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Originally Posted by iamthewalrus109
As for President Bush, given the solid support he has from inside his party, he would have more time to fight the war and exit with honor. But support for present levels of fighting will not long endure without signs of either imminent victory or early withdrawal."
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Your logic demonstrates how Americans responded previously under Nixon. By far the largest American casulties occured during Nixon as he bled this nation economically, politically, socially, militarily, and honorably. Well at least we bleed honorably while sacrificing our best people.
War without purpose is historically a most foolish enterprize. Just like in Vietnam, no strategic objective nor an exit strategy exists. Most ironic is the reason for this war - a 'war on terrorism'? How often can he promote this lie and still have public support? Go right back to 1968+ when another president lied repeatedly while nation supported him. Did this nation learn a lesson? 30 years later, a whole new generation again believes 'might makes right'. Still a nation believes the world must be wrong and only the US president could be right. Facts, numbers, objectives, 'no exit strategy', and the lessons from history again become irrelevant.
Real honor begins in first admitting the mistake. Only then can insiders begin a logical process of extraction planning. Currently we have the 7000 mile screwdriver micromanaging generals - deciding which cities they can and cannot attack just like in Nam. We have no exit strategy and never will when war is justified by political ideology; not based upon 'real world' facts. Just as in VietNam, our loyal allies (S Vietnamese or Iraqi) disappear when the battle starts. My god. How many more similarities do we ignore in the name of honor? Is George Jr that much more important?
Just like in Nixon's time, Americans believed only because he is president. Facts be damned. Promote fear and a public forgets to be logical. 50,000+ Americans were sacrified to teach us this lesson. In only 30+ years, we dishonor their ultimate sacrifice for the 'honor' of George Jr?
Westmoreland told Johnson that he will need another 0.5 million soldiers. Asked what the enemy's response will be, Westmoreland said the Vietnamese would match his troop strength. Still Americans then blindly believed we could win the war - facts be damned. Already insurgent strength has doubled in only 1 year. How many more similarities before Americans realize a lying president will never solve anything? Even history is begging Americans to fix this big mistake before George Jr's stubborn ideology and honor makes things worse.
The sooner we define a 'real' objective and plan an exit strategy, then the easier that solution is to implement. Again, lessons from history. The VietNam war was understood as a lost cause in 1965 (Making of a Quagmire). The nation learned it was unjustified in 1969 (Pentagon Papers). And yet still the public took many more years - after 1972 - for most Americans to finally understand the mistake. A war that was only killing hundreds annually would soon start killing hundreds every day.
We are suppose to be smarter - having been educated in history. This election will determine whether America is doomed to relearn the lessons of history. The mythical 'war on terrorism' is a lie. Bin Laden is two countries away and still running free because we are slowly being swallowed by another Quagmire. Why? Because this president lies. The lessons of history dictate that we define a real world objective AND plan an exit strategy. Neither will happen with George Jr as president.
What will happen after November? The real monetary costs of this war will be revealed. Those costs will be shockingly high in part because the real president (Dick Cheney) has decided, "Reagan proved that deficits don't matter." Is that also honorable?