The US House Debate (Give War a Chance, part iv)

As I type this post, there is a debate on the floor of the United States House of Representatives about the War in Iraq. For anyone not paying attention, it is basically a "calling out" of the Democrats and any others who want to claim support for the troops, but continue to bash the war. It is a Republican attempt to get them "on the record" about their views. But why?

This is a really sad time in our history. The Democrats (particularly their far-left pandering leadership) seem to want to change their statements or claim that they were somehow duped by the White House into voting for and supporting the action taken in Iraq. After a proclamation of why we need to withdraw by Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha (who is a Vietnam vet, an actual one, not a John Kerry type, and this somehow makes his word golden), the Republican leadership has thrown down the political gauntlet. The Democrat response is that this "vote" is a personal attack on Rep. Murtha. Nancy Pelosi is calling this a disgrace and an insult perpetrated by the Republicans. The political grandstanding and endless ranting goes on and on and on.

Why the politics?

This is a debate not over the "failed Iraq policy" as Nancy Pelosi wants to proclaim, but yet another shining example of the pandering of politicians. While the Democrats somehow seem to know how to fight a war against terror better than the administration does, they offer nothing as an alternative. This is about politics to them, and the power (which they currently lack) that goes with it...pure and simple.

I am appalled that this is taking place at all. I am appalled that most Americans probably do not even know that it is going on. I will be appalled when the media distorts it and the subsequent "polling data" that it produces. I am appalled because we are at war.

There is very little doubt that the Islamo-fascist movement has a better understanding of US history than most Americans do. They realize that Vietnam was a political defeat that led to a military defeat for the USA. They realize that the same people that are the major players in the Democratic party were the demonstrators and protestors of that era. One of the biggest was even their candidate for president.

The unfortunate reality is that Americans are too safe. We have a short memory and the attacks of 9/11 are just a faint reflection in that memory. We hear only bad news about Iraq and the vast majority of mainstream media reports are anti-Bush. There has not been an attack here since 9/11. Al-Queda is spending money and time fighting in Iraq, even though the drumbeat of the lack of connection with Iraq and terrorists is a major claim the Democrats make. We also hear that Bush fought a war for oil, although I have yet to see the oil companies swoop in for that oil. In fact, I am guessing if it was a war for oil, President Bush would have made damn sure that oil and gas prices stayed low, just to preserve his political power. We know that Bill Clinton made concessions to Saudi Arabia to do that very thing. And manipulated intelligence was used to justify the war. The same intel we, and the rest of the world, had believed true for years before.

But this is a political battle that is going to affect the future of the USA and even the world. We need to be willing to fight. And while the politicians all grandstand for sound bites and for the benefit of their constituents and donors, everyday Americans need to think this over. Whether you understand the war or not, it is happening. One day when George Bush is not the president, what will we do or who will we blame if attacks hit America? I will blame those who did not take our present day threat seriously. I will blame the media for their Vietnam treatment of the situation. I will blame those who did not care enough to fight. Still, I will stand, alone if necessary, and fight myself. I just pray that today's naysayers will be willing to do so with me, because it may be that they got their way and that is the reason we are in a grave and dangerous fight on our soil, in our streets sometime in the future.

Give War a Chance.


[In a floor vote on this nonbinding resolution last evening, the US House of Representatives voted to defeat the resolution (which called for immediate withdrawal of US troops from Iraq) by a vote of 3/403/6/22 (Ayes/noes/'present'/not voting). Will this end the political bickering and grandstanding and the attacks on the war and the Bush administration? I doubt it. But I hope that all intellectually honest Americans contact their elected officials and let them know that we need to stay engaged in this war. As I have alluded to before, this is WWIV and we need to be focused on the fact that the implications of it are real and very grave if we do not take it seriously. The Cold War essentially spawned two major conflicts, Korea and Vietnam. Afghanistan and Iraq are just theaters in this much bigger war. I hope that this vote and the unwillingness of those in either party to say "no" to withdrawal means that our elected officials are serious about doing what it takes to win, as long as it takes. They are now on record and have "put their money where their mouths are". I hope that they can rally this country and the political extremes together, so that we can win, forcefully and decisively. Time will tell.] (The RWZ, 11/19/05)

Lies Leading to War and Political Correctness in the USA

I am revving up to get back into the regular habit of posting rants on the RWZ blog. I apologize to anyone who may read this for 'spiritual' reasons or for a daily conservative rant. Football season (and a hectic work schedule) have taken up an inordinate amount of my time for the last few months. However, I am back and fired up for more editorializing!

I will be brief, but two things have struck me (of late) as so preposterous and hypocritical that I just cannot resist commenting.

