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“I’m A Ranger, I DO NOT Fail”…. “Let Me Do My Job”
April 27, 2007
This is a video that every US Lawmaker needs to see and listen to. Contrary to what MoveOn and VoteVets and Oliver Stone would like to portray through their commercial, this Soldier, currently serving in Iraq, wants nothing more than to be able to complete the mission he’s been given, to ensure that his brothers and sisters have not died in vain. He only wishes to be able to come home proudly and say that he was able to complete his mission. He’s not a minority in that sentiment.
*Tissue Alert:* Parts of this video is quite emotional in nature. This right here is what I overwhelmingly hear from the “Boots On The Ground” that I have contact with. Special Thanks to the folks at Save The Soldiers for making this video.
I’ll end this post with the words of Tanker Brother’s very own Master Gunner, who says it so eloquently.
And The Army Goes Rolling Along….
Well, the talk about the “Great Surge Of 2007†has died down a little, and now the big news is the extensions of Active-Duty military tours in Iraq from twelve to fifteen months.
Believe me, being on the ground, with a 9mm strapped to my hip, and dust on my boots, I have heard all manner of crying and whining. But I have also seen guys shrug, smile, and drive on with the mission.
Why?
I mean, seriously… you would think it was the end of the world. The last thirty days have been rough. All the success we’ve seen with “The Rule Of Law†in Baghdad has been largely ignored in the media. Instead, they have zeroed in and adopted a strategy of dissecting the military with targeted attacks better than any insurgent could ever hope to.
Think of it… in the past thirty days, we’ve seen attacks in the media on “The Surgeâ€, the failures at Walter Reed, the Pat Tillman story, ad nauseum. It’s getting so bad, I’m amazed at the thinly veiled hate by the mainstream press.
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure to meet with one of our Tanker Brothers readers (and frequently a contributor), our very own ChrisG, down in the Green Zone. If you want to hear about the gross misreporting on the part of the media, feel free to drop him a line. He’s seen it first hand.
But I digress…
Thinking about the extensions, I think it will all work out in the end. We don’t train pansies in the Army. We train Warriors. Sure, some guys and gals will whine and complain. It’s unavoidable. But guess what? They will get out. And “the Army goes rolling along…â€
Eventually, those who choose to get out instead of grind out fifteen month tours will be replaced by the up and coming leaders of tomorrow’s Army. And the Army will be stronger for it, because the strong survive.
I’m not faulting anyone who chooses to get out. They have served their time, honorably, and in the end, decided a path that I cannot follow. That I will not follow.
I am committed to this fight, mind, body, and soul. “Thick or thin, I’m in it to winâ€, Tanker Brothers and Sisters. On this, you have my solemn oath. Just the other day, I was sitting down, enjoying a quiet moment (and a damn fine cigar, Lynn) with my younger brother. Guess what the Junior Tanker Brother asked me?
“Bro… can you help me get my Reenlistment NCO off his ass so I can sign up for six more years?â€
“And the Army goes rolling along….â€
Hoo-Frickin-Ahh.
Comments
106 Responses to ““I’m A Ranger, I DO NOT Fail”…. “Let Me Do My Job””
Get the soldiers out of Iraq, now! The war was lost before the invasion began. Every soldier who dies or is injured from this point on is another soldier needlessly killed or maimed. The delusion and misrepresentations need to stop.
The war was lost before the invasion? Please explain your outrageous and uninformed comment, I’m a bit confused.
Hey, while we are talking about losing Soldiers. Why don’t you kick your leaders on the left in the ass. Tell them to give me some damn money. It’s hard to fight the terrorists with no fucking ammo!
I just about spewed my coffee everywhere as I found “Sharon”’s comment….OMG. Beyond stupid. How can you lose a war BEFORE you begin? No no no - never mind. I really don’t need to hear any of Sharon’s claptrap. Maybe a proctologist would be good for a mental adjustment for Sharon? Oh - can you tell I havent had enuff coffee yet today?
