[on-ramp]

Originally posted by JanusCole
Does any of this surprise you? Frankly, America is a paper tiger. Americans want all of the benefits of being a superpower without any of the responsibilities.

I was listening to Rep Trent Lott on the TV recently and I agreed with what he had to say. He said America had a RESPONSIBILITY to make sure Iraq became a peaceful and democratic state. He said when we made the decision to "pull the trigger" and start a war, it was a binding commitment that can't be ignored - regardless of the price. Once the deed is done, there is no turning back. And sadly, I must also agree with FastPat. Bush and Company are classic liberals. True conservatives believe in taking responsibility for your actions and accepting the consequences of your behavior. Liberals like to have everything given to them for free and never accept responsibility for anything. And from Day 1, the Bush Administration has tried to win this war essentially for free and blame everyone but themselves for the outcomes.

But the sad truth is that we took on the RESPONSIBILITY for Iraq the day we invaded. And coming through on that responsibility was always going to require the sacrifice of many American lives. The Dems and the American people are having sticker shock at the price and want to run away. But the die has already been cast. It was cast the day we invaded. And if it takes the lives of every American between 18 and 24 plus many thousands more, then so be it. "We broke it, we bought it." as Colin Powell famously said. The time to think about the cost was three years ago. Not today.

But suddenly everyone has an excuse for why it isn't our responsibility. They blame the Iraqi government. They blame the Iraqi people. They blame Iran. But frankly, it doesn't matter who is to blame. We are still responsible no matter what. And for that, we have no-one to blame. We ASKED for this responsibility. And leaving Iraq with anything less than a peaceful and stable democratic government is morally wrong.

Many say it is impossible to succeed in Iraq. But they are incorrect. It is possible if we commit...say...a million or two million or more troops. Maybe five million troops. Whatever the number is, I am sure it is possible. But that would require a military draft and the deaths of many thousands of young Americans in an America obsessed with protecting its children. Well, I'm sorry to say this but we committed those kid's lives three years ago when we decided to invade Iraq. If sending our kids to war was a problem, then the time to speak up was 2003. Now it is waaaay too late.

So it isn't that we can't win the war in Iraq. It's that we won't. And it makes me sad to live in a country with such a short memory and so little integrity and sense of responsibility. It looks like America is planning to run away now that the milk has been spilled. And in doing so, we will send an entire nation spiraling into the abyss. We will have invaded a country and then traded their sons lives for ours. And if we do that, then heaven help each American when he/she has to face his/her Maker.

What Do You Mean "We", Kemosabe???