We turned on CNN a couple of minutes ago and President Bush was holding a press conference. As an aside, he's looking much more comfortable since he's not going to stand for re-election again. I can't blame him for that.
But an important question came up. As soon as the transcript is posted, I'll link to it, but for now I'll paraphrase.
Reporter: Mr. President, is there any way it's possible for Americans who disagreed with you to still support the troops?
President: Blah blah blah...yatta yatta yatta. Standard answer about how everyone's patriotism is equal...
I'm going to go out on a limb here. I'm going to say something blunt, and I'm sorry if it hurts your feelings.
If you stand for anything but U.S. victory in Iraq and Afghanistan, you do not support the troops.
I'm sure you still like the troops. I'm not saying you're the type to throw rocks at them, but you do not support them.
But, but, you whine. I didn't support the war before it started, and I still think the best way to support them is to bring them home!
Nope. The time to oppose the war was before it started. The world is not equipped with a rewind button. The war happened and it's happening. That debate is over.
There is debate about what, exactly, defines "victory" in Iraq. Definitions vary. For working purposes, I'll say that a win looks like this:
1- an elected representative government
2- working and transparent judicial system
3- all major ethnic groups living with minimal strife - or at least wary tolerance
4- Armed and organized military and paramilitary bodies under the strict and functional control of government bodies
5- A total lack of internal meddling by other states or groups.
We can refine that.
If you do not support this outcome (or one very like it, remember, it's a flexible definition), you do not support the troops.
Note that this does NOT equate to wholehearted and total enthusiastic support of George W. Bush and his policy. Really. You know those polls that the defeatists, the cut-and-runners, keep trotting out? (This was published at the end of 2006)
Only 35% of the military members polled this year said they approve of the way Bush is handling the war, and 42% said they disapprove. While approval of the president's war leadership has slumped, his overall approval remains high among the military.
Just as telling, in this year's poll only 41% of the military said the U.S. should have gone to war in Iraq in the first place, down from 65% in 2003. That closely reflects the beliefs of the general population — 45% agreed in a recent USA TODAY-Gallup poll.
You know what this poll is saying? I can put it in quote marks for you, what "the troops" are saying with these numbers.
"Fucking president fucked this up. Now it's a giant political goatfuck and we're just not going to do what we have to do to win it. Fuck. I'm going to be back here in ten years, and my kids are probably going to end up fucking around in this shithole."
Seriously. That's it. That's the point. They're losing confidence in our national commitment.
There can be national debate, and it can be vigorous. There are more than two options. It's too bad that so many Americans think there are only two.
A) I support the President and everything he says and he's RIGHT!
B) I hate the President, and everything he says and does. We ought to bring those poor soldiers home right now. Bush lied! People died!
We are at war. If we give up and bring everyone home, that will have major consequences in the world. No kidding. Major bad serious no-shit consequences. We've talked about that before.
We need a win. And we need to find a way to do that. It won't be easy. I think we're on the right track with the surge. I honestly think we need more bodies. There's a bit of history in Iraq which should have taught us that it's entirely possible to push the Bad Guys out of one area and have them simply hide in another until things settle down.
It's okay to want to do things differently. And it's okay to disapprove of the current plan, or a past plan. In fact, that's great.
That, folks, is the ultimate support you owe your troops. You, through your elected representatives, need to ensure they are employed in the pursuit of victory. You cannot allow your representatives to wobble. You must decide what you believe is the course to victory and urge that pursuit. Be vocal. Hold their feet to the fire. Get on the phone, buy a map of Iraq, read about what's going on, and call your representative! Send a damn eight-page letter with YOUR strategy for victory. Take an active interest in finding a solution.
Your troops will do anything for this country. No kidding. They will, and do, walk through fire and hell for you. All they ask is that you use them with care. That you do not send them off with a fanfare, then get distracted by Anna Nicole Smith and, after having your TV-watching interrupted, grow bored and want them to stop fighting and come back.
Our country has committed. Our troops have committed. Many, many American civilians have committed. We have a duty to keep our leaders committed, and on a constant and vigorous hunt for victory.
Iraq, whether we all thought it was the right part of the swamp to drain or not, is now a part of a true battle between Us and Them. It's really that simple. There are two major movements in the Middle East that are committed to attacking the United States, our civilians and our way of life.
Saying it's too hard and bringing everyone home for hugs is technically an option, but it's a very very bad one. A long view is called for.
We get to choose. We get to choose between whether we're fighting another Vietnam or another World War II. One war cost us 58,000 in a halfhearted politically-wavering effort. The other, more than 291,000 killed in an effort that ultimately saved the world as we know it.
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