Back to the REAL news… Thanks Anthony and Terri for all that you do….
You won’t need any ammo when the right thing is done and our troops are brought home.
Let’s all get with the program. It is well established that Iraq never posed a serious threat in 2003, and that an American occupation would be disaterous. Many, many predicted these very facts that are now so well-known. Hate to say I told you so …. but I told you so.
Bush lied, not thousands have died. Enough!
LMAO..I DID say I hadnt had enuff coffee yet????!!!
Be a frosty day in you know where before sharon concede the need for major surgery.
Can one of you delete that name on the last comment and put BRAT. You probably recognised the brat tone, but dont want to confuse anyone..ROFL
VTSharon,
Don’t tell me it is well established that Iraq never posed a threat. Even your leadership acknowledged that a threat was posed by Iraq. Clinton acknowledged it, so did your favorite Pelosi.
How about we stop thinking about your “right thing” being done sometime in the future and help our Soldiers / Sailors / Marines / Airmen NOW! Provide us with the resources we need to carry out our mission.
It’s not “your” mission, Anthony. It’s the mission of the American people. And the American people, albeit belatedly, have come to realize they were mislead into a war than cannot be won, at least militarily. Clinton’s focus was al Qaida, not Iraq. Moreover, the support of Dems to invade was grounded in twisted intelligence from BushCo. It’s over, as was the case before the invasion began. And it’s too dang bad that bees cannot generally be coaxed back into their hive after the hive has been kicked.
Amen Anthony Amen. Sharon/CriticalFacts/Richard, you keep saying this crap over and over, yet FAIL time and time again to show us any proof that these people were correct.
I remember Bush saying from the start that this war would be a long one, and that we would lose troops and that it would be a hard uphill battle. I remember Clinton(both of them), Kerry, Pelosi and others saying the same thing and all of them saying that SADDAM needed to be removed from power, yet as usual they play the “flip flop” game.
It would be so nice to see you and the politicians that you consider “Gods” for once support the troops by giving them what they need to do their jobs.
It’s the Mission of the US MILITARY not the people, because it’s obvious that SOME of the people can’t get their heads out of the television set long enough to find out what’s really going on. Sharon/Richard/CriticalFacts, are you sure your name isn’t Harry Reid????
It’s not MY mission? Get the fuck out of here Sharon. I think me and my fellow service members are the ones in the dirt, doing all the work here. Don’t tell me it’s not my mission. You are fucking insane, you can take that comment and shove it up your ass. Go to Walter Reed, tell a wounded soldier it wasn’t his/her mission. You are possibly one of the most misled/ignorant individuals I have ever had a chance to speak with lately.
“No, I don’t regret giving the president authority because at the time it was in the context of weapons of mass destruction, grave threats to the United States, and clearly, Saddam Hussein had been a real problem for the international community for more than a decade.” Hillary Clinton - 21 April 2004 (Larry King Show)
“Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process. The responsibility of the United States in this conflict is to eliminate weapons of mass destruction, to minimize the danger to our troops and to diminish the suffering of the Iraqi people.” Nancy Pelosi - 16 Dec 1998
The military fights at the pleasure of the American people, and the American people are saying come home. That’s right. It’s not YOUR mission, it’s the mission of the American people. This being the case, it is irrelevant whether Bush lied (which he did) or whether Hillary, Nancy or anyone else supported the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
OMGosh~don’t even know how to express, words can’t even come close.But, I’ll try.
To SFC Ranger Vic~ BLESS YOU, Sir! Your words are spoken like a true and selfless, American Soldier, and you do us soooo proud, Sir!!! Thank you! And thank you for speaking out! And know, without a doubt, this very grateful American family,along with all others, we know,and within our community, loves all of you, believes in all of you, supports all of you, and has your back all the way!! And will do everything that we know/can, so you can do your job and complete the mission. Again, thank you, and Godspeed to you all.
Thank you Terri, Anthony, Tanker Brothers,and Save the Soldiers, for this great post and video. (appreciate the tissue alert up front, too!:))
Oh really Sharon? Since when do YOU as a supposed American citizen direct when and where the American troops fight? YOU DON’T nor will YOU ever!
