It kills me that these protesters are so damn dramatic. I am a US service member that has to sit out this war in Iraq. I was able to fight in the first Gulf War, but now I'm guarding a base. We recently had protesters assembling at out gates and with the help of the State police, were able to quell any ideas they may have had to become violent. I have to thank the protesters and anti-protesters, too - things were kept civil.
The rule of law in this country is so well established. This permits people to peacefully assemble, right? It also generally prevents anyone who disagrees with the anti-war minority, to harm them. It just sort of affirms the general safety and political freedom that our citizens enjoy. I went to the Balkans and it was impressed upon me that our primary interest was to have the country develop an effective rule of law that its citizens trusted. I think that's what we're going to ultimately do in Iraq, too. As far as the human cost, IMO less civilians will ultimately die after we've finished our mission there. It will be at least a generation to reap the rewards of a stable, oil-producing, democratic Islamic country in the mideast. But the rewards greatly outweigh the initial cost (money, U.S. lives, Iraqi civilians, etc...) I have not yet seen an effective demonstration against what's occured in the Congo for the last 4 years. The more I think about it, the anti-war movement is a poorly thought out, reactonary stance against a republican administration. I dunno were I was going, but just some thoughts...perhaps more cogent ones will follow.
The rule of law in this country is so well established. This permits people to peacefully assemble, right? It also generally prevents anyone who disagrees with the anti-war minority, to harm them. It just sort of affirms the general safety and political freedom that our citizens enjoy. I went to the Balkans and it was impressed upon me that our primary interest was to have the country develop an effective rule of law that its citizens trusted. I think that's what we're going to ultimately do in Iraq, too. As far as the human cost, IMO less civilians will ultimately die after we've finished our mission there. It will be at least a generation to reap the rewards of a stable, oil-producing, democratic Islamic country in the mideast. But the rewards greatly outweigh the initial cost (money, U.S. lives, Iraqi civilians, etc...) I have not yet seen an effective demonstration against what's occured in the Congo for the last 4 years. The more I think about it, the anti-war movement is a poorly thought out, reactonary stance against a republican administration. I dunno were I was going, but just some thoughts...perhaps more cogent ones will follow.