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Originally Posted by Danimal16;3864764[COLOR=black
DARISC, I do need to ask for the sake of understanding, what portions of what I stated do you specifically disagree? Is it the current state of affairs or my discussion of the opportunities for aiding the reconstruction and recovery? And while we are at if, I did not consider for one moment that you insulted me, challenged me, yep so here it is back at ya. I have faith that you will put it back my way, I welcome the exchange. [/COLOR]
We need to get this war over but it means not leaving a power vacuum. This is the real challenge. From what I have seen and heard is that the State department has not ponied up the resources to get the job done. With all of the brain power in State you would think we would have moved further in the right direction. But that is just me. |
Hi Dan,
Glad to hear back from you. Your post was excellent, in all respects and I'm glad you are questioning me on my admittedly blunt response to your first post.
Where I differ with what you believe, regarding the below passage from that post,
"One thing I have a problem with is after the decision is made, I have a real intolerance of those that act like a bunch of spoiled brats and publicly aid and comfort our enemy once troops have been committed. Protesting the war in this manner emboldens our enemies and gets our kids killed, period, no doubt about it. However, that does not mean that I don't say there should be decent, but in the form of political workings that are not so subversive."
is your statement about
"those that act like a bunch of spoiled brats and publicly aid and comfort our enemy once troops have been committed."
First off, you say
"not so subversive" What degree of subversiveness would you find acceptable?
When I was in service during the Viet Nam War, the troops had nowhere near the access to information that today's troops have (before the internet), but we did receive enough to form opinions about the war we were directly involved in. Those opinions varied from pro to con and were the basis for many heated discussions amongst the troops.
Those who felt we shouldn't be there were at first very much in the minority and suffered the slings and arrows of the majority who felt we should be. Regardless, everyone did what they had taken an oath to do and did it well, irrespective of their political beliefs or opinions on foreign policy.
Over time the balance changed as more and more came to see the futility of what we we were doing - but we continued to perform because we were U.S. military and regardless of why we were there, we were all proud of that!
Yes there were those who were incensed to learn of Jane Fonda's escapades in N. Viet Nam and cried "she's aiding and abetting the enemy!" And there were those as well who, equally discouraged, moaned "Oh, man, more *****'s gonna hit the fan now!" Indeed her performance was controversial, but did not stem from her being "un-American' (as so many to this day still think it was), but I don't think it can be proven that her acts gave the enemy any more courage or will to fight than they already had; I know they welcomed her presence but they were already very well informed as to the degree the unrest in the U.S. had risen to.
Yes, the right to descent is at the very core of our beliefs in our country. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, depending on which side of a contentious issue one happens to find one's self, censorship is, by the very definition of what makes this country so great, ruled out and we must suffer those who use that right in, what appears to some to be, an outrageous way. So, love her or hate her, Jane Fonda wasn't instrumental in affecting the outcome of the war at all.
What you guys are doing in terms of helping the Iraqi's rebuild their infrastructure is as American (and truly wonderful) as it gets and it's a shame that our "news" doesn't report on it as they should be doing (no money in it for them, I guess).
So...yes, I hate war; who in their right mind doesn't? But I am no pacifist. I am simply anti - THIS - war. And no, we cannot leave a power vacuum. How we as a nation can bring it to an end is a grim conundrum.
Unfortunately, amongst the candidates for our next CIC, there is no deus ex machina.
Stay safe,
David
Geez, did you
have to go and encourage Mule?