“and the American people are saying come home.” Maybe SOME of the American people Sharon/CriticalFacts/Richard.
By the way, since you like to use the identies of both sexes, I’m curious… are your transexual or just gender confused.
Hmmm…the Military fights at the pleasure of the American people, now where have I heard that one before?
From Sharon or whatever name he/she is using today
No one came knocking on our doors, nor any of our neighbors doors, to ask us any poll opinions.
Isn’t that the truth. I know a heck of a lot of people who’s opinion was never asked. What makes Sharon/Richard/CriticalFacts, this He/She speaks for all of American? He/She sure as hell doesn’t speak for THIS American.
I am sick to death of being spoken for; hearing that The American People are saying come home. HELL Yeah we want our loved ones home, make no mistake VT, but listen to our soldiers, with boots on the ground! Their the polls I listen to!
oops They’re the polls….
I agree CommanderMom… as much as I’d love to have Marty come home, I also know that he has a mission that he must finish. I support him 150% in that. Who knows, after his son graduates in May, I just might go over as a Civilian Contractor and join him in the quest of completing the mission.
NOT this one either, Terri! And not anyone elses I talk with either!
Exactly… their “American’s want the troops to come home” spiel sure isn’t supported by the hundreds of people I talk to every single day.
Let’s see. Bush approval rating in the low 30s and Cheney lucky if he can even break out of the 9% range. The historically low percentages did not just pop out of thin air. Instead, the percentages reflect public opinion about the war in Iraq, and the public’s frustration of having been lied to in the run up to the war.
I mean, come on, are we really debating whether BushCo has lost the support of the nation in its handling of the Iraq war?
No one said a thing about Bush or any other politician’s approval rating. I’ve seen polls say both ways about the war and it’s so damn easy to sway those polls by being selective about which side of the fence that they poll…. Give me a break, you surely can do better than that.
If they want a true representation of the people, then they need to poll each and every adult American, not just a select few.
No I think we are debating who’s been asked to contribute in those lame ass polls, VT!
Yep Terri~ and by each and every, let’s put all our Soldiers in those polls, too,huh?
Exactly CommanderMom. I could easily conduct a poll that would show Bush’s rating was near 100% if I wished. But really, how do we know that they didn’t just poll registered Democrats? We don’t, so therefore, I don’t put a lot of faith in their polls. Show me true representation of the American public by polling each and every adult and I could believe those results. Until then, they’re too easily manipulated to suit their agenda.
They should have the LOUDEST say!!
Yes they certainly should, because they’re the ones with their butts out there in Harms Way.
Yep…
Lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way!
How about the poll that was taken last November where the Republicans lost both houses of Congress? And, BTW, the military participated in that poll.
Truly amazing that there are folks out there who are in such denial of BushCo approval ratings. Hello? Earth to ASM?
Well, I think my blood pressure has come down a bit, now. Heheh So…so glad to hear 19 days! (will that be R&R, or?)
Truly amazing, that some can’t figure, we don’t care about approval ratings! Hello?
Polls don’t mean squat, VT, unless every single American is asked!
CM,
The entire theoretical basis behind polls is the sheer impossibility of asking every American what his or her position is on a subject. That is why polls are conducted!
Thank you VT~and that is exactly why, in my opinion, they’re hogwash.
And besides, out of the peoples polled, what are their experiences in running a country, fighting in a war, etc?
CM,
Last I knew, one did not have to be a military historian or servicemember to conduct a poll concerning the opinions of the American public.
Regardless, to deny that the approval rating of BushCo is, shall we say, in the toilet, is to deny reality.
Yes VT, war is ugly, and no one knows that better, than all those who have fought. Did you listen to the above video? Those are the voices I hear and trust.
This is an incredibly powerful video - if anyone can listen to that and not be moved, they have no heart.
All of the troops I know, say the same thing. We’re willing to let them defend us, but not willing to listen to them - how sad.
