Posted on 09/23/2004 8:20:07 AM PDT by Former Dodger
I sit here listening to PM Allwi of Iraq addressing Congress, and the man continues to impress me. He thanked us for having the courage to invade his country and remove the Beast from power, libertaing millions of his countrymen. GRATITUDE? My God, the concept is so foreign that I can hardly believe my ears! When you consider how much American money has gone into most of the UN member nations to feed and clothe and care for them, and how much hate we've gotten in reurn, or the close support we've not gotten from staunch allies that we've rescued and protected, and shored up, like France, Germany and Russia, getting gratitude almost makes you paranoid.
Granted, regardless of what a certain candidate says, we have a grand coalition, with real friends like Great Britain, Poland, Italy, South Korea, and many others, and, yes, US troops are the majority, as they were in World War II (In Italy, the Western Front and the Pacific), Korea, Vietnam, Bosnia, Gulf War 1 and every other "Hotspot" around the world over the past 100 years. It's what we do, it's what we stand for, it's what makes us what we are: the most powerful, free and democratic nation on earth.
Iraq is not Vietnam, and never will be, especially not with leaders like Allawi.
Ignoring Iraq and staying in Afghanistan until "Al-Queda was destroyed" would have been foolish. The Terrorists would have had Iraq to retreat to for R&R, training supplies and more, as well as Pakistan and Iran. We would have been trapped in a larger version of Dien Bien Phu, and the losses would have been staggering, and we should have taken military advice from the French? (0 for3 versus the Germans, 0 for 1 versus the Vietnamese and Algerians) The Germans? (0 for 2 versus the Americans/British, 0 for 1 versus the Russians, and a "power only because it was protected from the USSR by US/NATO troops) The Russians? (20 million dead soldiers in WW2, 0 for 1 versus Afghan Rebels, doing miserably against terrorists in Chechnya, and against the Mafia in their homeland)
Yeah, let's listen to them, they know how to win.
We might be better off getting advice from the Vietnamese, they fought us to a draw, only because certain members of Congress and "activists" would not let us win.
In fact one of the chief dirtbags from the activist movement is now speaking on TV and the sound of his voice makes me cringe, and lose my train of thought. This man has no clue, no decency and no vision, and I hope the American people are not bamboozled by him and his fellow travellers. And he just basically called Allawi a liar; he's speaking about American and Iraqi retreats throughout the country, and how he has a plan, he's so full of it, I despise him and everything he stands for.
The future of the world belongs in the hands of leaders with vision and commitment, men like George W. Bush and Iyad Allawi, may God bless and protect them both.
"If you will not fight for the right when you can easily win without bloodshed; if you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a small chance of survival. There may even be a worse case: you may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves."
Winston Churchill
No, I would say that the concept is absolutely unknown to foreigners - with the possible exception of this Allawi guy.
'What do you mean no style, no vision? My wife knows how to Shove it and can identify Idiots and Scumbags very well and I know how to windsurf without wind so well I can go with whatever political winds I need to. My vision is clear - Socialism for America and an Abortion for every woman; Give Iraq back to Saddam and our country to the U.N. How dare you question my style and vision! Are you a Republican?'
/sarcasm off
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.