Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Congress / Woods Lamar: 'Listen to the General'
Posted by Jeff Woods on Tue, Apr 8, 2008 at 3:07 PM
Today General Petraeus comes to the U.S. Senate, and I suggest that we listen to the general. When he reported to the Senate last September, senators were unwilling to listen. One even said that she – in order to believe the reports from Iraq – required a willing suspension of disbelief. Let us remember what has happened since then. I can remember last August visiting with General Petraeus in Baghdad. I handed him a paper that said it is time for a new strategy in Iraq. I had been urging President Bush and the Senate to adopt the Iraq Study Group recommendations, and in my view, what General Petraeus has done since that time is to adopt those recommendations with Petraeus amendments. We are shifting the mission from combat to support, province by province. We are acknowledging that there is a long-term presence for the U.S. in Iraq, but, as General Petraeus said, steadily diminishing. We are acknowledging that it is important to step up diplomatic and political efforts. So instead of suspending our disbelief, let us listen to General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker, acknowledging the progress that they are making and helping them make more progress on the diplomatic and political front.
Comments (6)
Showing 1-6 of 6
like
dislike
General or not, we need to stop this war. Our country is falling apart and no one wants to do anything serious about it. What would happen if we took a vote on staying or going? You know, a vote, like in a democracy. But we don't have all the intelligence they do right? At this point, how could we do worse? The military industrial complex is driving this government into the dark ages. They said the same things about Vietnam, and they were wrong then as well. If we turn the world against us while we are bleeding ourselves dry, we may not make it through. That's right, might not make it through. I can't even believe I am saying this. This is no longer the country I grew up in, and I am only 30. Think everything is ok, well ponder this:
A friend of mine just went on a vacation in Europe. At a checkout line in a grocery store, the clerk did not want to wait on him. Why you ask? Because he was an American. He recognized him as American and wanted nothing to do with him. This young clerk did not want to do his job just because my friend was American. The thought of being near an American disturbed him. My friend asked him what the problem was? He was buying shampoo and is not a soldier, not a politician,just an average joe, just a citizen. The clerk said and I quote,"You people are the new Nazis...the world hates you now, you're killers". This was in Scotland folks. Killers! Not in Iraq, in Scotland. So make all the excuses you want, but this is a small example of what we have brought upon ourselves. Brought upon ourselves by doing nothing while a small group of politicians and generals decide our fate. Apathy will be the thing that brings this country to it's knees, not terrorists, real or fake. Our own lack of effort in stopping a false war. Sad isn't it. So tell me, what should we do?
Petraeus: "We haven't turned any corners, we haven't seen any lights at the end of the tunnel. The champagne bottle has been pushed to the back of the refrigerator."
Five years (and counting) later, 4,000 (and counting) dead American soldiers, hundreds of thousands (and counting) dead Iraqi civilians, gazillions (and counting) of dollars, and what do we have? No light at the end of the tunnel. Unless you count the end of the Bush presidency.
