Sore Losers

Switching modes for a moment, I feel compelled to write an entry about current events. While the primary goal of this blog is to point out necessary reforms to upgrade the quality of our government and improve the country as a whole, there is an issue that requires some attention.

Let me begin by saying this: I am not a staunch supporter of the Bush Administration. Since our current president took office, spending is through the roof, a war has been mismanaged, and the country has grown more deeply divided. While these problems are not all directly attributable to W., the buck stops with him.

The current debate, however, over whether or not to fund the troops in Iraq, is absolutely disgusting.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to support the attack in Iraq. The evidence that the U.N. and U.S. intelligence communities had pointed to a WMD (weapons of mass destruction) program in Iraq, and the international community--mostly the U.S.--responded by invading the country and capturing (and eventually executing) Saddam Hussein.

War is a complicated thing, and, as the world has globalized, it has become increasingly more complicated. A decision to engage in military action have far-reaching affects, and when the most powerful country in the world is involved, these effects are bound to impact the entire planet.

So let's summarize our current situation:

1) Congress supported--overwhelmingly--military action in Iraq.
2) The war has been mismanaged, leading to an unstable and undesirable situation.
3) Popular support for the war has eroded in light of U.S. casualties.
4) Congress is now delaying funding for the troops, attempting to force the President into a withdrawl.

I have no desire to politicize this argument. Both parties have made mistakes in allowing things to arrive at their current state. But we cannot abandon a war just because the American people have grown tired of it. Here are a couple of facts that must be considered:

1) If we pull out of Iraq, we will leave chaos behing us. Warlords will capture the country, making it a foothold for terrorism and extremists, including the Iranian government.
2) We are at war, whether we are in Iraq or not. This is not a cold war, as was our standoff with the Soviet Union. The global terrorism community has attacked us on our soil and is constantly seeking ways and means to attack again.

September 11, 2001 may seem like a long time ago to some people. Grieving may have--for the most part--subsided, and America seems to be fully functioning again. But there are sure to be more threats on Americans, and leaving Iraq would surely provide a training and staging ground for an enemy that is currently at war with us.

So my question to anyone who favors a withdrawl is this: When would you support going back into Iraq? When we are attacked by terrorists who train there? When we discover that Iran is moving their own WMDs into Iraq to avoid detection from the U.N.? When genocide and torture become the only government?

Whether or not the decision to go to war in Iraq was right, the decision to leave now is wrong. This is not an opinion, this is not a political posturing, this is not conjecture. This is simple fact. Leaving Iraq now would be WRONG. It leaves America open to further attack, strengthens the Iranian position in the region, reinforces terrorism, and opens the door for genocide and tribal warfare. Might we save the lives of some American troops? Only in the short term, because it is a guarantee that if we leave that mess now, a bigger one will appear, and we will have to fight again.

Americans are competitive people. This has led to success in many arenas, but it is hurting us politically. The two parties are constantly looking for ways to win, instead looking for ways to do what is right. The American people themselves see us losing a war, and want to quit. They see American soldiers dying. They see poor leadership at the highest levels. But the fact remains that it will cost us more to leave than to stay, and just because it appears we are losing, that does not make it time to cut-and-run. Leaving now would result in chaos.

I beg both parties to stop the bickering and work together to find a solution. Many American people simply have not thought through the consequences of withdrawl. I hope, dear readers, that you have the common sense to see that pulling out does nothing positive for our country. Troops will return home only to be sent out again, and into much worse circumstances. Sometimes we have to let go of what we want emotionally and look at all the facts. This is one of those times.

Pulling out of Iraq is not honest change, it is a short-term response to a long-term problem that will weaken our national security and strengthen an enemy committed to killing not just our soldiers, but our children, our seniors, and our civilians. Like it or not--and I don't like it--we must stay until stability is achieved.