Comments Posted By ed
Displaying 51 To 60 Of 205 Comments
REID AND THE DEMS: COWARDLY, IMMORAL JELLYFISH
You critcize Democrats for wanting to leave Iraq before the job is done. If the U.S. stays in Iraq, how do we know when the job is done? What are the benchmarks for victory? What we have heard consistently from the White House for answers to these questions is: "When the Iraqis stand up, we'll stand down" and "victory is a democratic Iraq."
These answers are too vague. If you cannot clearly define a win, then by definition you cannot win. In War War II, the answer to what would constitute victory over the Axis powers was their unconditional surrender. What specifically, that is concretely definable and attainable, is victory in Iraq? Without this answer, you can surge all you want but you cannot win. And if you cannot win, that leaves only one option.
The little caveat that Iraqi government is the key to whether our military succeeds is incredibly disingenuous. Could you imagine General Patton crossing the Rhine, but saying that he can only win if the German government cooperates with his invasion? Armies bust things and kill people until the other side stops fighting. If the answer is indeed political, then why are we trying to gain a military victory? President Bush started out with a hammer and still insists Iraq is a nail that just needs hammered a little harder. Iraq hasn't been the nail he supposed for over three years, but he still tries to hammer away. Harry Reid is pointing out that the Emperor has no clothes. If thats unpatriotic, count me as unpatriotic as well.
I await anyone's specific definition of victory in Iraq.
Comment Posted By ed On 20.04.2007 @ 12:44
NEW CABINET LEVEL DEPARTMENTS CONTEMPLATED BY DEMS
Federal spending expanded 12% under Reagan (1981-86), 25% under LBJ (1964-1969) and 36%under Bush Lite (2001-2006). And remember, LBJ was fighting a shooting war and creating/expanding programs for the war on poverty at the same time. Yep, its those Democrats that love large government!
Hell, EVERYBODY loves government money, they just want it spent on THEIR concerns. Democrats are easy to mock, but you missed the boat with this try.
Comment Posted By ed On 16.04.2007 @ 11:47
NANCY PELOSI, PEACEMAKER OR KLUTZ?
Whhoooeee! Them thar Demmicrats shore are stoopid. They want Amerikee to be beat by them thar terror boys because, well, I ain't shore how's come they want to surrender, but that is what they is a doin! Thank God fur President Bush, otherwise Saddam would be a goosesteppin down Constitution Avenoo in Warshington right now and a droppin newks on Alabamer. You tell em, boys! That thar Nancy Pewloosy is dummer than a rock! She hates Amerikee like all them thar libruls doo. And boy howdy, I shore am glad Preident Bush admidded that he has the power to start wars without no stinkin Congress. Newk Iran, thats what we need. Yaahhoooo! (Satire off)
Comment Posted By ed On 5.04.2007 @ 12:34
OF DOGWOODS, AZALEAS, AND THE BABES OF SPRING
Please write often about baseball, Rick. Your eloquence is needed. This beautiful sport, as you so accurately write, simply cannot be destroyed. Not by the major league players and their "union", sports agents (although Scot Boros tries diligently), television, corporate team owners, shoe companies or other modern evils.
My favorite baseball memories are from 1987. I was a graduate student in Utah and each summer the Salt Lake Trappers were my team. They played in the Pioneer League, a rookie league filled with just out of Legion ball kids with big league dreams. The Trappers were not affiliated with any major league team, so these kids just wanted a shot and would do anything for even the remote chance offered by this team.
The little stadium nestled in the shadows of the Wasatch mountains was beautiful. It smelled like baseball, the brisk fragrances of horsehide, dust, grass and sweat filling the air. Oh, I don't remember any of the players and that just doesn't matter. I remember beautifully executed double plays and home runs and I remember many botched plays by these young men. No one remembering to cover home during a rundown, balks aplenty and seriously misjudged fly balls.
But it was great baseball. The 1987 Trappers still hold the professional baseball record of 29 straight wins! Such excitement with that streak!! The Yankee fans of '41 could not have been more excited over DiMaggio's consecutive hits streak. My son was in elementary school and we loved to take about strategy and why baseball wasn't as fast as Nintendo but was far more difficult and far more important. He shook hands with the Famous Chicken and with team part-owner Bill Murray, who walked through the crowd teasing and shaking hands. My son remembers the Chicken and the game excitement but alas, does not remember meeting Bill Murray.
