Dr Gene Scott
Posted on 09/01/2010 3:21:17 PM PDT by Zanton
It was called Operation Iraqi Freedom but it should have been called Operation Iraqi Self-Rule. "Autonomy" and "self-rule" are the political values which largely dominate the US and the world. Certainly more so than "democracy." And almost infinitely more so than "liberty."
After over 7 years, $700 billion, and 4000 killed, a fairly-bad, socialist, shariaist dictatorship (headed by Saddam) was replaced by a moderately superior one (headed by Maliki). Was this death-agony of effort worth it? Did this unending exercise in nation-building and self-sacrifice profit us?
Consider all the resultant violations of civil liberties at home, and support for friendly dictatorships abroad -- all the torture and detention without charge -- involved in our "war on terror." Consider all the hatred the world has now for "the American way" and capitalism and individual liberty.
After George Bush's admittedly-successful military Surge, does America and the world have more freedom and hope -- or less?
You are right..he is NOT a troll, He is too stupid to be a troll...
He is just very confused.
Fundamentally Fair got the ZOT...
Do we know why?
I can’t question the wisdom of taking out Saddam and his evil sons and assorted other thugs. As they say out West, there’s just some folks that need killin’.
The experiment in nation-building is another story altogether and we are a long way from knowing how that story turns out. I’m a pessimist by nature, and I believe we we be involved in some kind of insurgency before the end of the decade.
But the key issue isn’t how many troops we have in Iraq or even whether the experiment in Iraqi democracy succeeds. What does matter is our overall ability to project power into the Middle East.
I just hope that the next time the balloon goes up in the desert we finally say “enough” and unleash HELL on the barbarians. Seizing the Saudi oil fields, and leveling Mecca and Medina with conventional explosives would be a great start.
But I’m afraid that we’ve become too cowardly to defend ourselves, even though we have the wherewithal many times over.
One never knows.
Your point is spot on. Our Treasonous State Department put the kabash on a sane, winning approach from early on!
IBTZ...definitely.
The invasion will go down as a geostrategic move of the first order when the posturing stops and the sober assessments get some breathing room. The thing bought us at least a decade in the confrontation with radical Islam and forced the latter's adherents into open warfare on our terms. And our armed forces killed them in droves.
As for setting up a liberal democracy, you're welcome to educate us all as to how you would do that in Iraq. I'm sure Petraeus and Odierno would love to know how they failed.
I agree. But we should have replaced him with a system and leader far more Western liberal and friendly to America.
" But I’m afraid that we’ve become too cowardly to defend ourselves, even though we have the wherewithal many times over."
I agree with this too. But we need to get our political values right. More liberty and individual rights and less democracy and self-rule.
From your profile that’s what I read.
Much of the recent rhetoric amounts to just that - what does it mean? Time and media propaganda has caused us to lose sight of why we are there. Does anyone remember the first Gulf War when GHW Bush threw Saddam out of Kuwait, a country he had illegally invaded? Does anyone remember how we kicked Saddam's Republican Guard's ass? Does anyone remember that in order to save himself Saddam begged for a cease fire? Does anyone remember that George H. W. Bush agreed because the MSM was highlighting the way we were destroying the Republican Guard in their retreat from Kuwait in what the MSM called the shooting gallery?
Unfortunately, Bush left the details to Gen. Schwartzkof (sp ?) and he allowed Saddam to keep hjs helocoptors although there was a no fly zone imposed. Saddam used the helicopters to suppress the general uprising by the people that President G.H.W. Bush encouraged. The Kurds in the North were slaughtered and the opposition in the south was also. The defeat of the popular uprising was the fault of Schwartzkov, no one else.
After that Saddam continually violated his ceasefire agreement. He kept trying to use aircraft to suppress opposition, he interfered with and eventually expelled the UN WMD inspectors. He violated all the agreements he had made to save his ass.
Saddam also provided training facilities for al Qaeda terrorist and paid money to the families of the "martyrs" to encourage them to kill many innocents while they died for the cause.
Does anyone remember the mass graves with over 300,00 people we found after invading? Does anyone remember the rape rooms, the shredders, the torture chambers, we found. Does anyone remember that Saddam's sons would go to night clubs and select any woman they wanted, even the brides in a wedding party, to take and do with as they pleased? To think we did not do a great thing in Iraq is to be naive. Unfortunately, this administration is trying to give it all back.
Dr Savage? ....what a joke
I dont see Hussein starting any new wars ...do you?
“But the MAIN strategic blunder is, after victory, why not set up a fairly libertarian state, like Germany and Japan, after WWII? These guys are still our hard-core friends after 65 years!”
Germany & Japan were well-established nations comprised of a single ethnic group. There were the social building blocks of a modern liberal society in place that could be cultivated.
Iraq... much less so. But Iraq has a fairly advanced society compared to much of the Arab world, so the chances for success were there.
Afghanistan... forget it. Loyalties there run from individual-to-family-to-Clan. I rather doubt that anybody outside of Kabul considers themselves an Afghan rather than a Pashtun, Tadjik or what have you.
Much of what you said is true... except the Republican Guard were not really in Kuwait. They were positioned well to the north & west so that they could act as a strategic reserve. Iraqi regular infantry forces were on the line in Kuwait & up on the Saudi border. They got slaughtered or surrendered en mass.
Much of the Iraqi Republican guard bugged out when they realized that the US & allied advance rolled right over their front line troops on the border without a hiccup. Had they attempted a counterattack they’d have been destroyed. A couple of the IRG divisions got badly mauled, but significant portions got away and were later reconstituted to fight the internal uprising.
GHWB’s cease fire was a huge mistake.
I thought about it for a while.
It is a prank. He didn’t get the ZOT.
Thanks for jogging my memory. One other thing I remember from that was after it was over someone was interviewing one of their tank commanders and he said the first he knew that American troops were in the area was when the tank next to him exploded. Our technology was awesome.
“Dr Savage? ....what a joke”
Thanks for the informative, in-depth analysis, support by citing facts and advancing cogent, logical argument!
Dr Gene Scott
As long as you have done your best, you should feel content.
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