I never said, VT, you had to be a Military historian or servicemember to conduct a poll. Anyone can do that, as well as anyone can contribute to any poll, so what are their experiences, again?
You have a good day, now. And regardless, please remember to thank a vet. And thank you for your pro-bono services, you offer them. I am sure it is very much appreciated.
b/c VT. I believe they do not serve at your pleasure, they serve for your pleasures. The ones you get to enjoy everyday.
Listen to them, VT! Listen to the majority, of them. It’s the least you can do.
Sorry Terri and Anthony, am a little extra fired up, here, last couple days. I just can’t stand, that our soldiers are all out there(in many places)and this is all going on here, at home. It is dispicable!
Wow, Vic’s speech was very eloquent. How many times did he say “Let me do my job”? At least 3 or 4. That says something. The Ranger wants to finish the mission.
MG was pretty darn eloquent too (I may be a little biased on that though LOL).
Sharon~how can this be any clearer? These are BOOTS ON THE GROUND. Men that are there. NOT politicians. These men are saying they want to finish the mission and NOT come home. Why can’t you support what THEY are asking you to? I’m curious.
Tracy:
1) $400 plus billion and rising;
2) over 3,000 dead US soldiers and many more thousands wounded
3) countless tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of dead Iraqi civilians
4) fervent anti-Americanism because of an open-ended occupation of an Arab land
5) an administration (BushCo) that cannot be trusted anymore
6) misrepresentations coming even from the military (e.g., Tillman and Lynch)
7) it’s over and time to come home.
Quite frankly Sharon/Richard/CriticalFacts, there isn’t a politician out there that can be trusted.
Little Ms. Lynch had plenty to do with misrepresentations in her case. I’ve talked to someone who was there, through the entire course of events.
Re Lynch,
What did she misrepresent?
According to the person I know who was one of the hostages, she didn’t bother telling anyone that what was said by the media was not true until much, much later… after the fact. He was there, so he’s much more aware of the facts that the media. Not correcting fasle information is just as bad as giving false information yourself.
OH Sharon, CF, Richard. Get your facts straight will you?? My goodness!! (Just using your tone hon. Hope you like it.) It would seem you have quite the debacle here wouldn’t it? You are clueless and trying to actually argue with the very people you claim to be “defending”?? I happen to agree with Brat and have told you many many times that the people around here are all well aware of the current position of your head relative to your butt. See, I do have my facts straight!!
As for your stupid polls. It so happens that I have been polled. And I can tell you from experience that the polls are skewed. The questions are asked in such a way as to elicit only one type of response which will put the President and the War in a very bad light. They are multiple choice questions and the choices do not reflect any answer that would reflect a positive position in any way. Answers that went against every thing that I know to be true from my Soldiers. The men and women who are on Active Duty and are in Iraq RIGHT NOW. So when you say that they were polled, or I was polled that is a load of crap. Because if I am not allowed to give MY answer to the questions then MY OPINION IS NOT being counted now is it??
So you can sit there and claim all you want about the polls, you are the one that is living in a fantasy world not any of us. You can sit in your little Clintonian glass house and throw all the stones you want. But when the people who they DIDN’T poll start speaking out and fighting back you you better hope your glass is shatter proof bubba.
The military is increasingly getting fed up with the likes of you and Harry Reid and Nancy and all the other two faced idiots in our government and population. They are tired of putting their butts on the line for people who treat them with such disrespect. What are you going to do Richard when they say, ok, I’m not laying down my life for you. What then?? You really need to get your head out of your butt Richard. Get the crap out of your ears and start learning about the realities you have closed yourself off to so that you could hide in your pathetic little microcosm out there with all the other nuts.
“Not correcting false information is just as bad as giving false information yourself.”
It’s called lying through omission, Terri. Something the current commander-in-chief and, in particular, the vice president, are extremely adept.
Oh I’m very well aware of what lying by omission is Sharon/CF/
Richard…. any other names you’re using? As with every single politician in office, huh? Let’s see… how many lies has Bill and Hillary told, or Teddy Kennedy, or John Kerry…. and on and on.
