Comments Posted By Drongo
Displaying 161 To 170 Of 246 Comments
"It’s unpopular now, so join the majority."
Of all the things that one could say with regard to Mr Moran, this seems about as far from the truth as you can get. It should be pretty obvious that the concerns of the majority do not drive his opinions except insofar as they are a factor in his reasoning.
What are you supposed to do when an honest assesment of the situation makes you realise that you need to revise your opinion? Carry on pretending that is isn't so?
Comment Posted By Drongo On 1.05.2007 @ 04:04
"Saddam was a potential threat"
Honestly? What were you expecting him to do?
"that the reasons for going into Iraq were basically sound"
Even knowing what you now know about the gross ignorance regarding such things as the ethnic makeup of the country, the inevitability of insurgency, the influence of Iran on sources used to promote the war and on those who would be our chief hopes, and even basic strategic understanding of the region?
OK, I suppose it is a judgment call. I see it primarily as a huge strategic mistake.
"and that deposing the murderous tyrant was a good and moral thing to do."
Certainly this is true in spades.
"so much for my new found friends on the left, eh?"
I find it bizarre that political groupings based primarily on economic and social issues are what divides people over this issue. Over here (the UK) it isn't so simple. I imagine that if the conservatives (right wing-ish) had started the war then the left would be all hell-for-self-righteous-leather in the "Evil rightwingers" camp, but it was the left-leaning Labour party who went for it.
It strikes me that the division doesn't work on a "right-v-left" view of the world. It seems more that it is a contest between people who try to look carefully at the world and draw conclusions and those who draw conclusions and then look at the world to suit them.
Still, maybe that is just self-serving.
Anyway, I for one think that your writing is excellent, and only really commented because I thought that you were ignoring the reality of politics in Iraq in your conclusions.
Comment Posted By Drongo On 30.04.2007 @ 10:32
"My point about dealing with the Democrats is simple common sense. If we are going to stay in Iraq with the numbers of troops necessary to help train the Iraqi army, kill al-Qaeda, and protect the Sunnis, the Democrats are going to have to be aboard so that the political will for such a mission can coalesce and form around both Congressional and White House leadership. For this to happen, Bush will have to make the first move. I’m not expecting much even if Bush were to wear sackcloth and ashes and knee walk up the Capitol steps. But given the alternative – ultimate Democratic success down the road in pushing arbitrary timetables for a withdrawal of the bulk of our troops – what has the President got to lose?"
1) The Democrats aren't exactly pushing for immediate unconditional withdrawl, are they? As was the talking point a few months ago about the "Slow Bleed", they advocate a large contingent of US troops in training roles, a large contingent for force protection and special forces (and whatever is deemed necessary) to go after Al-Q in country.
Of course, that doesn't deal with the (tediously repetitive) fact that they are staying, fighting and dying for a fundamentalist Islamist, murderous, corrupt bunch of anti-Americans.
2) Bush is never going to compromise with the democrats. To get some idea of why not, try out this simple experiment. Given the complete mess that this war has been, given the obvious clues that it was going to be a mess from the start, the rising power of Iran, the weakening of the US, the money and blood spent, the massive civilian casualties, etc,etc, can you admit that the invasion was the wrong thing to do? Can you simply say
"The US would be in a better position if after forcing Saddam to full disclosure of his WMD position, we had packed up our kit bags and gone home"
Or, to put it more simply;
"The invasion was a mistake"
Bush would regard compromise as equivalent to saying that. Like I say, no chance whatsoever.
Comment Posted By Drongo On 30.04.2007 @ 04:20
TIME IS NOW THE BIGGEST ENEMY IN IRAQ
"If the American government was serious about achieving victory in Iraq then they would stop this nonsense and call up the reserves, mobilize all the national guard units, shift units from other overseas bases like Japan, Korea, Italy, and Germany, and do whatever else is required to bring the troop levels of all the armed forces up to the level needed to sustain 500,000 troops in Iraq. Personally, I am all for mandatory military service for all us citizens upon reaching the age of 19.
