Ok this isnt going tobe an antiamerican bashing thread, just an honest discussion about the war in iraq. My question was it worth it? Was it worth all the treasure spent and all the lives wasted on both the iraqi and american side? President bush was quoted as saying what he knows now about everything from no wmds to no connection to 911, he would still invade iraq. I just don't understand the side of america that would justify the war. It just doesnt seem it was worth it. Nothing has been gained. And alot has been lost.
In hindsite,no it was not worth it. we have opened a hornets nest and now we cant figure out how to get them back in the nest. i suspect if bush could get a saddam2 to impose the stability we had before the war he would welcome it.
While I voted no, I think long term is still to be determined. Short term, it's a mess of major proportion. Poorly administered from the very start. Seems like every political and tactical error that could be made has been made. The Iraqi people themselves aren't helping themselves either. Plenty of blame to go around and I'd imagine OSB is laughing his ass off somewhere in the mountains.
But you cant really blame the people. You have people trying to help. But what do you say, if the police the people who are suppose to help, are even too afraid to show their faces. When they go to work, they have to wear masks, hiding their faces, and take alternative routes to home, so the gunmen dont follow them home. If the police are too afraid to show their faces, how do you expect a common person to take a stand. Its like if you lived compton, and you decide to rat out one of the gangs like the crips or bloods. If you put in that perspective and put it nationwide in iraq, you can understand why people are too afraid to rat out insurgents.
thats the problem right, how do you put humpy dumpy back together again. But I take a lesson learned from trading. Learn from your mistakes so you dont make them again. But you have everybody in the republican wing saying that what they know now they would do it all over again. It doesn't make sense. Like right now, you have the military saying eventually they have to give amensty to all of the insurgents. In the end even if iraq gets some sort of peace, the people who killed americans would be let off scott free. It doesnt seem it was worth it at all, if we are talking about amensty.
thats not true: "There were fresh signs of Republican doubts about the war. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, who holds a seat deemed safe for the GOP, said in a campaign debate Thursday she would have voted against the war had she known ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein possessed no weapons of mass destruction." we have learned from our mistakes. bush couldnt be elected as a dog catcher at this point. in america it takes time to correct our mistakes.
I suppose you have a point to some degree. I'm sure there are many averge Iraqis caught in the middle, but I do see far too many dancing in the streets when an American takes a hit. It's a mess anyway you look at it.
While the war in Iraq was a blunder of historic proportions the Iraqis turned out to be even bigger morons than Bush, his administration and rightwing dittoheads. The Iraqis got a once in a millenium chance to turn the hellhole they live in into a modern country. The only superpower on the planet (for all the wrong reasons) came to their rescue with all its good will and vast military/financial resources. They had a unique opportunity to get rid of their dictator without spilling a drop of their own blood, build a democratic and prosperous society, get modern infrastructure, defense, education, technical and financial assistance, jobs, healthcare - all at the expense of the american taxpayer. If they were not the morons that they are they would all be working for Haliburton (yes Haliburton) and Exxon today, making $2,000-$3,000 monthly, enjoying their freedoms and prosperity, raising their children, traveling the world, electing their government... But they are Arabs and they are muslims, they proved once again what we all have always suspected, they are dumb, ignorant, medieval, militant, religious fanatics and they have no one else to blame but themselves for their miserable lives, their dictators, oppression, tyranny, ignorance, poverty... They deserve every single bit of it.
Excellent Commentary All .................................................................... The fact is that the US public had no choice or say so in the matter.... One should question those who created and paid for the political machine that created the situation... You should start with the US based oil companies and Halliburton principals... Probably 5 to 10% of the decision was about supposed democratic issues...and most likely 90 to 95% of the decision was about OIL... The worst case being that oil prices would rise due to the location of the conflict... The fact that there was no forewarning from individuals who know the oil business well.... about sharply higher prices ....who held the highest offices in the US ...was indeed very telling...
At times I feel the same way that you do and agree with everything you said here, but it's not over yet. There are signs that some groups of Iraqis are starting to do something about it. Last September, tribal leaders from Ramadi set up a force of 20,000 with assistance and supplies from the Iraqi and US governments. Tribal leader Sheik Fassal al-Guood said, "People are fed up with the acts of those criminals who take Islam as a cover for their crimes." The tribal leaders met and agreed to fight the terrorists or insurgents, who are killing Sunni and Shiites, who are mostly foreign fighters, who call themselves Mujahedeen and say they are fighting to "liberate" Iraq. Sounds like these foreign terrorists with a criminal element have moved in to take control of the Iraqi government. I say they won't.