Mark, our brave soldiers are the best there is. Our country had to fight Germany in World War 1 and again in World War 2. It was inevitable that having gone to war with saddam, it was inevitable that we were going to have to go to war with him again. Since we went to war on our time table, we did not wait for saddam to get stronger and stronger. President Bush avoided the mistake that humanity made against Germany and many thousands were saved because of it. Imagine if the allies had preemptively stopped hitler and by doing so, saved 60 million people. The usual crowd would have criticised them for aggressively attacking a germany that was just minding its own business. Since the horror of World War 2 would have been prevented, posterity could not have known what was avoided or could have foreseen the darkest sins such as the holocuast. Since a future conflict with saddam or his charming sons has now been avoided, we can only speculate what a war against a stronger, possibly nuclear iraq would have been like and under what horrible circumstances it would have occurred.

Deleted - anti-military slanders

Mark, care to point out any of those "anti-military slanders"?

You really are quite pathetic.

Maf,

As I've said before - if you wish to bring charges against the men and women of our armed services here on this blog, then you'd better have gold-plated PROOF that they did something wrong...a court judgement, something of that nature..."sources said" is just as good as Rather's "fake but accurate" memos...we do let a lot of those sorts of things slide here because we like to encourage debate, but our men and women in the armed forces deserve our love and respect unless it is PROVEN they don't deserve it.

You should be ashamed of yourself for retailing such gossip about our troops...

james allegro, This "Preemptive" attitude that many people seem to have is what makes the rest of the world fear america, take for example Venezuela, chavez and his supporters currently believe america has every intent to attack before bush's term is up, and can you blame them?

A War to be Proud Of

You're right Noonan! We should be proud of that that King Shrub lied us into an unecessary and unjustifiable war that has cost us 2,400 American lives! We should be proud that because of our occupation, we have now created a civil war, we should be proud of the fact that now we are the laughing stock.

This is not a war we should be proud of.

BAGHDAD -- Iraq assured Iran on Friday that it supports Iran's right to develop nuclear energy and will not allow Iraqi territory to be used to threaten Iran, adopting a position at odds with America's view that Iran should abandon its nuclear program.

Speaking during a visit by the Iranian foreign minister to Iraq to congratulate the new Iraqi government formed a week ago, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Iraq's new government "is a friendly government to Iran."

"Iraq definitely will not be a place to threaten Iran from," Zebari said at a news conference in Baghdad, with the Iranian foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, standing at his side.

So tell me sir, what did our brave fighting men and women die, get maimed, and suffer for? A country who turns on us so quickly?

Tell me sir, what exactly did you do, or have you done in support of our men and women in arms? Write in a blog? Did you lobby for the unquestioned deployment of armored fighting vehicles, or the best protective battle armour, or even enough troops to really, honestly, secure the area for our men and women?

Or did you:

Make excuses for a admittedly poorly planned occupation of hostile territory.

Agree wholeheartedly with a Secretary of Defense that we "want to go to war with the army we have, not the army we want"

Become enraged when a defense contractor distributes contaminated water to our troops?

Sit back and watch idlely as the "coalition of the willing" slowly withdrawl thier troops, leaving us to fight the battle we started and the bill on the table.

Now you will ignore the new announcement that Iraq supports Iran on the nuclear issue and if I read that right, not allow the use of "their" land to launch the attack.

So tell me again, and again, and again, (ad infinum) how we are "making progress".

So as you enjoy this memorial day weekend, flippin those burgers, while Buffy gets in a quick set, how you will remember those who have suffered,and sacrificed all for the noble cause.

Because rather than make excuses for ineptitude, I want my country's brave soldiers back home now. NOW, to enjoy the sunshine, and play.

Do you think writing in this piss ant blog makes you more patriotic?

I curse you and those who support an effort with only one conclusion. More maiming, more death, more destruction.

Rather, tell me one more time....we are making progress.

Kiwi, how many american deaths are acceptable in the next unprovoced terrorist attack on our soil, before we can "respond". One reason kerry lost was because he thought we should not protect ourselves and respond until after we are attacked. We were attacked over and over again under clinton, who did nothing about it. We got 9/11 for our troubles because bin laden was emboldened by our inaction and he started planning 9/11 in 1996. If iran gets a nuke and it goes off in NYC or Los Angeles killing hundreds of thousands of americans, will we "feel better" because we did not stop them when we could have.

Here is my vision of supporting our troops.

1. We have a national draft. This is WAR. No more games, no excuses, no nothing. Every able body is going to be required to fight. War requires sacrifice. No collage deferments, no married with childern status, nothing. Serve. This is real. This is not a game because real people have died. Real people have been maimed. If this war is so just, so real, so vital, all shall serve.

2. We as a people sacrifice everything for the war effort. We did it in WW2, we can do it again.
Ration gasoline, ration rubber, ration sugar. Start the war production machine in full gear. Our entire national focus should be on suppling our brave men and women with everything they need period. EVERYTHING.

3. Support our brave men and women with a united war bond effort. Bold and brazen.

4. Start citizen support efforts that vocalize the need for the families of America to take in the less fortnate misplaced families of those who have given their all. Real support of military familes. No lip service.

5. Unquestioned absolute support of our veterans who have returned from the many battles fought in the name of freedom. I would gladly pay ten times the taxes to support and give our vets everything they need to make it today.

I will rent one less DVD, buy one less ribeye, or one less can of tennis balls to ensure that our vets are covered. Medically and financially.
I will pay what it really costs upfront for the war and our vets. Period. One less trip to Costco won't kill me. It will help them.

So as you enjoy your dinners this weekend, drive to the nearby waterfall, get in 18, reflect on how your really supporting our troops. The yellow ribbon ain't gettin it anymore. Your war is real. Soldiers have died as a result of your actions. Or if you choose, (as you get in from outside, finished with washing your beautiful humvee in black with chrome rims and CD/video player), you can join Jonah, and write in your little blogs.

War is real. Either support it all the way, or stop sending men and women to die and get maimed in a meat grinder.

How do you sleep?

raker13,

You obviously don't understand anything how the force structure of the United States Armed Forces works. You see, Congress sets the paid end strength for each of the components each year. That includes all branches of both Active and Reserve Components.The authorization is based on the needs of the military branches as outlined in the Presidnet's Budget Proposal. Each year, we are very close to that authorized strength.

There is absolutely no need for a draft. Prior to the force reductions after the end of the Soviet Union, we were able to maintain an Active Duty end strength of about 2.1 million. We are now down to about 1.2 million.

It is far better to have a professional military of dedicated volunteers who want to be what they are doing, rather than a drafted force with a percentage that do not want to be there.

There is no need to ration, although a reduction of oil consumption is advisable.

I believe your call to ration is based upon the typical liberal guilt complex. You feel guilty that the US is succesful and prosperous. Enjoy the blessings you have. There is no need for you or any other American to suffer.

"A war to be proud of"...

As if there is such a thing. One can be proud of the performance of one's troops in a war, or proud of the accomplishments achieved in spite of it, but proud of a war? That's just sick.

Memorial Day is all about honoring those that have fallen in courage and bravery -- and about acknowledging the lessons learned (if any). But celebrating war, being proud of it? That's an abomination. Every war is a failure of the human spirit, not a triumph. Those who fight them are not responsible for that failure. Through their courage, bravery, and sacrifice, they serve to renew hope. That is the difference between wars and the warriors who fight them.