This great game, so American and both intellectual and physical, may not be the only game on the national radar anymore, but it matters in a way that is connected to the soul of America. Anyone can play baseball. Only a few can be great at baseball. And that is what America offers to everyone. A chance to play, a chance to be great at what you choose to do, regardless of your heritage, income level, or connection to power. Play ball!
Comment Posted By ed On 3.04.2007 @ 19:00
SHIAS RAMPAGE IN IRAQ: IDIOTS RAMPAGE ON THE LEFT
Why is it our job to "improve the situation in Iraq?" I thought Colin Powell's Pottery Barn idea (you break it, you buy it) was discredited a long time ago when Mr. Powell was thrown under the bus.
If Iraq falls back under a dictatorship, how exactly does that make things worse in the region than they already are?
Will Iran instantly become a model citizen in the world's nations? I don't think so.
Will Iran stop work on nuclear weapons? I don't think so.
Will Saudi Arabia be so frightened, they become democratic and start giving oil away? I don't think so.
Will the Palestinians suddenly make peace with Israel? I don't think so.
Will Arab extremists suddenly find terrorism a bad strategy against the West? I don't think so.
Have all terrorists bent on attacking the United States been and will continue to be tied up in Iraq? Given that the 9/11 terrorism was carried out with a few hundred thousand dollars and a few dozen men, I don't think so.
The cataclysms envisioned by the few Iraq war backers left have little basis in reality. Wolf has been cried a little too often.
Of course some very bad things will happen in the Middle East when we leave Iraq. Very bad things are happening while we are IN Iraq. Very bad things happened in the Middle East BEFORE we went to Iraq. The United States did not start the warring factions in the Middle East and despite decades of effort and numerous peace accords, have not stopped major activities of warring factions in the Middle East.
If we want to be held hostage to the notion of sustaining an active military conflict until the Middle East makes nice with each other and the rest of the world, you have more stomach for stupidity than most sane people do.
Comment Posted By ed On 30.03.2007 @ 13:23
BRITS YAWN AS IRAN DECLARES WAR
Bush hater! A synonym for "I don't have a real argument to present, so I will call you names."
We pick up some people who enter our territory and hold them. Would you see this as a declaration of war against, say, Mexico?
And FYI, I am a Bush sympathizer. You have to have sympathy for anyone with this large of a historical feces stain on their presidential legacy.
Comment Posted By ed On 28.03.2007 @ 15:37
ASTONISHING CYNICISM SHOWN BY THE DEMOCRATS
I agree completely about the gutlessness of the Democrats. Defund the war or sit down and shut up. I do struggle with this aspect of your writing:
"And the certainly can’t claim to be promoting peace in Iraq – not when anyone with half a brain knows the consequences of our withdrawal before the Iraqi government and security forces are prepared to defend the streets against the brutal thugs and terrorists who bedevil the country today."
If the United States military cannot control the thugs in Iraq after four years of trying, how on Earth will the Iraqi government accomplish this task? This is not some wisecrack, I really do not see an answer to this question. The administration always calls for "more training" of Iraqi forces. After this many years, no rational person could still think the problem is a training issue.
Just as I said "defund the war or sit down and shut up" to Democrats, let's also say, "make Iraq work or go home" to the Republicans.
Our American military will never be defeated on the battlefields of Iraq. There can be no winners in the political blame game, however. Our poor planning and execution in Iraq is a political failure of both Congress and the White House, both Democrats and Republicans.
Comment Posted By ed On 28.03.2007 @ 13:07
SEAN PENN CHANNELS MONTY PYTHON
Is it that too much money for too little real work has a negative impact on mental health? That's my guess regarding Hollywood. Bush has made some dandy mistakes, but America's most devastating enemy? Get real.
Comment Posted By ed On 27.03.2007 @ 12:02
ARE WE DAYS AWAY FROM WAR WITH IRAN?
MarkJ:
You said:
"Gee, last time I checked, we haven’t had a terrorist attack since, oh say, 11 September 2001"We have had the same number of terrorist attacks on American soil under President Bush as we did under President Clinton. One. So I can only assume you see both leaders as strong and successful against terrorism in the United States?
Comment Posted By ed On 26.03.2007 @ 12:03
THE TRIUMPH OF HATE OVER PRINCIPLE
Absolute drivel. I have read Rick's blog for a long time to get his informed and articulate insight from the conservative side. This post I can find on any randomly chosen right wing blog. You are better than simply parroting the right wing echo chamber noises. Gone back to listening to Rush, have we?
Comment Posted By ed On 23.03.2007 @ 15:50
