WHY IRAQ IS WORTH IT

New York Post ^ | 11/03/03 | PETER BROOKES

[kattracks]

November 3, 2003 -- IN war, political and moral support at home is as critical as victory on any battlefield overseas. Americans learned that lesson from our painful experience in Vietnam. We are relearning it today in Iraq.

The recent rough patch of events in Iraq has raised doubts about our efforts there among some Americans. Last week's Newsweek cover labeled Iraq "Bush's $87 Billion Mess." Nor have leaked Pentagon memos questioning the effectiveness of U.S. post-war operations in Iraq bolstered popular determination to stay the course.

[livius]

Good article. Iraq is enormously important on a strategic scale, but I think Bush is simply not getting the message out. I realize that having a hostile press makes it difficult for him to get any message out at all, but he'd better try a little harder. Maybe it's time for new information/press staff at the WH?

[Samurai_Jack]

Maybe it's time for new information/press staff at the WH?

---

Yeah, I agree with that... the Whitehouse is just not playing a counter to the propoganda being broadcast by the al queda and their allies in the DNC.

alot of the 'spin' from the press is becoming Fact by default. The WH Press Secretary is weak.

[mystery-ak]

I agree...one fault I have with this administration is that they wait too long to answer any allegation...it seems they are always on damage control and by then its too late.

[Brandon]

And yet, they usually get most -- if not all -- of what they want. (Note "usually"; nobody bats 1.000.) I'd say that the Administration's P.R. people are doing just about as well as you could hope for.

[familyofman]

"As counterintuitive as it sounds, the American people must come to understand that: Stabilizing Iraq is actually all about destabilizing the Middle East. Only by reconstructing Iraq as an open, free, secular society, can we deconstruct the closed, dark, repressive place the Middle East became during the Cold War."

Counterintuitive to be sure - unless you like your logic served "Orwellian" in the morning with your Starbucks'. Stabilize by destabilizing, creating a SECULAR Iraq, deconstruct an entire region of the world community - all for what?
I'm sure there are some FR's here that would just love to see the US become a secular country as well. It is more than counterintuitive to claim your own country is based on religion (Christianty) while proposing another country should be secular (Moslem) because their religion leads to trouble.

[SamAdams76]

There is an interesting story on the front page of today's Wall Street Journal about the terrorists leafletting Baghdad and scaring the citizens (who are cooperating with U.S. forces) that "we know who you are." A climate of fear still exists in Iraq that we will "cut and run" and then they will be at the mercy of whatever Saddam forces are left.

We need to eradicate this fear by eradicating the remnants of the Saddam regime for once and for all. It would be wise for the president to go on national TV during prime time and lay out the situation in Iraq as it exists today and why it is so important for us to follow through and finish the job.

Most Americans are wrapped up in their TV shows and other frivolous matters and they are not well educated on what is going on over there. This makes them easy prey for the disinformation being spread by the Democrats that we are in a "hopeless quagmire." The president needs to address these people and if that means pre-empting "Marry a Millionaire" or "Survivor XXVI" for a night, so be it.

[corlorde]

It's an experiment, and we can't afford to fail. It's going to take an incredible amount of time and I'm wondering if the America I know, has the patience. In the perverse, "I want it done now" society that we live in, it will be a real test in the coming year, imop.

~Corey

[corlorde]

Great point.

Since the average American has the attention span of a walnut, I can't help to wonder if as a country, we have the stomach for what needs to be done. You know, the long road and all...

~Corey

[Coop]

We need to eradicate this fear by eradicating the remnants of the Saddam regime for once and for all.

Uh, that's kind of what we're doing. This isn't something our folks can just "set their minds to" and get done. It's a long, slow, painful process.

[Gritty]

...the White House must immediately dispel by going beyond its "Saddam was a Bad Guy" message and clearly presenting the bigger, strategic picture that demands our continued efforts in Iraq.

If the White House doesn't do this and do it soon, we could end up losing this war just like we ended up losing the Vietnam War.

In Vietnam, we were not defeated on the battlefield. We lost through the relentless wearing down of our will to stay and succeed by a virulently anti-war Media and treasonous political Left. They are playing exactly the same game today.

The White House may instinctively understand this, but is not forcefully acting on this premise.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

The tragedy of 9/11, and its continuing violent global aftermath, proves that the status quo in the Middle East is intrinsically disruptive of international peace and security. America's well-being and security - and that of our friends and allies - depend upon changing the region it for the better.

If that status quo survives, rogue nations like Syria and Iran will continue to threaten American interests and security, and those of our friends and allies, for decades to come.

~~~
Why we fight, ping!

Repeat, repeat, repeat....
~~~

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[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[Steve_Seattle]

"The tragedy of 9/11, and its continuing violent global aftermath, proves that the status quo in the Middle East is intrinsically disruptive of international peace and security. America's well-being and security - and that of our friends and allies - depend upon changing the region it for the better."

This is the most succinct summary of what is at stake in Iraq that I've seen. Above and beyond the issue of Saddam's WMD's, this is really what it's all about.

[hchutch]

The first job is to avoid the geo-political mistakes of Veitnam. Bush and the amdinistration have done that for the most part.

The second part is to bypass the media. Note how regional papers and Fox News get a lot of the interviews. There's also a lot of use of the internet. This is not 1991. There are more options now than there were then.

[Radix]

Regarding your post #6.

I don't think that we read the same article.

[tpaine]

As counterintuitive as it sounds, the American people must come to understand that: Stabilizing Iraq is actually all about destabilizing the Middle East. Only by reconstructing Iraq as an open, free, secular society, can we deconstruct the closed, dark, repressive place the Middle East became during the Cold War.

---

As counterintuitive as it sounds, the American people must come to understand that:
-- We are once again trying to win the hearts & minds of people nearly totally opposed to being 'won over'..

Long odds.

[Gritty]

The first job is to avoid the geo-political mistakes of Veitnam. Bush and the administration have done that for the most part.

True. They will stay the course. The problem arises if a different Administration takes over. But, the political pressure will continue to build unless it is effectively countered and done so continuously.

The second part is to bypass the media... This is not 1991. There are more options now than there were then.

While there are more options than during the Vietnam era and 1991, it is impossible to bypass the Major Media.

The problem arises with the constant, unrelenting drum-beat of the Major Media, not just the options available to our side. Over time this Major Media has a great effect on the public perception. It doesn't even matter if what they are saying is slanted or untrue. They pick it up from each other and what one day is absurd, the next day becomes acceptable, and the next day becomes "truth". Slogans and sound-bites are very effective means of mass propaganda when you are dealing with the huge number of people in the USA. Not all people are connected to the internet (most aren't). Also, a huge plurality of the populace hates Bush and is inclined to believe or support anything which discredits his (our) policy. Actual truth means nothing to them. Their ends are all that count.

9/11 has, for many, faded. That growing vacuum is being cleverly exploited by the propaganda machines of the Left. They are shaping the public debate.

Having lived through Vietnam, I have seen it work once before. I see it starting to work again. It will take time, but these people are nothing if not relentless.

[windchime]

Bump!