Kinda like you, misrepresenting who you are here and on ASP. Do you even know what your name is anymore?
Now that it is late in the day and I have had enuff coffee.;) sad to see that VTSharon or whoever that is, has obviously not seen a proctologist yet….BUT..as for polls? I happen to know a little about polls and how they are conducted, from both an academic and practical perspective.
Let’s conduct one right here in ASM. One polling question only.
Question:
Do you want the troops home?
Careful now VT whatever….yes or no?
I can guarantee you that EVERY person in this site given that question would say YES…who wouldnt….BUT..if we arrive at a 100% polled say they want the troops home? That is a false reading - it allows for absolutely NO variables.
Polling questions are formulated and researched by highly priced hacks, who very carefully craft the question to get the answers they NEED to make their points. Ask yourself for ANY poll, who paid for it? THEN study the question. And yes - statistics ARE manipulated. Honest ;) We here could ALL read the same set of statistics (even the ones that say VT is a moron) and we could get many different interpretations…
Sorry folks….polls can be, aand are manipulated to support a specific point of view..MOST of us here know this….a minority seems not to graps this simple concept…
I could go on - I COULD quote you numerous studies…BUT I’ll just suggest that after the proctologist, VT etc etc..go about their OWN business and let our troops (100% of whom, if polled would also say “YES I would like to go home”….but but..)thank GOD America is not full of dim lightbulbs like Sharon…
Oh and before you even start VT etc I am NOT American, and I DO have some distance, (in many ways) from the crap you spew…AND YES I stand with the troops.
NEXT!!!
Well said brat, well said. Maybe we should take this poll….
Should VTSharon/CriticalFacts/Richard, etc etc, see a protologist soon? Hmmmmmmm we might have one or two that would say no, but I bet the majority would say yes!
Ok Sharon you gave me your reasons why you don’t support the war in comment #49.
I do still wonder though, does what the boots on the ground say mean anything to you? Does it factor in to your opinion at all? Because it really should. That’s all I’m going to say.
Amen…
Man, this guy named Sharon creeps me out. Why do we even give him a forum for his lies by commenting on his hate-filled crap?
You and me both Sylvia, you and me both. You’ve also got a very valid point. I think sometimes though that Sharon/Richard/CriticalFacts, or whatever he/she/they/it is calling themselves these days, says such irrational stuff that those of us that truly know what it means to support and stand behind our troops, just feel the need to attempt to talk some sense into him/her…. whatever. Ya know?
Recently an American Soldier had an exchange of conversation with one of his local interpreters in theater. The exchange was a long one. I would like to share a part of it with you (in my words and not quoting).
Interpreter - My mullah tells me everything I need to know about my religion and what the Koran says. I do not need to read the Koran.
Soldier - But what “IF” the mullah has misinterpreted something in the Koran. After all he is only human and it is not uncommon for any human to make a mistake. Do all mullahs interpret every part of the Koran the same way?
Interpreter - (according to the Soldier thinks on this for quite some time before his reply) You have a good point sir. No one would ever think to question any mullah. That is not allowed.
Soldier - Not allowed? What do you mean by “not allowed”?
Interpreter - If one questions what the mullah says then one might be thought of as questioning our religion. You could be punished or imprisioned or killed.
Soldier - So you are telling me that if you were to read the Koran. And if you were to either disagree with the mullah’s interpretation or to have a question that might seem “against” islam that you would be, in the least, punished?
Interpreter - Yes. We do not ever question what the mullah tells us. It could cause great danger or worse to us and our families.
So……….to the “Sharons” of this world - are you prepared for the generations to come in our nation and the rest of the world to live under these conditions and rules? To live in fear if you do not agree with a leader who was put in that leadership position without your input? Are you prepared to give up all of the freedoms on which this great nation was founded? There are so many more reasons for our presence in Iraq and Afghanistan than the reasons those who DO NOT SUPPORT our troops care to discuss or to face.
