will vote next year and their voice may be loud and clear, no matter what the talking points might be.
As Democrats See Iraq Gains, a Shift in Tone
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/25/us/politics/25dems.html?ei=5065&en=790f06535d9a5ea7&ex=1196571600&adxnnl=1&partner=MYWAY&adxnnlx=1195930847-xrlMleXS/EfHPOXHzQDwig
Attachment: cindy the kook.jpg (Downloaded 78 times)
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Mr Mike
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Posted: Thu Jan 31st, 2008 11:41 pm |
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Top Al-Qaeda Commander Killed in Pakistan
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/31/AR2008013101799.html?hpid=topnews
Attachment: AUB AYYUB al-MASRI.bmp (Downloaded 91 times)
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Mr Mike
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Posted: Mon Feb 11th, 2008 11:19 pm |
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Al-Qaeda leaders admit: 'We are in crisis. There is panic and fear'
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article3346386.ece
Attachment: We want you to vote democrat.gif (Downloaded 53 times)
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Mr Mike
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Posted: Thu Feb 28th, 2008 11:51 pm |
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Lucky Soldier Wins $1 Million
Though He Hit the Jackpot, Sergeant Plans to Return to Iraq for a 3rd Tour
http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/WaterCooler/story?id=4358724
Attachment: A REAL HERO.jpg (Downloaded 48 times)
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Mr Mike
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Posted: Sun Apr 6th, 2008 01:31 pm |
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A new classified intelligence assessment on Iraq says there has been significant progress in security.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-04-04-iraq-intel_N.htm
Attachment: irak.jpg (Downloaded 40 times)
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AdamWest
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Posted: Sun Apr 6th, 2008 01:48 pm |
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At a cost of 500 BILLION dollars to date...I would hope the security situation has improved.
At a cost of 4000 American LIVES...I would hope the security situation has improved.
After killing hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, I would hope the security situation has improved.
No one knows the hidden costs of this war but you can imagine with thousands of American soldiers injured, we can expect to pay for this war over next 50 years.
Now if we could just find a way to end this debacle...
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1340-1971
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Posted: Sun Apr 6th, 2008 11:27 pm |
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| Hey Mike, in postings on this thread and others, you use several MSM links to NEWS reports to make your point. AP, ABC News, USA Today, NY Times, Washington Post included. Great AP picture of the Marine and the Pearl Harbor survivor by the way. As a vet myself, I appreciate it very much. You have for along time presented yourself as one who doesn't trust those sources. So, which is it for you? If you want to continually post your toasties w/o intending to enter into any real discussion with thoughts of your own that's fine, but would you do us all a favor and keep track of them there hippo-critters in your herd. They're jumping the fence. Last edited on Mon Apr 7th, 2008 01:21 am by 1340-1971
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Mr Mike
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Posted: Mon Apr 7th, 2008 11:18 am |
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1340-1971 wrote: Hey Mike, in postings on this thread and others, you use several MSM links to NEWS reports to make your point. AP, ABC News, USA Today, NY Times, Washington Post included. Great AP picture of the Marine and the Pearl Harbor survivor by the way. As a vet myself, I appreciate it very much. You have for along time presented yourself as one who doesn't trust those sources. So, which is it for you? If you want to continually post your toasties w/o intending to enter into any real discussion with thoughts of your own that's fine, but would you do us all a favor and keep track of them there hippo-critters in your herd. They're jumping the fence.
Where did this article appear in your local paper?Attachment: U.S. Military.jpg (Downloaded 31 times)
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1340-1971
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Posted: Mon Apr 7th, 2008 01:00 pm |
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Im not sure where "This article" is, but I know it's not in your post. You have to link to "this article" before I can answer. How about that, you actually write your own words and they refrence nothing. BTW, who took the pic of the soldier aiming his weapon in the grass. My guess is that it was shooter from the Army Times, and if you check, that instiution is not on your side either. The AT has not quite signed on to Bush's persecution of the Iraq war and has had many articles critical of Bush's policy. Also, I am 90% sure the AT shooter took info from his subject and sent that picture to the soldier's local newspaper wherever that may be.
Look, you've already lost this argument. Your links to all the MSM you love to hate (unless using them to make your point) are there for all to see. NEWS is reporting on events as or after they happen. If those reports support your position or the way you go about thinking about life in general that's great, good for you.
OPINION is something entierly different. If you go about your life based on what Rush thinks, well that's OK too, just don't piss on everyone else and tell us it's raining.Last edited on Mon Apr 7th, 2008 01:06 pm by 1340-1971
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Mr Mike
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Posted: Sat Apr 12th, 2008 09:59 am |
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While senators fiddleHerbert E. Meyer
Everything about this week's Senate hearings was disgraceful. Senator Carl Levin, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, started the hearing by reading his conclusions. Shouldn't he have listened to the testimony before reaching his conclusions? And there were so many questions that none of the senators, or House members, had the brains -- or the interest -- to ask. For example, no one asked General Patraeus precisely what ought to do to win. They all assumed that victory isn't possible -- but it is.
Michael Yon, who is just about the best journalist working in Iraq, has a fascinating piece today in The Wall Street Journal. If he's right -- and he usually is -- we're closer to real victory now than ever. But to achieve this victory, according to Yon, we've got to throw in more troops -- right now. Is the President even thinking about this? If not, why not?
While we're all focusing on the Democratic campaign for the presidential nomination, the war in Iraq is coming to a climax. Attachment: I WANT YOU TO VOTE DEMOCRAT.jpg (Downloaded 11 times)
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