Thursday Reid, D-Nev. made a public announcement that the war is lost. With our leaders proclaiming that the war is lost can it ever truly be won. I have to also ask how will this make our troops feel knowing that the leaders that are suppose to be supporting them have thrown in the towel. Is this the way to lead? Do you quit when you know that your leaders no longer believe in your abilities to effect a positive out come? I find these statments cowardly. If Reid truly feels this way then why is he sending money to continue a fight he says is "Lost". If he believes this then he should stand up an cut off all funds and bring them home now instead if playing both sides and trying to keep his office safe.
I feel that Reid has every right to express this view to the President and other leaders in private but, I don't think he should be demoralizing our troops, their families, friends and loved ones in public. And at the same time telling our enemies congratulations you did it again you beat us. How is a message like this going to be received by our enemies and other countries around the world. People say that we have poor standing in the world today because of this war. I think that our standing will change as a result of this statement by Reid. We won't stand up to you for very long so just do to us what you want. I believe that this will show that as a country we are truly weak and won't make the hard, difficult, sometimes bad choices because when the winds change we can count on leaders like Reid to change with them and try to take the easy safe way.
I know many will jump on this and call me wrong and many other names(his right) but I do believe that this statement has probably been one of the most harmful statements to our troops yet.
Pardon the mistakes and rambling but this is my first article here.
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Comments: 31
Osama knew he couldn't fight us here, but if he could only lure the US into a protracted war in the middle east, he didn't have to. He could kill Amercans with impunity. So under our neo-con president, and Cheney, we're playing into Osama's plan. The American public knows BS when they see it. Osama Bin Laden is still alive, 3200 Soldiers aren't. More than the original casualties on 9/11. Not even counting the Iraqi civilian deaths, or the 20 plus thousand Americans who are permanently screwed up physically, or the emotional carnage that is coming back from that disaster. God.
Do you think a coach that tells the crowd that his team has lost the game is helping them fight harder to win or is he insulting the effort they are putting forward.
In a statement, Reid, D-Nev., responded: "Democrats are continuing to fight to fully fund our troops and give them a strategy for success worthy of their sacrifices.
What a contradiction. How do you fight to help them succeed and then tell them that they've lost. What a hypocrite.
I'm always puzzled why more people have not drawn the parallels between Iraq and Vietnam; the escalation, fighting unseen enemies, the damage to our troops, the terror in the country, staying long after allies pulled out and ultimately losing tens of thousands with no sign of perceived victory at the end.
To say, we have lost in Iraq is really discouraging to our troops and he should not of let his mouth write checks that his butt cant cash.
I've had the honor of working as a contractor with the military and believe me, they will do their duty no matter what. They have resources for counsel and support and they believe in what they are doing.
I don't believe we should pull out all at once as we have a moral responsibility to make sure the Iraqi people are prepared to take on this battle on their own. And there are other ways to fight alQueda. I saw a special on PBS and it was revealed that the mideastern banking people are being targeted and held responsible and threatened with imprisonment for any money dealings they have with bin Laden and his crew. You know, 'cut off the head...'
I'm blabbering now. I don't think anyone thinks you want a never-ending war and they respect you for your opinion.
Peace Out!
Thanks Vickey. I think that people like Reid only seem to see this war in terms of how it gets them elected. Where's Hilary? She's been awfully quiet. LOL Have a great day all.
I never said that he couldn't speak his mind but there is such a thing as TACT. He talks a good game about cutting the funds well DO IT! Quit whining about how you were lied to and misled. CUT THE FUNDING!!!! If he feels that the war is lost . CUT THE FUNDING!!! Quit talking about it. Grow a pair and CUT THE FUNDING!!! Accept the consequences of you actions and CUT THE FUNDING!!! Quit trying to set up a win/win situation.
But Harry and many other don't seem to want to stand up for what they believe the American people want. They want to do what will get them the most milage on the evening news.
Even the strongest like to hear encouragement from their leadership from time to time Tony and I would like to think that even you would understand that concept but I could be wrong. I have full faith in my freinds in the armed services around the world but I'm not going to keep quiet when I feel one of our leaders says something that can hurt their morale. Just because you can say something doesn't always mean you have to say it.
BTW most of the troops I've talked to just turn the news off because it's crap reporting and picks and chooses the "good" bad stories and tells nothing of what they've accomplished. And they have accomplished much there besides killing and being killed. When have any of the "left" reported any good from Iraq and don't give me the line"there's nothing good being done in Iraq.
