Political Crossfire Forums

[Letters from God]

This is a paper I wrote for extra credit in my English class and my teacher said I should put it on a political forum. I was interested in the result so here it is:


As we all know on September 11, 2001 terrorists attacked the World Trade Centers. Their plan was to use planes to knock down the top floors of the Towers and incite fear into the hearts of Americans. This attack lead to many things including boosts in security at airports across the country and the world, new laws and other actions taken by the government to increase national security, but most importantly it caused a war half way across the globe that, at first, was largely accepted and supported by nations all over the planet.

Now, however, they country's patience with the incompetence of the White House is wearing thin. The President has even said he sees a possible parallel of violence that was produced during the Tet offensive that prompted the Americans to lose the Vietnam war. Since the war started 2,750 American soldiers and tens of thousand of Iraqis have been killed in the carnage which, in all fairness, does not need to continue.

Today a White House spokesman has said that the president didn't mean that this step-up in violence was the turning point in Iraq as the Tet offensive was for Vietnam. Why not? I say somebody should ask our president if keeping Republicans in office is worth the lives of at least 15,000 sentient people. Bush has also told the public on many occasions that American soldiers will not leave Iraq until the newly found Iraqis government can sustain itself without the backing of America. Why not cut our loses, however great they may be, and pull out of there. Lets face it, we've lost. Our pride is worth 100 billion dollars and countless dead men and women and the heartbreak it has caused their grieving families? I think not.

Now I'm not saying that Bush is bad person or that he knew what this war would cost (8 million a week) but he should have the common sense to do whats best for our country even if it means he wont be the favorite. But please Mr. President, let our troops come home.

[LostSoul3412]

At this point, we're in too deep. The way I see it, all of those lost lives would have been lost for nothing if we pull out of Iraq now.

I despise the war, and I despise the intentions for invading, but that's rather irrelevant now. We're there, and people have died. If nothing else we owe it to the fallen soldiers to finish the mission, and give purpose to their deaths.

And don't equate Iraq to Vietnam. They are completely different conflicts, and have no relation to each other.

[Zybthranger314]

LostSoul3412 wrote: And don't equate Iraq to Vietnam. They are completely different conflicts, and have no relation to each other.

While the two may seem to share some minor qualities that may make you consider a broader relationship, the shared qualities are only on a very high level connection, that of being a foreign war. When you begin moving down to comparing specifics between the two, they become more and more different quite quickly.

So listen to LostSoul3412.



And even if this is some 'turning point', it would be extremely hard to identify it in the present. It is only looking back at this as a past even that such a thing will become apparent.

And while I believe that invading Iraq was a stupid idea at the time, although somewhat justified, right now there is progress being made, despite mismanagement of the war. And while the current public outcry is for pulling out, my opinion is that there would be a bigger backlash is we pulled out prematurely, leaving Iraq to slowly destroy itself, and who knows what else. I think the backlash after having gone in and completely destabalized another country would be very bad. There is no good answer. We're in a bad spot right now, but staying in Iraq is the better of two bad options in my opinion.

[johnflesh]

I too hope the troops come home, and soon as well, but as it is, at this moment, it is not the brightest of ideas. Cutting our loses is no way to look at anything concerning human life. While I can understand your point, the terminology used makes me wonder if you understand what is actually going on over there. While your numbers look correct, it seems all to political to actually make me really think you care about each and every human being that is there, and those who have passed.

No one will cut loses, period.

[philm]

I'm a British Liberial, while I disagreed with the idea of going into Iraq in the first place- I feel that just pulling out with Iraq in turmoil, is definately the wrong thing to do.
We caused the turmoil, we should at see that at least a semblance of stability is returned before we withdraw.
Hypocrite I hear you cry- but I as an ordinary working class fellow I believe a workman should clear his mess before he leaves a job.

[gavnook]

LostSoul3412 wrote: At this point, we're in too deep. The way I see it, all of those lost lives would have been lost for nothing if we pull out of Iraq now.

All those lives were lost for nothing. At least, not for anything good. It doesn't matter what happens next. They're already dead for no good reason.

