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Subject: 
Re: Not the right way to exit?
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Mon, 19 Jul 2004 15:57:55 GMT
Viewed: 
887 times
  
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Christopher L. Weeks wrote:
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Larry Pieniazek wrote:

And, make no mistake we're losing it. This is a significant defeat, I think.

What is the war for?  What would constitute a victory?  A defeat?

This WAS an unimportant war before it started...
but if the US loses it, it's a defeat for the US, so it has become an important
one to win. And I don't see how it CAN be won, any more.

Is that to say that it is somehow critically important for the US to win every
war?  Is it possible that it would be good for the American gestalt psyche for
us to lose a few?  Maybe it would make us ask a few questions before going in.


These questions should have already been asked, and were asked, by those that
compared this to the similarities to the Vietnam war--but those were brushed
aside as 'unpatriotic'.

The difference here is that, whereas the US evacuation in '75 did not 'embolden'
NK to further expand into areas that they were not currently in, a US retreat,
defeat, loss, whatever you want to call it, now in Iraq will embolden terrorist
organizations to more terroist activities, for they will equate the US 'pull
out' as lack of will to stand against 'em.

It's a bad situation.  Paraphrased from so many places--"You give into the
demands of terorists once and you can never close that door again".  The best
move was not to get involved at all.  We can't go back to that now.

I didn't want this war to happen.  I'm on record with that in so many places.
But you (the US administration) brought us here, kicking and screaming and
against the collective will of the world.  You better win this thing or there'll
be hell to pay for all of us.

How much better it would have been to have chosen not to fight this one in the
first place.

I guess.  Actually, I'm not convinced.  There are bad people in the world doing
bad things to others.  If we have the power to stop that, do we have the
responsibility?  I just think we need to set win-loss standards and make them
happen.  If we knew what a win would look like before going in, we could more
accurately judge our likelihood of success.

Chris

Dave K



Message has 2 Replies:
  Re: Not the right way to exit?
 
(...) How do you figure? The war in Iraq doesn't have anything to do with global terrorism. In Iraq, terrorism is merely a tool to repel the invader. We should either conquer them or get the hell out. Chris (20 years ago, 19-Jul-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
  Re: Not the right way to exit?
 
(...) Would a quick victory after (say) 2 months of conflict have emboldened Bush? Scott A (20 years ago, 19-Jul-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Not the right way to exit?
 
(...) What is the war for? What would constitute a victory? A defeat? (...) Is that to say that it is somehow critically important for the US to win every war? Is it possible that it would be good for the American gestalt psyche for us to lose a (...) (20 years ago, 19-Jul-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

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