Friday, December 02, 2005

Missing the Point

I'm still here just working all kinds of hours and really haven't recovered from Monday night's travel nightmare. I have spent some time visiting all of the smart people on the blog roll and if you want some good information and insightful comment please cruise the list.
I do have a comment or two to make on all of the 'news' that flowing around.
First, everyone can spend a lot of effort and energy talking about Iraq and withdrawal and timetables and all that stuff but the reality of the situation is that out current situation is unsustainable.
Bush may want to 'stay the course' but he is probably going to have to do it alone in the very near future. He's burned through our military and there are no reserves that haven't been burned as well. In the near term we are going to have to face the reality that we cannot sustain an endless occupation with the attending insurgency indefinitely. The American military is the most powerful and well equipped force in the world but it is not limitless. We have nearly ground it down to a nub and we are not going to be able to sustain our presence in Iraq much more that 6 - 10 months at the current levels. We have used all of our silver bullets.
Secondly, we are continuing to talk about war and not about peace. We have come to a point where we need to admit than the "Project for a New American Century" is pure neocon balloon juice. Pre-emptive ware is always wrong. Occupation of a soveriegn country is wrong and has never proved successful.
Torture is not human and in any form it smacks against a raft of American principles not to mention it is against the law.
We need a complete revision of our thinking and it needs to be predicated on peace. How do we peacefully reduce our forces in Iraq? How do we insure a peaceful democratic government in Iraq. How do we back quietly away and appologize for out huge screwup.

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