LostSoul3412 wrote: I despise the war, and I despise the intentions for invading, but that's rather irrelevant now. We're there, and people have died. If nothing else we owe it to the fallen soldiers to finish the mission, and give purpose to their deaths.

It's too late for that.

LostSoul3412 wrote: And don't equate Iraq to Vietnam. They are completely different conflicts, and have no relation to each other.

There are enough similarities that many comparisons are valid.

[Limey Boosk]

Imagine that a bunch of muslims invaded America or Britain and started telling us what to do. Would you take it? Nope, you would try to run the 'invader' out of your land.

Americans always seem to have a problem with this concept, the British too to a lesser extent.

It also makes me laugh when America tries to say bringing democracy in will be the end of all a countries problems. Look at America, nice big democracy, a crook in charge and crime and sickening incidents of depravity second only to maybe Iraq.

[Jimz]

Wise words and analysis of issues from a young person. There may be some faint hope for this country yet, assuming free speech as we know it remains viable, and independent thinking persists.

ThotsNRamblins

[Zampano]

Though I agree that there is a problem with pulling out of Iraq now because we are at the stage in war where they may actually be rebuilding not justing lying about doing so, we may have to pull out because most people have become fixated with the idea of troops in Iraq always being destructive (and they have been so far in the war). But at this point we must fix what we have destroyed, and we need to build Iraq again.

So, perhaps a slow pulling-out by the new president and then massive amounts of foreign aid would be a proper solution.

[Margo]

11 million Iraqis voted for freedom. Do we turn our backs on them now? Do we leave them at the mercy of the Iranians? No! We need to do our best to help the Iraqi's democratic form of gov't stand up on it's own. Why is this important? Because next we will have to deal with Iran and what better place to have our troops than in Iraq. The vision for the mid east is one worth taking the risk for. Once people understand they don't have to continue living under slave like existances or in poverty, hopefuly they will want to try a democratic form of gov't. Imagine what a democratic middle east would mean...staggers the mind. But...it has to start somewhere and sometime, so why not now.
If we were to cut and run now, it would bring back the painful memories of Vietnam all over again. And this isn't Vietnam. The soldiers there want to finish the job, they keep re-enlisting. I say let them finish the job, as long as it takes and as long as the pressure remains strong on the Iraqi forces to shape up and take over. IF they aren't trained properly we just can't leave them to be slaughtered. Battle tactics will need to be adjusted and remain flexible to counter all the diffent problems happening. Thats how wars are run, you change to meet your enemy. We need to finish the job. In a constantly changing landscape putting a exact departure date in naive and foolish. We leave when the job is done.

[Margo]

Limey Boosk wrote: Imagine that a bunch of muslims invaded America or Britain and started telling us what to do. Would you take it? Nope, you would try to run the 'invader' out of your land.

Americans always seem to have a problem with this concept, the British too to a lesser extent.

It also makes me laugh when America tries to say bringing democracy in will be the end of all a countries problems. Look at America, nice big democracy, a crook in charge and crime and sickening incidents of depravity second only to maybe Iraq.

Sure democracys have problems but we're free....and no, we do not have a crook in charge. Our borders have always welcomed all types of people so we do have a very interesting mix which proves our tolerance others. I would always choose to live under a demcracy than any other form of gov't.

[Margo]

Margo wrote: Limey Boosk wrote: Imagine that a bunch of muslims invaded America or Britain and started telling us what to do. Would you take it? Nope, you would try to run the 'invader' out of your land.

Americans always seem to have a problem with this concept, the British too to a lesser extent.

It also makes me laugh when America tries to say bringing democracy in will be the end of all a countries problems. Look at America, nice big democracy, a crook in charge and crime and sickening incidents of depravity second only to maybe Iraq.

Sure democracys have problems but we're free....and no, we do not have a crook in charge. Our borders have always welcomed all types of people so we do have a very interesting mix which proves our tolerance others. I would always choose to live under a demcracy than any other form of gov't.

But what about the 11 million Iraqis who voted for democracy? They nned us there to get them started on that road. You forget about them....

[De0xide]

[quote="Zybthranger314"]
So listen to LostSoul3412.quote]

Dont ever say that again. Make up your own stuff.