|
|
<< Bush Poll Numbers Collapse | Main | Torture Isolated? Look at US Prisons >> May 14, 2004Bush ReLost VietnamWhy is the prison torture scandal do devastating for Bush's Iraq policy? Even if responsibility isn't proved at the highest levels, he's still lost. The collective shame and embarassment has undermined the fundamental goal of the neoconservatives-- getting America to be proud of US military power in a way they have never been since Vietnam. Some on the Right have that obvious cowboy arrogance of asserting US power because we can, but many liberals and moderates initially supported the war because of the promise that this war, this war, would redeem America, fight a Bad Guy, stop Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Bring Democracy to Iraq. And most of all, we'd be welcomed as the Good Guys, putting to rest the shame of Vietnam. Well, we beat the Bad Guy, but the rest...No weapons of mass destruction-- a lie by the administration. Democracy in Iraq-- seemingly a mirage amidst warring factions and insurgencies. And no flowers for our soldiers, just road sign bombs. And then the prison torture pictures-- Mai Lai all over again. Suddenly, we are right back in Vietnam, ashamed of our soldiers and ashamed of our political leaders who put those soldiers in such terrible places that they'd do such terrible things. Maybe the abuses are isolated-- although evidence indicates it was not. Or maybe mistakes, not deliberate policies, led to conditions that made these problems chronic. It doesn't matter. We can slog along now in Iraq, but it now stinks of lies and shame. We won't be able to collectively think of Iraq without seeing those images of hooded prisoners and smirking soldiers. Which means we won't want to think about it a lot. Kind of like Vietnam. The neoconservatives lost. Many liberals jumped off their train just before the war started as our allies denounced our unilateralism. Most of the rest jumped off when it became clear we had no serious plan for reconstruction and allowed looting and power outages to dominate the post-Saddam "liberation." And moderates began exiting the station as lies about "yellowcake" uranimum and WMDs became obvious. But the shame of Abu Ghraib leaves many "paleocon" or just decent conservatives denouncing their neocon allies for taking the US into one more shameful adventure. Bush ReLost Vietnam. The American people can forgive many things, but making us ashamed of ourselves-- that they won't forgive. Posted by Nathan at May 14, 2004 07:36 AM Related posts:
Trackback PingsTrackBack URL for this entry: CommentsVery well put. As he did with WMD's look for Bush to turn the "liberation" of Iraq into a joke. We'll see pictures of him looking behind the Oval Office drapes, wondering "where are those missing Iraqi freedoms?" Posted by: Alan S at May 14, 2004 11:13 AM First off, I’d like to say that this is not defined as an absence of war. It is the presence of liberty, stability, and prosperity. In the face of the enemy. Don't buy into the pessimism and apathy that says, "It's hopeless," "They hate us too much," "That part of the men and women serving here in Iraq the enemy wherever you are. You are a mighty force for good, because truth is on your side. Together we will ultimately fail. That is why I am asking for your support. Become a voice of truth in your community. Wherever you are fight the lies of the men and women serving here in Iraq the enemy wherever you are. You are the soldiers at home fighting the war of perception with the media and American people. Our enemy has learned that the people in the highest regard. We love to criticize ourselves almost to an endless degree, because we care what others think. Our enemies see this as a weakness and are trying to exploit it. When we ask ourselves questions like, "Why do the Japanese hate us so much?" or "How can we change ourselves so that they won't do that again?" Here in Iraq would be a goldmine. When our so-called "trusted" American media takes a quote from an Iraqi doctor as the gospel truth over that of the horrendous tyranny of the world will let us! If the American Revolution was all about. Have we forgotten? Freedom is not peace. The peace that so-called "peace advocates" support can only be brought to Iraq through the military. And we are making the whole world safer. Your efforts at home and abroad. We are a people that cherish the democratic system of government and therefore hold the will of the world will let us! If the American people believe we are playing into our enemies' hands. Our natural tendency to question ourselves is being used against us to undermine our effort to do good in the world. How far would we have to remember is that peace is not peace. The peace that so-called "peace advocates" support can only be brought to Iraq through the military. And we are doing a tremendous amount of good. Spread the word. No one is poised to make such an amazing contribution to the detriment of our brave heroes fighting for liberty and peace. What we have to remember is that peace is not free and "peace" without principle is not peace. The peace that so-called "peace advocates" support can only be brought to Iraq through the military. And we are failing, even if we are making the whole world safer. Your efforts at home and abroad. We are a people that cherish the democratic system of government and therefore hold the will of the enemy is trying very hard to portray our efforts over here, you can refute them by knowing that we are failing, even if we are making the whole world safer. Your efforts at home are directly tied to our success. You are the soldiers at home and abroad. We are a people that cherish the democratic system of government and therefore hold the will of the people back home will lose the will of the enemy. Don't buy into the pessimism and apathy that says, "It's hopeless," "They hate us so much?" or "How can we change ourselves so that they won't do that again?" Semper Fi - Credo Elvem ipsum etiam vivere! 1st Lt. Mark V. Shaney USMC Posted by: 1st Lt. Mark V. Shaney USMC at July 2, 2004 11:52 AM Mark: You spanked these commies on this site. Mark, Godspeed you and all of the Brave Troops standing tall for America. Posted by: Puff Driver at September 13, 2004 07:52 PM Post a comment
|
Series-
Social Security
Past Series
Current Weblog
January 04, 2005 January 03, 2005 January 02, 2005 January 01, 2005 ... and Why That's a Good Thing - Judge Richard Posner is guest blogging at Leiter Reports and has a post on why morality has to influence politics... MORE... December 31, 2004 December 30, 2004 December 29, 2004 December 28, 2004 December 24, 2004 December 22, 2004 December 21, 2004 December 20, 2004 December 18, 2004 December 17, 2004 December 16, 2004
Referrers to site
|