GOP Mama Discusses The Middle East
There is no more fitting day, than today, September 11th, to discuss the conflicts in the Middle East.There is still so much tension just over the topic that I pretty much cringe at the idea of debating it. I firmly believe in our involvement in the wars, however, hate how it has divided our country.
I think back to the days just after 9/11 and I remember how we all came together, as Americans, and the pride I felt. I remember seeing flags waving EVERYWHERE. It stirred up such a feeling of camaraderie.
Honestly, I don't remember anything other than support for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan back then. (Maybe I was watching the wrong stations?) But, I do remember watching those first days of the war; watching as our troops made their way through the dessert and I was so impressed with how everything was being handled and I felt good about it. The Iraqi people were finally going to be free and one less tyrannical leader would be in place.
I don't know where it changed, but it did. Suddenly the focus was not on the good things our troops were accomplishing, but rather the "lies" that were told to get us there. It was suddenly about how many soldiers were dying and not about how many lives were saved and it divided our country...again :(
I am not a person that loves war. I don't like the idea of fighting. I don't like the idea of sacrificing a single soul for a cause, whether it be justified or not.
However, I am also realistic. I know the world we live in. I know the safety of our country sometimes relies on the stability of the rest of the world and sadly, sometimes that means we have to get involved.
The Middle East is a volatile place. I'd love to think we could just go about our daily business and never care what happens there, but the truth is, we can not. It needs stability and as the defenders of freedom and as one of the strongest nations in the world, it becomes our responsibility to become involved and with that decision must come resolve to finish whatever we start.
NO COMPROMISE.
I don't mean to say that there can't be a resolution to end a war, of course there can. But, I do mean to say, that when our country commits our troops, our men & women, to battle, we better be absolutely prepared to go in, guns raised, and not come out until the conflict is resolved.
I realize that the Middle East has always been an extremely volatile part of our world, always filled with one religious conflict or another. And, it wouldn't take a genius to realize that a lot of these conflicts will continue long after I am dead and gone. But, I think it also only takes common sense to realize that unless someone is involved, to try to "keep the peace", that these conflicts will spread like locusts... just as it did on 9/11....
He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from opposition; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach himself. ~ Thomas Payne
ps I didn't really feel right, given the date, to get into all of the inconsistancies of our media's take (and the democratic party, for that matter) on war from one President to another, but I will say, it astounds me.
September 11, 2009 at 6:52 AM
Thank you for posting. It was a good post, despite the fact that we disagree a LOT.
Just so I understand, you justify the murder of 100,000+ civilian Iraqis by saying that you're "liberating" them? I guess that's one way to look at death.
Another way to look at it is that we marched into a sovereign country that has never attacked us and has no weapons in order to behead their leader and kill their people. While we're at it, we take down the US for this little project too-costing our nation trillions of dollars and much much more in civil liberties. In the end-for what?
So that we can make the world (justifiably) hate us even more, increasing our chances of people retaliating against American citizens for our government's outrageous behavior.
How would you feel if the shoe were on the other foot? How would you feel if Iraqi soldiers came to America, beheaded GWBush on the public stage, and massacred American civilians? Would that make you feel like blowing up a building?
September 11, 2009 at 12:11 PM
I'll just answer this simply by saying, yes, we disagree.
The only point I will comment on is that I don't care if the rest of the world likes us or not. I will also add that it's not necessary for any other country to come in a behead GWBush. That was handled quite "nicely" by our media...
The rest of the stuff is pointless to debate, because you won't change me & I won't change you.
September 15, 2009 at 8:00 AM
People started feeling differently about the war in Iraq when we all found out we were lied to about there being weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Especially since that is the reason so many of us supported going into Iraq in the first place. Afganistan is a different story. But Iraq- get our troops out of that falsified war now!
Oh and what the heck happened to Mormon Child Bride? She jumped ship? Couldn't take the heat?
September 24, 2009 at 7:30 AM
You posted, "Honestly, I don't remember anything other than support for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan back then."
While you're right that there was a great deal of support I think you are incorrect about what people were supporting. The administration lost me when they concocted reasons to enter Iraq. Bin Laden and those supporting him? Yes please take them out, but to then to jump over to Iraq and say that the same reasoning applied was wrong.
September 26, 2009 at 1:31 AM
I would even go one step farther Cait and say that the majority of people were simply supporting the families of people who died, not imperialistic or military action of any kind. Though I'm sure that depended on where you were living. Texas was probably full of people shooting at the sky looking for a fight-I happen to live in the Pacific Northwest where people just help each other and mind their own, but no one is looking for war-just a peaceful protest, maybe a sit in or an "interpretive arts demonstration" at most.
I was pretty young when September 11th happened, but even I could see then that the situation was manipulated to meet the political agenda of GW et al. We watched the presidential address in my classroom that day and I knew the instant he said the word 'war' that the jig was up and the troops were in. My classmates thought I was crazy when I said that. My parents thought I was crazy when I told them that night.
I wish I were crazy.