The Latest Reason To Stay In Iraq...
By Cernig
The Bush administration has a new reason for staying in Iraq - to prevent a Vietnam-like crash in military morale.
I kid you not. SecDef Gates, at the end of a speech mostly about buying equipment to fight the war you have, not the war you'd like to have, told a crowd of Heritage Foundation war-partiers "That is the war we are in. That is the war we must win."
But there is a more fundamental point that I will close with – and again historical perspective is important. It is impossible to separate discussions of the “broken” Army following Vietnam – a conscription army – from the ultimate result of that conflict. At a congressional hearing last year, General Jack Keane, former Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, recounted the profound damage done to the Service’s “fiber and soul” by the reality of defeat in that war.
The risk of overextending the Army is real. But I believe the risk is far greater – to that institution, as well as to our country – if we were to fail in Iraq. That is the war we are in. That is the war we must win.
So we must continue to hollow out the military on a mission that never made sense so that we don't risk hollowing out the military due to dejection at failing in a mission that never made sense...
Just...wow.
I agree
Just...wow
Not much else you can say!
Posted by: Ron Beasley | May 14, 2008 at 10:48 PM
And Gates often is depicted as the voice of sanity within the Bush administration.
Posted by: smintheus | May 14, 2008 at 11:19 PM
Gambling addicts usually attempt to recoup their diminishing fortunes by gambling even more. The dynamic is most neatly captured by 3 simple words; Winning, losing, chasing.
The rest is rationalization and denial. Responsibility to the family dictates hocking the silverware cuz LEAVING the casino would be our ruin. Within the distorted frame, staying to recoup is the only responsible thing to do. Or so it seems.
Gates is merely calling for the "lucky" dice that will surely change our fortunes.
Posted by: 1MaNLan | May 15, 2008 at 07:19 AM
Wasn't Vietnam where we had to "destroy things in order to save them?"
Posted by: blakenator | May 15, 2008 at 12:55 PM
Yeah blakenator, and if you take a look at Sadr City, plus ca change.
Posted by: Eric Martin | May 15, 2008 at 01:13 PM
Great analogy 1MaN. Consider it stolen :-)
Regards, C
Posted by: Cernig | May 15, 2008 at 02:24 PM