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)