Comments on: Last Gasps in Someone Else’s War http://www.theamericanconservative.com/blog/2009/04/08/last-gasps-in-someone-elses-war/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=last-gasps-in-someone-elses-war @TAC Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:36:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: bill http://www.theamericanconservative.com/blog/2009/04/08/last-gasps-in-someone-elses-war/comment-page-1/#comment-5656 bill Sun, 12 Apr 2009 02:35:54 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/blog/?p=1692#comment-5656 Pulling the troops out now or later will make little difference. The underlying hatred between Shiia and Sunni still exists and will erupt into violence at the slightest pretext. The country will descend into chaos until another strong man emerges and separates these two factions by force and brutality. democracy is a noble idea but it requires a certain political maturity that the Iraqi people seem to lack. The habit of relying on the "strong man" and the cult of personalty is hard to break. God knows we have seen enough evidence of that in our own hemisphere. Pulling the troops out now or later will make little difference. The underlying hatred between Shiia and Sunni still exists and will erupt into violence at the slightest pretext. The country will descend into chaos until another strong man emerges and separates these two factions by force and brutality. democracy is a noble idea but it requires a certain political maturity that the Iraqi people seem to lack. The habit of relying on the “strong man” and the cult of personalty is hard to break. God knows we have seen enough evidence of that in our own hemisphere.

]]> By: Kevin J Jones http://www.theamericanconservative.com/blog/2009/04/08/last-gasps-in-someone-elses-war/comment-page-1/#comment-5609 Kevin J Jones Thu, 09 Apr 2009 04:45:08 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/blog/?p=1692#comment-5609 The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) had recommended Iraq be named a Country of Particular Concern. However, recent reports on the outgoing Bush administration's refusal to designate Iraq a CPC only mentioned that fact in passing. It's strange that this did not receive more attention. Is the USCIRF largely symbolic? The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) had recommended Iraq be named a Country of Particular Concern. However, recent reports on the outgoing Bush administration’s refusal to designate Iraq a CPC only mentioned that fact in passing.

It’s strange that this did not receive more attention. Is the USCIRF largely symbolic?

]]> By: Aaron http://www.theamericanconservative.com/blog/2009/04/08/last-gasps-in-someone-elses-war/comment-page-1/#comment-5592 Aaron Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:36:26 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/blog/?p=1692#comment-5592 <blockquote><em> But life it not that pat and Obama can’t choose his wars. Papering over the reality — that whether we stay or go at this point, we could be leaving behind a greater social and political disaster than when we arrived — does no one any good, not the American people who have made the sacrifice with blood and resources, and not the 29 million Iraqis awaiting their destiny. </em></blockquote> Unfortunately, until humans develop the ability to see into the future, we're faced with questions like that. Will leaving now make things better or worse? Will staying longer improve or worsen the chances of success (as we define it)? The question of whether we're horrified by any particular shocking scene from a war potentially depends upon (a) whether the media covers it, (b) who dropped the bomb, (c) our attitude toward a particular conflict, and (d) our attitude toward war in general. You can get the same person to respond to nearly identical incidents in one case with "That's a horrific war crime that must be avenged," and in another with, "They did their best to avoid civilian casualties, but they're sometimes inevitable." Is the incident you describe more tragic or more horrific if it's caused by a car bombing, or if it occurs after soldiers fire upon a vehicle approaching a checkpoint in a manner they interpreted as hostile or suspicious? Or if it results from a rocket fired at a car of a suspected militant, that turns out to be full of innocent civilians, or to just contain his wife and kids?

But life it not that pat and Obama can’t choose his wars. Papering over the reality — that whether we stay or go at this point, we could be leaving behind a greater social and political disaster than when we arrived — does no one any good, not the American people who have made the sacrifice with blood and resources, and not the 29 million Iraqis awaiting their destiny.

Unfortunately, until humans develop the ability to see into the future, we’re faced with questions like that. Will leaving now make things better or worse? Will staying longer improve or worsen the chances of success (as we define it)?

The question of whether we’re horrified by any particular shocking scene from a war potentially depends upon (a) whether the media covers it, (b) who dropped the bomb, (c) our attitude toward a particular conflict, and (d) our attitude toward war in general. You can get the same person to respond to nearly identical incidents in one case with “That’s a horrific war crime that must be avenged,” and in another with, “They did their best to avoid civilian casualties, but they’re sometimes inevitable.” Is the incident you describe more tragic or more horrific if it’s caused by a car bombing, or if it occurs after soldiers fire upon a vehicle approaching a checkpoint in a manner they interpreted as hostile or suspicious? Or if it results from a rocket fired at a car of a suspected militant, that turns out to be full of innocent civilians, or to just contain his wife and kids?

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