Tuesday, February 20, 2007
The Preemptive White Flagger
It is one thing to raise a white flag when you lose, it's another to raise it before you even try.
Too many in our Congress have chosen the latter. Why? Power? Control? Crazy? Who knows but let's recall history. The Islamicists have been attacking us "over there" for more than 30 years. Because we did nothing, because we "white flagged", they increased the intensity of their attacks. Culmination - 9/11.
Difference in 2001? We had a leader with the courage to go after them and we did. However, the "white flag" press made it almost impossible for the average American to realize that we can win this war. Those differing with our President demanded more troops, demanded a change in plan, demanded a change in general. They got all. No negative votes were cast when General Petraeus outlined his plan. Then the truth became obvious. Dems and few Reps were not in favor of victory, they wanted defeat. Now they discuss "non-binding" resolutions with Jack "cut and run" Murtha who plans to do everything he can to make life difficult for our soldiers.
White flaggers' actions only protect cowardly "leaders." Witness cleric al-Sadr and his gang leaving Baghdad before our troops even arrived! How come these so-called religious and military leaders of these mid-east nations want OTHER families to "sacrifice" their kids in murder and mayhem but none of them offer up their kids for murder and mayhem?
Their convoluted way of thinking should be reason enough to give the Iraqis every chance possible. Yes, they have to take on the work load and clear their ranks of subversives. But when a representative government demands "A" from its leaders, gets it, then turns on the leader, it bodes ill for everyone, even the politicians.
Totalitarian bullies such as those in the Middle East (and other places) exist only as long as decent people ignore the bullies. Once decent people start standing up for decency, most bullies will cut and run, just as al-Sadr did.
I'll end with this quote from a Kurd to 2LT Mark Daily
who asked a Kurdish man whether the insurgents could be viewed as freedom fighters. The Kurd cut him off. "The difference between insurgents and American soldiers," Daily said the man told him, "is that they get paid to take life � to murder � and you get paid to save lives."
Too many in our Congress have chosen the latter. Why? Power? Control? Crazy? Who knows but let's recall history. The Islamicists have been attacking us "over there" for more than 30 years. Because we did nothing, because we "white flagged", they increased the intensity of their attacks. Culmination - 9/11.
Difference in 2001? We had a leader with the courage to go after them and we did. However, the "white flag" press made it almost impossible for the average American to realize that we can win this war. Those differing with our President demanded more troops, demanded a change in plan, demanded a change in general. They got all. No negative votes were cast when General Petraeus outlined his plan. Then the truth became obvious. Dems and few Reps were not in favor of victory, they wanted defeat. Now they discuss "non-binding" resolutions with Jack "cut and run" Murtha who plans to do everything he can to make life difficult for our soldiers.
White flaggers' actions only protect cowardly "leaders." Witness cleric al-Sadr and his gang leaving Baghdad before our troops even arrived! How come these so-called religious and military leaders of these mid-east nations want OTHER families to "sacrifice" their kids in murder and mayhem but none of them offer up their kids for murder and mayhem?
Their convoluted way of thinking should be reason enough to give the Iraqis every chance possible. Yes, they have to take on the work load and clear their ranks of subversives. But when a representative government demands "A" from its leaders, gets it, then turns on the leader, it bodes ill for everyone, even the politicians.
Totalitarian bullies such as those in the Middle East (and other places) exist only as long as decent people ignore the bullies. Once decent people start standing up for decency, most bullies will cut and run, just as al-Sadr did.
I'll end with this quote from a Kurd to 2LT Mark Daily
who asked a Kurdish man whether the insurgents could be viewed as freedom fighters. The Kurd cut him off. "The difference between insurgents and American soldiers," Daily said the man told him, "is that they get paid to take life � to murder � and you get paid to save lives."
