Posted by
Mike on Wednesday, November 04, 2009 10:00:05 AM
http://westernperspective.blogspot.com/
While the MSM has predictably jumped on the Obama bandwagon in
distinguishing between the Iraq war as a war of choice as opposed to
the Afghanistan war of necessity, the fact remains that both wars
together have taken a huge toll in terms of American lives, economic
resources, and world recognition. The criticism leveled against Bush 43
for leading American forces into Iraq is not altogether justified.
There had to be some strong military response after 9/11. To blame
everything on Al Qaeda, and the Afghan Taliban for harboring Al Qaeda,
seems simplistic at best. Saddam's regime was far more brutal and
dictatorial than that of the Taliban, and was responsible for some of
the terrorist violence preceding 9/11.
Unfortunately, America's
war crimes, particularly those directed against detainees many of whom
were demonstrably innocent, more than offset any rational justification
for war at this point. Capitalism breeds vindictiveness. The legitimate
goal of interrogation gave way to the temptation to exact vengeance and
to dehumanize and ridicule.
Obama's exit strategy is the
beginning of our economic recovery. Iraq and Afghanistan will never
become like us. The sooner we realize this, the better.