The first is obvious...how "Bush lied, manipulated intelligence, and got us into a quagmire in Iraq." If you watch "mainstream media" or are a liberal, you are all over this topic. BUT, if you are free-thinking, conservative, get your "news" from a variety of sources, or are intellectually honest (remember, I am big on that), you cannot POSSIBLY rationalize the statements and double talk of the liberals in this country. I specifically site Harry Reid, Dick Durbin, Nancy Pelosi, Ted Kennedy, Charles Rangel, and all of the rest of the Democrats who seem to want to blame the Bush administration for "lying" about intel to get us into war. I mean, they all made previous public statements which are contrary to what they are saying now. I will grant you one thing...politicians lie. That seems to be in the job description. BUT, anyone who can somehow look past what these nut cases are doing is just fooling himself. If you read this blog, you know I am conservative and for the war. I have mentioned numerous reasons why I am for it and I will not change my mind. War is hell, perhaps, but appeasement is Hell with earthly suffering added to it. If you are "anti-war" that is fine. If you wish to dissent, fine. But please do so with some factual basis to what you believe, what you think your beliefs would accomplish in the real world of terror and war that we are living in (believe it or not, like it or not), and do not fall back on the 'who knew what, when they knew it, etc., etc.' argument. The claims by the Democrats in Congress are so off the wall, they really are not worth listening to, or commenting on. But, they get 'news play' and they get repeated, in hopes that they will change sentiment in America against the war...but more importantly against Bush. Be brave and think this over for yourself. And before you comment, think about what it would be like if this all escalated into a "real" war that was happening in the streets of Europe, or, God forbid, in the streets of the USA. Who would you blame for lying then? Would you wish we had kept fighting in Iraq? Would you be ready (and willing) to fight for and defend yourself? Be intellectually honest; how would you feel? We have not known war in this country. The last true war on our soil was the Civil War. Could you fight that way? Are you lying?

Next, I have to comment on the Glenn Beck show from today. He was discussing one of my favorite atheists, Michael Newdow. Glenn basically got into a rant about how people like Mike raise such a fuss about how the government forces things like God on them and how it is unfair, and on and on. Glenn commented on how PC this country is and suggested that everyone sue for what they feel offended by, just like Mike. This is funny, but what I took away was this. We hear politicians talk all day long (for sound bites) about our "democracy". As I have mentioned before, we do NOT live in a democracy, but rather a representative, constitutional republic. Anyway, my point is, in our current framework, or even better yet, in a democracy, a complete fool like Michael Newdow (who is wasting taxpayers' money...yes you, the "working man") would never even get his 'day in court'. In a democracy, he'd never get a chance to complain, let alone file a lawsuit. It would be tough luck that the majority (and the majority of Americans do claim to be Christian) would rule.
My real question is...why are we so PC? What the hell difference does it make if it says "In God We Trust" on our money? (That is what ol' Mike is suing about now.) Is anyone really going to quit spending money (or quit accepting it as payment) because of that? Seriously, I doubt it!

We the People need to get a grip, for the politicians, the news media, and the Michael Newdow's of this country and start being realistic again. (When I was a kid, my parents referred to this as "acting your age".) If you disagree with the war, fine; but be willing to take up arms and fight if your dissent leads to something worse in the streets of your neighborhood. If you want to not be offended, that is fine too; however, stop offending others in the process. And when the majority wins out, deal with it! (Or as Glenn commented this morning, "quit being a victim and rise above it.") And as an American, exercise your right to vote and hold your elected officials accountable. Everyone claims to want 'the money out of politics'. If so, then let's get people back in...the electorate...and demand that this nonsense stop. Let us be strong and forward thinking, and let us be survivors, whether our politics mesh or not. Intellectual honesty goes a long way.

Thanks for reading. Future rants will include: Taxes and a 'Required reading' segment to go along with the topic; why I don't care what Jennifer Aniston has to say about anything; the San Francisco gun ban and why everyone (conservative and liberal alike) had better wake up and be intellectually honest in defending the Second Amendment; why I think all Washington politicians (Democrats and Republicans) must go; and perhaps even a rant about why I think global warming is such a non-issue.

The Clash of Civilizations , part ii

Although I have already given a 'review' of Tony Blankley's book, which really amounts to a suggestion that you read it, I have to add another post regarding this book because of the current relevance of its content.
Foremost in the thoughts of Mr. Blankley are the suggestions of what might happen when radical Islamists have infiltrated the West and begin attacking the world in ways that are less "common" than what we expect and are fed from the mainstream media. The eerie part of this is that right now, in France, a similar scenario is playing out.
I am amazed at the blatant partisan, political bickering that is going on in the United States right now. That is a topic that I will have to vent about in this forum later. However, it is happening and you cannot deny it, no matter which side of the political spectrum you are on. To me what is sad (and dangerous) is that this debate is going on, unchecked by 'We the People', in that partisan and political way. Like it or not, we are the big boys on the block that is the world and there are those that don't want us to be. Right now, radical Islamists are the most serious and grave threat, but there are others and they will surface...eventually.
We need to wake up and realize that we are at war. The United States has been at war before and triumphed throughout its history. We have never taken the spoils of war. In fact, we have, for the most part, gotten those we defeated back into the world fray at our own expense. But since Vietnam, war is not PC and we don't do it well (and should not do it at all) in the minds of many who are free to speak in this country. I respect that freedom more than anyone. But, I realize that there is a time and a place to debate who we are and what we should do. Right now is not that time. Let's win this war and debate all of the rest later.
Read Tony Blankley's book. You will see what I mean and no doubt agree.