Belmont Club has another excellent analysis of what the situation in Iraq is at the moment. Today’s violence was organized by foreign fighters, al-Qaeda and Hizb’Allah terrorists based out of the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon as well as Syria. Their goal is straightforward, derail Iraqi sovereignty and turn Iraq into a new Afghanistan, an oppressive regime ruled under the strict dictates of shari’a.
Except so long as the current administration remains steadfast in not allowing the terrorists to derail sovereignty their goals will not be met. In fact, the violence is a grave miscalculation. By killing more Iraqis than coalition troops, the terrorists have ensured that the Iraqis will never support them. The terrorists can only stay in limited enclaves in the Sunni Triangle – and as the Iraqis begin to fight back they will see their options for hiding places become increasingly limited.
This is a war of wills. Al-Qaeda believes we are weak and that a few casualties will force us to withdraw in shame. They can’t defeat us directly, we have to defeat ourselves. Despite those who would do exactly that, the current administration shows no sign of backing down from their support of Iraqi sovereignty, and the other members of the coalition are not only not backing down, but some are increasing the number of troops. Especially the Koreans, who have one of the better militaries in the world, are not going to let Zarqawi’s brutality go unpunished.
If we stay strong, we will win. Falter and we will fail, and failure is not an option.
This is a war of wills, and sadly, one party, the Democratic party, is trying to do everything they can to weaken our will.
The media is their accomplice, along with Hollywood.
Look at Michael Moore’s latest piece of propaganda: all designed to weaken our will to fight the terrorists. Is it any surprise that the terrorist organization Hezbollah is promoting the film? I bet you won’t hear Moore brag abot that.
The entire political left in this country is dedicated to weakening our will to fight the war on terror. As such they are the greatest allies of the terrorists.
Keep this drivel coming, Thoughtless… I’m finding it hilarious. 🙂
As for Michael Moore, I’m looking forward to seeing his latest schlockfest on Friday night… if only because I love a good propaganda piece.
Not backing down? How about Spain? Honduras? I know there was another country as well, but I can’t think of it right now. As more people die, I expect the coalition casualties to mount. This war is wildly unpopular virtually everywhere except in America’s Old Confederacy. Will Italian and Australian leaders be able to justify this campaign to their angry voters much longer? Only time will tell, but if I was a leader of one of the coalition nations, I’d be putting in a call to Dubya right about now and tell him to ramp up the bribe distribution if he wants my continued compliance.
Mark’s comments make no sense.
He writes ” I know there was another country as well, but I can’t think of it right now.” Well, there’s good backing up of your argument.
Mark also writes “As more people die, I expect the coalition casualties to mount.” So there is the pinnacle of Mark’s reasoning: as more people die, casualties increase…” Isn’t that, like, redundant?
As the post states, South Korea’s resolve was only strengthened by the beheading of one of their own; the exact opposite of what the terrorists wanted.
And yes, Spain did capitulate, but then they did so during the 1930’s with fascism as well…
Nick: I’m glad I can amuse you.
As for laughs, I guess that’s why you’re going to see Moore’s propaganda piece, because you aren’t going to get any truth from it…
Nick: How nice of you to look forward to Moore’s piece of propaganda…I guess you like movies that portray our military in negative ways and are profoundly anti-American, all the while ignoring the sins of people like Saddam?
I guess you like movies that make our military people seem like war-crazed morons, while making things look so rosy under Saddam?
We need to encourage Israel to try to reform a South Lebanon Army. The Maronite Catholics are some of the few friends of democracy in the middle east and if they are properly supported they could help to neutralize a lot of the Hezbollah islamofacist presence that has been involved in sectarian cleansing of the south Lebanon region. South Lebanon Army 1976-2000. Your contributions to democracy will not be forgotten by all decent thinking democrats (note: I am not using the word democrat in the party sense).
“As for laughs, I guess that’s why you’re going to see Moore’s propaganda piece, because you aren’t going to get any truth from it…”
Well yes, there’s the laugh factor… and the fact that my girlfriend wants to see it, which is always a good reason. 🙂
“How nice of you to look forward to Moore’s piece of propaganda…I guess you like movies that portray our military in negative ways and are profoundly anti-American, all the while ignoring the sins of people like Saddam?”
Oh yes. Propaganda is wonderful, as long as you don’t believe in it.
I’d like to relate a story to you- I’m sure you’ve read “1984”… when I read it the first time, it chilled me to the bone.
The second time I read it, eight years later, I laughed at it. Near the end of the book, when O’Brien was discussing the nature of truth with Winston Smith, I realized something… dystopias AREN’T dystopias for those who are in charge. Smith is forced to be a loser pleb, while O’Brien can torture him at will, feed him his own lies as truth, and drink his fill of power. Suddenly, dystopia became utopia. A world where I can dress in snazzy black uniforms, whip the weak losers who aren’t as good as me, arrest whoever I feel like, and generally enjoy the benefits of power sounds pretty damn good to me.
So, why are people so scared of totalitarianism? One reason- they’re weak, or afraid they’re weak. For the strong, totalitarianism is paradise, and your lies become reality for the masses.
Thus 1984 has new meaning for me- it’s a blueprint for paradise, one fit for evil men like myself. It’s too bad you (and most others) can’t see that…
Sure there can be peace in the middle east, just as soon as those nasty Joooos stop shooting back.