I will NOT get in to an exchange with “Sharon”. He/she simply comes to these blogs to incite and I will not fall in to that trap. While I am, most definitely, an absolute proponent of Freedom of Speech (that our military so diligently and selflessly fights for us to maintain) I believe we must be stewards of each of our freedoms. Anthony/Terri - this is YOUR blog. This blog provides great news, important news, necessary calls for support and encouragement from time to time.
It is my opinion that the sooner more blogs block the “Sharons” of the blogosphere the better. And before Sharon even replies let me state - differences of opinion and exchange of dialogue are necessary, important, healthy and ABSOLUTELY one of the tenets upon which this nation was formed and has thrived. Inciting ill will, spewing anger and purposefully attempting to provoke in a negative way serve no useful purpose.
Our military needs us now more than ever. Those of you, other than “Sharon” know that. They read these blogs. Their eyes are not shut to the “Sharons” of the world but do they REALLY need to have to read his/her comments to get to those that encourage, uplift and support them?
I am PROUD to stand with Anthony, Terri, Tracey, Brat , CommanderMom and so many others like them. I couldn’t agree more with Sylvia J when she asks why we continue to allow the “Sharons” to have a forum for their poison.
I appreciate you, Anthony and Terri, for your time and diligence in both maintaining this blog as well as for Anthony’s choosing to serve this great nation and Terri’s unending support of our military.
Thank you so much Leta for your kind words. Our hope is that somehow with the information we provide here from the “boots on the ground” that maybe someday the “Sharons” of the world will think long and hard about their blind alliegance to what the media says as well as those in political power. Unfortunately, too many times those lawmakers DON’T have the best interest of the American people at heart, but are instead making decisions that affect us, based on party lines, anger, hatred and the almighty dollar. Sadly that occurs more often than not in this country.
Hopefully one day soon, the “Sharons” of this country will one day open their ears and eyes, and look and listen to what the real people in the know (the boots on the ground) have to say. They’re over there, day in and day out, working with the Iraqi people, seeing the Iraqi people tire of the insurgents endangering their very lives and standing up for their rights as free citizens of Iraq. They’re cooperating with the Iraqi Army, Iraqi Police and the Coalition Forces, because they are tired, tired of the constant fear and want a better lives for themselves.
But I’m not going to hold my breath on that hope. I’ll just continue to get the real information out there, the information that more often than not, the media refuses to tell their viewers about.
“Inciting ill will, spewing anger and purposefully attempting to provoke in a negative way serve no useful purpose.”
Assuming this was directed at me (and not Karl Rove), Leta, might you be so kind to point out where I have run afoul of your self-imposed standard of blog etiquette?
You do that constantly Sharon/CriticalFacts/Richard. You’ve consistently attacked some of our readers for their opinions, inferring that they are idiots, spewed angry and hateful garbage about our troops, their Commander in Chief and their mission and went out of your way to attempt to provoke our readers into an argument. All one needs to do is look at the majority of your comments on any given post and that’s very evident.
Your threshhold for incitement, anger and hate is, apparently, quite low. And attack? I prefer the term debate, and I am rarely challenged in debate at ASM.
Just see the thread above. When the going gets tough, I am insulted, sweared at and otherwise relagated to the idiot heap. These are tactics that I find counterproductive yet, they are alive and well on many sites when substantive response is not at one’s fingertips.
Indeed, rarely do neocon hawks respond substantively to comments if (a) independent thought might be required in the process or (b) the answer might go against administration talking points.
You’re hardly one to talk about insulting people. For some reason, Sue tends to be the object of most of your insults, both here and at ASP. I’ve still not figured out why you constantly single her out. You’ve yet to provide any substantiative or relevant information for your claims, citing instead things from the media and skewed polls.
I myself could care less about adminstrative talking points. My thoughts and feelings have nothing to do with politics and all about what I hear from the “boots on the ground.” Your hatred towards the Bush administrations comes through on most all of your reponses to any post, regardless of the subject and you allow that to color everything you say, regardless of the information that is provided.
