In the pursuit of victory in Iraq, the US military relies upon lessons from battlefields like Gettysburg, Normandy and Fallujah. We gain strength from our leaders' fierce convictions and are motivated to overcome long odds by their character. We revel in the words of Medal of Honor recipient Colonel Davide M. Shoup, wounded during the botched landing on Tarawa and facing 4500 Japanese defenders. With his back to the sea, he reported "Casualties many; percentage of dead not known; combat efficiency: we are winning." We fight on, in the most demanding environment imaginable, because of the individuals of our troop. Warriors like Marine 2nd Lt. John Paul Bobo, who almost single handedly fought off a company of North Vietnamese with his rifle in his hand, and the severed stump of his right leg jammed in the dirt. He also received the Medal of Honor, posthumously. We strive for victory like General David Petreaus, who said in his first commander's message in Iraq. "Hard is not hopeless." We are confident that we can be victorious in Iraq because the potential for success is measured through the jagged prism of American History.
In the pursuit of victory in Washington, politicians rely on the lessons from battlefields like, Iowa, New Hampshire and Florida. They gain strength from their own fierce convictions and are motivated to overcome long odds through misinformation, oversimplification and emotion. They revel in the massive campaign of bumper stickers that proclaim: "Support the troops, bring them home;" or "Why is it that there is always enough money for war but not enough for education;" and "Buck Fush." They fight on, oblivious to the professed intentions of our enemies and ignorant of an emboldened and aggressive domestic terrorist movement wallowing in Spain's "redeployment" of forces from Iraq in the wake of 3/11. Washington politicians strive for victory in 2008, like Democratic Representative David Obey, issuing the rallying cry for de-funding the mission in Iraq: "You can't end the war if you're going against the supplemental. It's time these idiot liberals understood that." These politicians are confident that they will be victorious in Washington because they measure defeat in Iraq through the jagged prism of Vietnam.
Regardless of what America might think, the professional warrior is disheartened by the pedantic political firestorm at home. While the US military has been fighting, bleeding and dying, Americans contemplate the Iraq war with "non-binding resolutions" and national anti-war protests. When America is faced with a diminishing pool of willing candidates for military service, some turn to blast the US Army for lowering recruiting standards. Further, the same politicians who are responsible for the lack of funding for military heath care and Veterans Affairs programs stomp around Washington, stab their fingers at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave and hope that no one will remember that they voted to BRAC Walter Reed Army Hospital in November of 2005. Politicians in Washington must relinquish the self-destructive "deny, deny, counter accuse" mantra. The Speaker's San Francisco front yard fracas is a prime example of the dangers of using "your constituents" as pawns of political brinkmanship. America cannot continue to foil itself. If one should claim "support the troops but not the war," one must understand that real consequences engender such a distinction.
I am fearful that America is no longer capable of wining; not just in Iraq, but anywhere. Can we ever succeed if America cannot demonstrate resolution at home? When this nation clings to pessimism, defeatism and death as the metrics to measure Iraq - America has a moral responsibility to order the military to come home tomorrow. Slowly bleeding our military effectiveness with "non-binding resolutions" won't cut it. Avoiding a Constitutional crisis is not an excuse. Revoking the President's authority to invade Iraq 4 years after the invasion, is laughable. Leaders don't shirk responsibility of find excuses to side-step political peril; they seize the initiative and affect change, reliant upon courageous honor in commitment to action.
If Presidential hopefuls want to "end this war" they must act decisively in Congress today - declaring that pursuing victory in Iraq would require a cost too hight to bear. But they must be advised - such action was forged in the classic definition of surrender.
this was great! thanks for the information.
Posted by: freelance writing jobs | September 19, 2011 at 10:00 AM