Category Archives: War

Iraq: Looking Back

Posted on September 2, 2010 | 2 comments

The war is over, the Dragon is slain.

And what do we have to show for it?

Just shootin’ from the hip and not really digging into numbers?  I’d say, “Not much”.

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Posted in Economy, Politics: National, War

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That Didn't Work Out Exactly as Planned

Posted on January 5, 2010 | Leave a comment

So, the Obama administrations latest attempt to “Talk and Communicate” with the world’s bad guys closed another chapter:

Iranian lawmakers have rejected Sen. John Kerry’s request to visit their country, saying the United States needs to change its policies toward Iran before such talks can be effective, according to Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency.

I have always maintained that discussing things like health care, the economy and terrorism are subjects that lend themselves to public debate.  While there is some gamesmanship going on to be sure, there is no real “statecraft” going on.

When it comes to international diplomacy, there is a need to be purposefully subtle about our intentions.  At times, out right deceitful.  To that end, the government can not be expected to be completely transparent when it comes to things of this nature.

It’s why I have always suspected that we invaded Iraq for reasons that none of us have even debated.  I’m pretty sure it had nothing to do with oil, WMD, terror or revenge.  Maybe it had something to do with Iran?

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Posted in Politics: International, War

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Profile: Who's In and Who's Out

Posted on January 4, 2010 | Leave a comment

We are spending a lot of time talking about profiling.  Who should be profiled and who shouldn’t.  There’s even talk about NOT profiling at all.

I have to wonder why.  Why would we NOT use all the information we have?

For example, without even talking about nationality, race, religion or sex we could profile on:

  1. One way ticket purchases bought day of.
  2. One way ticket purchases bought with cash.
  3. Passengers boarding without either checked or carry on luggage.
  4. People who are on ANY watch list.
  5. Passengers who board International flights WITHOUT passports.
  6. If the age of the passenger is between 17 and 40, bump up suspicion quotient.
  7. If the passenger is boarding without family, bump up suspicion quotient.

Then, after building a list of who we SHOULD profile, we could build a list of people we could rule OUT:

  1. Anyone aged 65 or more.
  2. Anyone aged 18 or less.
  3. Women traveling with children.

There is a LOT more that we can do.  There is more we SHOULD do.

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Posted in Politics: International, War

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War on Terror

Posted on January 4, 2010 | 2 comments

Brad and Britt opened the New Year with an interesting question this morning:

Is President Obama serious about the War on Terror?

Good question.

My take and short answer?

I don’t think that he thinks this is a War.  I think that he views this as a criminal matter.  As such, he feels that the method or path to resolution is diplomacy first and foremost with any type of military action secondary; if even secondary.

My reasoning for this?  The fact that he prohibits the term “War on Terror”.  He won’t even call it war.

Further, I think that Obama is more of a Social ills kinda guy.  I think the things that keep him awake at night, and hold his interest, are things like reducing homeless, fighting poverty and extending rights to all people regardless of color, race, religion……

I don’t think that international diplomacy, national defense and terrorism are in his natural DNA.

Is this bad?  I dunno.  Is it good?  Again, I dunno.

All I DO know is that Obama doesn’t think that we are at war and he doesn’t think this is as important as I wish he would.

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The Cost of the War

Posted on October 31, 2009 | 1 comment

I was tooling around the internet this morning and hit upon Ben Hoffman’s site.  He had some really good activity on the War in Iraq.  One of my comments there gave me reason to maybe make a post of my own.

Make no  mistake about it, this war is and always has been about what is good for America.  We may have been wrong, we may have been right.  But the reasons we invaded were reasons that would benefit the good ‘ol US of A.

Some think that we invaded because we thought there were weapons of mass destruction.  Others think that we invaded to give us better leverage in Middle East politics.  Some feel we invaded for oil.  And others yet think that we invaded because Dubya wanted revenge for his Daddy.

Whatever the reason we went in, the fact remains that we did.  And those from the Left are pissed.  Pah-issed. If it ain’t the money we spent it’s the lives that have been lost.  Not only ours, but those of the innocent Iraqi civilians too.  They just scream that we are killing civilians.  Let’s take a look.

Saddam Hussein became President of Iraq in July of 1979.  The United States overthrew him in April of 2003.  During that time, Saddam was responsible for between 600,000 and 1,000,000 civilian death.  When you break down the deaths per month, and only Iraqi civilian deaths–not ALL deaths, you get between 2,105 and 3,509 civilian deaths per month.  These are deaths due to Saddam Hussein being in power.

Now, let’s flash forward to the US invasion.  We removed Saddam from power 78 months ago.  If Saddam remained in power for those 78 months, he would have put to death between 164,190 and 273,702 innocent Iraqi civilians.  Using the numbers provided by this Liberal website we see that between 93,793 and 102,330 people have died due to the invasion.  The difference for the average civilian in Iraq since the US invasion toppled Saddam?

Between 70,397 and 171,372 more of their neighbors, friends and family would have been killed.

Makes you wonder why the Liberal Left hates the average Iraqi so much, doesn’t it?

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I Bet the Cairo Speech Did This

Posted on July 18, 2009 | Leave a comment

I never thought that we went into Iraq looking for weapons of mass destruction.  I also never felt that we went into Iraq because Mr. Bush needed to finish what daddy started.  I have always felt that it was something else.  Now, that’s where it ended for me.  I only have so much, so much…ahhh, so much — noodles.  If ya know what I mean.  But The Voice of Reason?  Now SHE has it goin’ on.  She has maintained that we moved into Iraq to set up camp next to Iran.

I know why I married her.

But maybe she was wrong.  Maybe it’s because ol’ Dubya was straight talkin’.  Maybe we were just bringin’ some ol’ fashion freedom:

America chose to save us from the most evil party, and the most despicable President in the universe [Saddam].

America gave the lives of 4,000 of its people to Iraq’s land to instill security and democracy,

America came bearing democracy for Iraq

America canceled all of our debts and urged the rest of the world to do so,

America allowed Shias to practice their religion

America opened the world to us

America urged the Gulf States to allow Iraq to return to the Gulf Cooperation Council

America decided to withdraw from Iraq cities and hand these cities over to the Iraq forces on June 30 in preparation for the final withdrawal from Iraq.

After six years of liberation, we now know who our friend is….

Maybe we aren’t so bad after all.

HatTip TJIC

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