Oh, are you referring to the “Sue” who generally has little of substance to say other than I have my head up my rear?
Quite honestly her posts consist of much more substance than yours generally do and she’s pretty much right on target about where your head is sometimes placed.
As a very thankful guest here, I would like again, to thank Terri and Anthony for this informative, truthful and supportive site. You are both very gracious hosts, and I can guarantee you would NOT get that same kind of nice hospitality if you go and try to speak out and support troops, on “those other kinds of sites”.(lib. or whatever they are.)
You’re so very right CommanderMom. We’ve both attempted in the past and got nothing but hatred, ridicule and downright filthy responses.
War is only lost when one side or the other says it is lost (ie, loses the will) or when one side is so decimated that it can no longer sustain the fight.
Literally, the 300 Spartans at Thermopylea.
Our forces are certainly not so beaten or decimated by the enemy that it cannot sustain battle. To imagine that is, in fact, delusional.
In reality, the Democrat position is not one of morality. In essence, while they may posture as the “moral” who have suddenly been beaned on the head with knowledge they did not have when they voted to go to war, what they have actually decided is to follow the principle of “tribute” or “ransom” as more cost effective than that of war.
There is nothing “moral” about that stance. What is really interesting is that people like Sharon are near on to religious adherents buying into the illusion that this is some grand morality.
It is near on to the brain washing that people like Sharon claim people such as Anthony or me even are subject to.
Let me explain succinctly. The Democrat position imagines that:
1) Upon withdrawal, the fighting between the Shia and Sunni in Iraq will thus consume the material and monetary resources of Al Qaeda, Iran and any of the other nations who would be supporting the proxy war.
2) Raproachment with the Iranians. The Democrats assume that the Shia, being a large part of Iraq and having the great resources of Iran behind them, will be the de facto winners. Or, at least, control the parts of Iraq that are most important to our national security: oil fields. (this is where all morality really goes out the window) Of course, this is also why they insist that they will protect the Kurdish north. Not because they are our best friends in the region (they are, but that is not enough to save anyone), but because they have the largest oil fields in Iraq, thus, are an imperative part of our national security interest.
National security interests in the region have always been about resources and how those resources, or lack thereof, can devestate the US and many other nations around the globe. The second national security interest, of course, is the rise of Islamist terrorists and the support they receive from the region, either as sub-nationals via private donations or through government support. Both of which they get.
In doing so, they believe they will solve two problems at once: destruction or minimalization of al Qaeda in Iraq without loss of US blood (though, certainly with our treasure as we will suppport a number of groups) and access to the resources.
As noted, there is nothing moral in this stance because it will result in the death of many Iraqis in the stepped up “civil war” (proxy war). When I say “many” we are talking about 4 to 5 times as many as have been killed in the intervening years of the war, most likely in a much more compressed time period.
The Iraqis blood is much cheaper and expendable than ours.
It is very likely that the result will be the partition of Iraq into three states, one in the west (al Anbar) that will certainly include elements of the Islamic State of Iraq (AQ) from whence these forces can organize and attack any number of targets. And, to be clear, they do not have to attack us on the homeland to make us suffer. We should be reminded of the USS Cole, previous attacks on shipping and oil refineries in the area. It is always important to read your enemy’s manifestos since they usually tell you exactly how they plan to destroy you. In this case, they are planning a type of warfare that is similar to Sherman’s march to the sea: ie, no attack our forces directly, simply destory our resources and any ability to access them.
3) With a Shia block from Iran to Syria, it will offset or, at least, put pressure on the Sunni led regimes in the south (such as KSA and the gulf regions). This will place the tension between the Shia and the Sunni, hopefully (and this is a big hope) turning AQ and other Islamist attention from the “far enemy” to someone much closer (ie, Iran).
We will play the part we have always played in the region, supporting both sides with money, materials, arms and intelligence. A return, as it were, to Cold War tactics.