The article in the paper yesterday reported that the Minnesota National Guard Chaplain questioned his belief in god when they were extended for another 4 months. Do you really think the morale of the troops is threatened by anything anyone says about policy?
I think the truth has to be spoken in the face of such insanity. Is it "helpful" to put our troops over there in the middle of a civil war, that wouldn't be happening if we had been............wait for it..............prudent. There was no reason to fight this war in Iraq. All the effort should have been in Afghanistan. Saddam was in a box, the sanctions were working. The war in Iraq was entered into by choice. We chose to go to war. As Pope John Paul II said, war can never be a choice. Wars of defense aren't a choice. Invading a country because we "don't like the leader" is insane, immoral, and at the very least not prudent. Prudence in wisdom put into action.
I think the war in Iraq is a sin, I think the armed forces of the United States are victims of a flawed, immoral policy. One of the greatest sins that I would like to see punished is the politicization of intelligence. They cooked the books, and now have all this blood on their hands.
Whether Reid's comments are helpful, he is the leader of the majority in congress, an equal branch of our government, so I think it's necessary that SOMEONE in a responsible position say SOMETHING about killing people, and putting people in the position to die for no purpose. Bush is surging because he knows FINALLY, that the end result of this is going to be a partition by IRAN. The only thing we can salvage from Iraq is to pull back to the northern no fly zone. (Remember that? It worked.....) and save the Kurds. But then our allies the Turks don't want that, so....gee whiz, foreign policy is "hard", its so "complicated." Gee whiz, we'll just send the military over there and f-them up rather than negotiate with anyone, because we're the US, and we should be respected just because......right? OMFG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where's the outrage? Helpful? Are you joking?
Helpful. Worry about the lives of the soldiers, not whether their feelings are hurt. They need training, equipment, and R and R. Things the Bush administration haven't seen as necessary, or helpful to provide. The Bush administration is ruining the armed forces, and sending them on impossible missions, for what? Is what the Bush administraton done while they have been in power been "helpful" to the world, or the US position in it? I don't think so. Travelling overseas with a US passport will be "dicy" for the rest of our lives, and our childrens lives.
Is anything the Bush administration done "helpful" to anyone? Oh maybe Haliburton and Cheney's former employers, and his bottom line. KACHING!
I'm giving your first article a ten!
I wasn't really concerned with Tony S. and his comments.
Tony I really couldn't give a rat's ass whether or not you care what I think about you. I really don't think that much of you(to be honest). You can't seem to respectfully disagree with someone without having to resort to your graphic descriptions and name calling. You seem to think that it gives you some morale and intellectual superiority with which to preach your hate and disrespect for others that disagree with your point of view. But if it makes you feel better thinking that we're some how intimidated by you guess again. Most people seem to be able to disagree and have a civil discussion about it.
Pronunciation: mo-rale
Function: noun
Etymology: in sense 1, from French, from feminine of moral, adjective; in other senses, modification of French moral morale, from moral, adjective
a : the mental and emotional condition (as of enthusiasm, confidence, or loyalty) of an individual or group with regard to the function or tasks at hand b : a sense of common purpose with respect to a group : ESPRIT DE CORPS
: the level of individual psychological well-being based on such factors as a sense of purpose and confidence in the future
Does this explaine morale to you. Reid is eroding the sense of purpose of the troops and their confidence in the future that can win and succeeded at the task that has been asked of them. I can't understand how you can't see that. I never said one thing about the death of the troops being a moralizing factor you said that. And yes seeing your buddy killed is demoralizing. Then to have your leadership also tell you that you have failed is also demoralizing. How can you not see that? Or is your hatred for this administration so big that you don't want to see it.
By the way I'm not your son.
In the case of Iraq, is peace and democracy attainable for Iraqis when we don't even know who are the people of Iraq? Of course we know who are loyal to our ideology, and the rest are perhaps, not people. To win the war in Iraq, to establish peace and come out victorious, we have to dwell in the hearts of the Suni, the Shiite and other factions because these are the people of Iraq. Embattled household is diffcult to deal with. Vietnam is now at peace at our expense. We've lost that war. In Iraq, we are steadily going downhill with no victory in sight. Perhaps Reid sees another Vietnam.