The second thing that has to happen is to close the “occupation administration†in Iraq and give General Patraeus full authority over the reconstruction so that the military/political/civil administration authorities are speaking with one voice. General Eisenhower made this ability to speak with one voice a condition of his accepting the role of supreme commander in Europe during WWII.
The third thing that has to happen is to force Syria and Iran to stop arming our enemies, and to stop sending their agents into Iraq to carry out armed operations against our troops, even if this means going to war with them. We are already at war with them since they are murdering our troops. Just make the war official. I can guarantee you that the cowards in Syria and Iran will back down if faced with a WWII style war.
This is the plan that leads to victory."
Nice plan. Pull all your strategic forces out of the world, ensuring a free hand to anyone who wants one, impose the draft, sieze formal control of Iraq and make it a colony (in essense), and start two more wars with Muslim nations that you cannot in any meaningful sense win without killing vast swathes of the populations.
Genius. That'll work.
*shakes head*
Comment Posted By Drongo On 30.04.2007 @ 04:41
"Recently translated Iraqi documents prove there was some operational coordination or acknowledgement between al Qaeda that was in Iraq before the war and Saddam’s regime"
I'd be interested to see these documents. Are they posted online anywhere?
Comment Posted By Drongo On 29.04.2007 @ 15:12
Rick,
Welcome to the cheap seats. Not that you agree with me entirely obviously (What to do about things over there is a very complex and probably unanswerable question with any degree of certainty) but at least we are both seeing the same reality.
Comment Posted By Drongo On 29.04.2007 @ 09:21
"Much will depend on the actions of Prime Minister Maliki and his government. How committed are they to a truly multi-sectarian, multi-ethnic Iraq? Can they resist the influence of Iranian backed militias and political parties? Will the Shias ever agree to share power with the Sunnis?"
To which the answers are, and always were going to be;
1) Not at all, they want a Shia dominated country with themselves permanently in charge.
2) No because they *are* the Iranian backed militias and political parties.
3) No they won't because they hate them as past oppressors, the Kurds will not give up their dream of independence and the Sunni will not give up on their view of the US backed Shia government as a bunch of collaborating puppet traitors.
and, of course, the obvious PS.
PS) Mr Malaki can barely get a quorum in his fake parliament (which is generally despised by those he should be leading), is seeing his paper thin support melt away daily, and doesn't even seem to be being consulted in major security decisions about his capital city, so clearly has the influence of a sick duck, albeit a fundamentalist Islamist, Iranian backed, corrupt, murderous sick duck.
But no, these aren't the problems. The problem is a lack of WILL on the part of Democrats. If only there were more faith that these problems could be overcome (presumably by hoping really, really hard) and all could work out well. If they'd just shut up and let the President get on with it in his own way then victory will be just around the corner....
Comment Posted By Drongo On 26.04.2007 @ 08:52
A TEXTBOOK EXAMPLE OF MEDIA BIAS
"SCIRI? It is the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq? Why in the hell are we dying for Islamic revolutionaries?"
I'm glad it isn't just me saying that anymore...
Comment Posted By Drongo On 20.04.2007 @ 16:58
REID AND THE DEMS: COWARDLY, IMMORAL JELLYFISH
"How is it that the best equipped, most educated, most highly trained and most professional fighting force in the history of mankind can be losing to a ragtag bunch with almost no command an control structure armed with primative roadside bombs. "
Because you're not very good at it and because it is very, very difficult.
"I hope we again have to fight an all out balls-to-the-wall war."
You'd kick anyone in the world's arse unless it all went nuclear in which case you'll still kick their arse, they'll just kick yours right back.
Fighting a war is simply not the same as occupying a country.
Comment Posted By Drongo On 24.04.2007 @ 08:32
AN ANSWER TO D'SOUZA'S "WHERE IS ATHEISM?" QUESTION
*wild applause*
Excellently said.
Comment Posted By Drongo On 19.04.2007 @ 16:58
