Time for a laugh...

[travisleit01]

A response to my posts on another message board, complete with typical talking points. Should I even respond???
***
Travis- one question for you: do you make decisions in your personal life based solely on how many people you may piss off?

Obviously, world politics demands you maintain some sense of respect toward opinions of states that have economic or military influence in the world.  But that doesn't mean the U.S. should bow at the alter of 'world opinion' whenever we feel we need to enforce a policy (or in Iraq's case, enforcing a UN policy- a so-called "world opinion").

Whether you agree with it or not, Iraq (according to Bush) is but one BATTLE in the bigger WAR on terrorism.  Iraq was not an imminant threat.  Bush NEVER said it was.  Iraq had WMD's.  The UN resolution (drafted by "world opinion," but which only the U.S. had the balls to enforce) didn't state the WMD's must be found before giving Saddam the boot, but rather that Saddam must document what happened to his WMD's that "world opinion" agreed he HAD.

The BATTLE of Iraq was legally justifiable- even by the UN's own standards!  If you doubt me, please refer to the texts of each of the 17 UN resolutions.  It was not "preemptive," it was a "resumption of hostilities."  Clinton periodically (and rightfully) enforced the resumption by lobbing a missile or two Saddam's way.  All Bush did was finish the job.

More important than it's justification, however, is the battle of Iraq's strategic importance in the greater war on terror.  We are fighting extremist Islam here.  You tend to find most extremist Muslims in the Middle East.  Kicking some butt in their own crib sends a message that we're not going to just bend over and grab our ankles any more.  (The perception that extremist Islam held that the U.S. didn't have the cahones to defend itself only served to fuel their fire).

Moreover, establishing a democratic nation smack dab in the middle of the cradle of terrorism deals our foes from the 5th century quite a blow as well.  It's like busting a hole through the front line of a football team.  The quarterback is dead meat.  Likewise, busting a hole through the decadent wall of Middle Eastern tyranny clears the way for a direct shot at the guys launching the "Hail Mary's."

War is hell.  It is ugly.  It's not all incense and latte's.  It's like when a medical condition forced a doctor to lance my stomach with a butter-knife in the middle of a crowded market in Moscow.  It sucked.  It hurt like hell.  It was gross.  And it took some recovery.   But I'm glad he did it.

I have referenced many times the interview where Osama bin Laden said the U.S. reaction to Mogadishu (cutting and running away) sparked a new-found confidence amongst Jihad-ers.  Contrary to the beliefs of well-meaning liberals such as Travis, avoiding Iraq or cutting and running from our current challenges there WILL NOT inspire misunderstood "freedom fighters" to stop blowing our boys up.  It would only fan the fire of those who have always hated America and ALWAYS WILL.  In Iraq, we are conveniently in a position to pick them as they spawn.

 

You anti-war protestors have every right to protest.  In fact, it should be welcomed.  But you must understand the true nature of the contempt that conservatives hold for you.  You see, you don't like the plan- but you don't have one of your own-- other than bowing at the alter of the UN- a collection of rag-tag states who could care less about the security and well-being of the US.

But more vexing than not providing us with a feasible plan for national security and defeating terrorism (aside from holding candle-light vigils), is the apparant total contempt for the repressed people of Iraq.  It is estimated that Saddam's regime murdered over 300,000 of his own people.  This means that on average he killed about 34 people per day-- more than one PER HOUR, 24/7...for 24 years.  And you say BUSH is the greatest threat to life on earth!

Can you understand why the majority of Americans think you're nuts?  And don't give me this crap about the majority agrees with you.  Poll after poll shows that the American public still supports our policy in Iraq.  Had it not, believe me, congress would not have overwhelmingly given Bush the ok to wage the battle.

[MasonJar]

1. First tell him you will give more weight to his

arguments when he learns to spell... as in altar and imminent. Also ask him why the Bushies do not get all in twit about the Israeli sanctions, which are being systematically ignored. Ask him why Reagan felt Saddam worthy of receiving guns and chemical weapons and biological weapons. Tell him you just love the pic of Rummy shaking Saddam's hand.
Ask him why Cheney recently did business with Saddam when CEO of Haliburton. Ask him why Bush helped the bin Ladens fly out of America just after 9/11 when noone else could fly and before the CIA/FBI could question them. Ask him why we went after Iraq when the hijackers were mostly Saudi. The list goes on. He is spouting right-wing pap. Call him on it.

[travisleit01]

2. Will DO!

I'm sick of all this bullshit.

[ProudGerman]

3. stop him dead in his tracks

Ask him to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Iraq had anything to do with terrorism against the United States. Since he's using the dial-a-justification reason of "just a part of the war on terra™". Ask him about Rummy repeatedly stating "We know he has WMD's, and we know where they are". If Bush never said Iraq was an imminent threat, then why did he in a SOTU address give a laundry list of supposed WMD's Saddam had, and talked about how much of a threat they were to us?

Then, ask him if its a good idea to start wars and occupy countries without a real bonafide reason. If the justification has to shift from one reason to another, then maybe the horrible mess of war should be avoided.

And lastly, ask him why if he's so supportive of this war, he hasn't enlisted and isn't cleaning sand out of his M-16 instead of arguing about a war on an internet message board.