Iraq is the issue
Lot’s of issues out there these days. Stem cells, abortion, gay marriage, taxes, economy, interest rates, gas prices, terrorism, border security. Which one have we been told is this election really about though? The War in Iraq.
OK, so let’s talk straight about this war.
First, the “war in Iraq” is actually an extended battle within the war on terrorism. If you can not admit that to yourself then the rest of this post won’t resonate. Afghanistan and Iraq are currently the frontline in a protracted war against a fascist movement intent on destroying everyone and everything that does not conform to a value set that they espouse… not unlike the Nazi movement in Germany.
So, either we believe we are in a war against a fascist movement using terrorist tactics and that this war is worth fighting and winning or we don’t. No gray area folks, take a side. Fight the fascists or don’t; but don’t expect them to go away and leave us alone.
Assuming this is a war worth fighting, are we fighting the right battles? Since there appears to be little debate on Afghanistan, and a great deal of debate on Iraq, let’s focus there.
We have been fortunate, as a country, to have fought most of our battles against foreign enemies on foreign soil. Is Iraq an ideal location for a battleground? Perhaps not, then again, where else would a battle against Islamic Fascists take place? Name another geographic location that would have been a better place to open a front in this war.
Before the invasion and shortly after, when we applauded as the Iraqis rejoiced at the toppling of an oppressive, genocidal dictator, support for the war was high. Yet there seems to be a significant majority who now believes this is no longer the place to be. What changed?
For one thing, fighting terrorists and insurgents just isn’t as satisfying as fighting a war where we just crush our enemy with overwhelming technological force. If we had some special weapon that could seek out and kill terrorists from the comfort of an easy chair, would this still be an unpopular battleground? But we are not ready to accept American casualties for a war that doesn’t fit into out typical perception of what war is supposed to be.
We need a defined enemy to fan emotional flames that we can relate to and that enemy better be contained within political borders so that we can understand whether we are winning or losing just by looking at a frontline moving across a map on our TV screens.
Think quick… who won World War II? The Allies. How do we know? In Germany, the front line moved well within the political boundaries of the ruling authority who then surrendered. In Japan, we took a short cut at the end and demonstrated how we could strike anywhere within their borders with overwhelming force, so they surrendered.
So, are we winning or losing this war and how do we know? Well, in Iraq we thought we had it figured out. We did everything we were supposed to do:
- Move the front into enemy territory…. check
- Remove the ruling authority…. check
- Occupy the territory and instate a new ruling authority… check
- War over, we win…. ummm.. war over? we win?
Where did we go wrong? Why didn’t we win this war? Quite simply, as stated before, this was not the war. This was a battle and Iraq is our current battleground. The political authority in Iraq was indeed representative of one branch of the enemy, but certainly not all of the enemy.
Logical arguments can be made that Iraq is no longer the best place for us to be fighting this war. Conceding that point requires that we identify a new position to hold. In a “normal war”, if the front can not be held, retreat to a more favorable position is an option. So, where do we retreat to that is more favorable but keeps us engaged in the overall war without opening up an opportunity for the enemy to again bring the battle to our shores?
It is easy to stand in front of TV cameras and argue for withdrawal from Iraq. But until an alternative plan is presented that provides for the ultimate defense of our country, this is nothing but hollow political grandstanding to influence public opinion for personal or political gain. If those who would have us withdraw from Iraq believe that the war against a fascist movement is over and we will be safe if we pull back to within our borders, then stand up and say so. Tell us that there is no need to fight these battles on foreign soils. Tell us we are safe from attack within our borders. Tell us that 9/11 will never repeat if only we pull back and leave the bad guys alone. Tell us that your only alternative to fighting the enemy that attacked us in New York City, attacked us in Somalia, attacked us in Yemeni, attacked us in the Philippines, attacked us in Saudi Arabia… tell us that the only alternative you have to offer to Iraq is to pull out and hope for the best.
But if you believe the war is real and will continue long after we leave Iraq, please tell us your plan. Please tell us what we should be doing different and where we should be doing it. Please don’t just tell us what isn’t working; please tell us what will work in its place, because we are in this together and we need you on our side.
Stumble it!