Paul Hackett: Bring them home

[cal04]

(snip)
When asked about my policy on the Iraq war by a veteran a few days ago, I simply stated “Bring them home.” This is the reality underlying the perceived complexity. Just because something is difficult doesn’t mean it should be avoided. Right now we are doing little to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people. A full-scale military presence only hinders the ability of Iraqis to build their own nation. We should listen to our military leaders and set a timetable for the withdrawal of our troops. We should also invite our allies and international organizations to help in maintaining the peace and building the nation of Iraq.

(snip)
Lets get real about the War on Terror. It was never in Iraq until we allowed it to be there, by not securing the borders. Saddam was a secular dictator, a horrible man, but not a religious fanatic and not a friend of Osama Bin Laden. In fact they were bitter enemies. Bin Laden even offered the service of his mujahedeen army in the removal of Iraq from occupied Kuwait in 1990, before the U.S. stepped in. The Iraq conflict had nothing to do with the War on Terror. It was a diversion from pursuing the real enemy, Al-Qaeda. We need to stop wasting the valuable resources of our military and reengage in a full-scale pursuit of Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda. I personally have looked terrorism in the eye and vanquished it. If the President and Karl Rove want to question my patriotism, I say "bring it on."

(snip)
President Bush claims that Al-Qaeda hates us for our democracy, while he is trying to limit our democracy by systematically impeding on our civil rights. He is not fooling this Marine, and he is not fooling the American people. Lets get real President Bush. Stop using the War on Terror to promote your own agenda. The war does not have to be without an end in sight. We need to use the full capacity of our military strength as well as strong, but cooperative, foreign policy initiatives that once again unite the world behind us in the pursuit of peace and the end of terrorism.

I chose to speak about Iraq and the War on Terror first, because we cannot move on to solving the problems of job security, rising health care costs, the lack of adequate funding for education and the burgeoning deficit while we are spending billions in Iraq. Lets bring our brothers and sisters in the Marine Corp, Army, Navy, Air Force and National Guard back to their families and loved ones. Lets make sure that they receive the best possible moral support and financial and medical benefits when they return. Then lets tackle the difficult economic and social problems head-on, and lets fix them. Lets settle for nothing less than excellence for this great nation. Lets make real change, right now. Please join our team and support our fight.

http://www.tpmcafe.com/node/26646

[Skidmore]

1. Fantasy protest....

a huge Yurpean size protest outside the gates of the WH and all those people shouting in unison "Bring them home", nothing else. Not cutesy slogans, no convoluted poetry that only those who know the jargon understand with oblique references to stuff most people don't read about. Just "Bring them home." Over and over and over again.


Second fantasy chant is even simpler "Enough, enough, enough, enough, enough..."

[Greeby]

2. That deserves one of these

:patriot:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. K & R

Love that Hackett is not afraid to talk straight.

[ninkasi]

4. I agree, bring them home...

The longer we stay in Iraq, the worse things get. It just causes more death and maiming and destruction on both sides. It's bankrupting our country, and destroying Iraq, who never threatened us. Bring them home now.