I mentioned that this is a strategy that is willing to pay “tribute” or “ransom”. That will come in the money that will increase significantly as “aid” to such countries as Egypt, Jordan and probably even Iraq. It will also come at the expense of our gas pumps, heating, food, clothes and technology as all of it is dependent on oil. Oil prices will rise and so will the cost of all other things.
Part of this is that this will strengthen the hand of the Iranian regime, hardly a bastion of freedom, through political and monetary power (since the all out civil war in Iraq will cause serious instability and a significant rise in oil prices from the region; if you don’t believe me, see what happened yesterday to oil prices when the Saudis announced capturing 172 members of an AQ affiliate inside their nation planning on attacking their oil refinery).
These are just a few of the political and physical realities that will ensue upon the implementation of the Democrat plan. There is nothing moral in such concepts, just plain old political calculation that it is cheaper to pay in diplomacy and gold than it is in American blood.
The blatherings of people such as Sharon remind me of the people who claim to have seen the Virgin Mary in a piece of toast and proceed to crawl a mile on their knees to show their piousness when, all along, it was only a piece of toast.
Thank you kat for your informative comment. I think you’ve hit the nail on the proverbial head.
I would gladly listen to Sue and anything she had to say, any day!
Sorry was little late there..but couldn’t get my comment to post! Hey did you guys pull the plug on me? hehe
I’m not sure what was going on. I think Anthony was probably trying out new plug-ins, because I wasn’t able to post any comments either. I called and left a message on his answering machine (because he doesn’t ever answer his damn phone) and told him the blog was broke. LOL!
Speaking of blogs that are broke… I think CJ might have broke ASP too.
oh k~(was kidding, but hey I wouldn’t blame you guys if ya did! :) heheh)pull the plug, I mean.
And also, I had noticed you guys don’t have a donate button? I have no idea what it costs you guys to stay up and running, but was wanting to make a lil’ donation to help. How can I do that?
ASP, too? That’s wierd.
Well, my little natives here, are getting restless so, gonna go for now, I will check back in re; to my ?. Or feel free to e-mail. You guys have that info, right? have a great afternoon, all!
CommanderMom let me get with Anthony about that. We had one up when we were running our raffle but he took it down.
Ahhh, Kat-M, might you provide us with a citation to where you downloaded your information about the Democratic plan?
The Democratic plan is “cut and run,” or as they have posted all over the internet…. no plan but “bring the troops home.”
Sharon might not want to get into an argument concerning political approval ratings. According to the Rasmussen website, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are also in the 40% range.
Thank you, come again.
Thanks for stopping by Jon and you’re so right. I wouldn’t give Sharon’s right toe for either of them. LOL!
Jon,
Actually, 40% approval rating for any member of Congress is quite high these days! Care to try again?
Terri,
I thought you didn’t believe in polls! Or is it just the polls with which you disagree? I believe that’s a “gotcha.”
And you’re making a big deal if Bush’s is in the 30’s? Give me a break Richard! I didn’t say a damn thing about the stupid polls at all Richard/haron/CF, so gotcha right back. All I said is that I wouldn’t give your right toe for either of them and THAT has nothing to do with what a poll says, that’s my personal opinion based on their actions. Jon is right about the fact that you might not want to get into a discussion about approval ratings. They’re pretty damn worhless.
Oh. So are you saying you disagree with the poll results reported by Jon? Tough to have it both ways, Terri, kinda like having your cake and eating it to.
Regardless, what Jon fails to report is that the same polls indicated congressional approval rating last November to be near Cheney’s 9%, essentially in the toilet. In other words, if Pelosi and Reid now are in the 40% range, then they are moving upward in the polls rapidly, which is what one should expect given the popularity of their positions among the American Public.
I don’t hold faith in any poll because each and every one of them are too easily skewed. I’ve said all along that I don’t put much faith in polls and you’re well aware of that, unless of course you’re operating with a faulty memory. My belief in polls is unlikely to change just because you wish to attempt my words around to suit your twisted ideas. Run back over to OneUtah and play wi