Lieberman offers clear assessment on Iraq

[myboynoah]

Do people really understand what is at stake here?

One Choice in Iraq

[il Padrino Ute]

Originally Posted by myboynoah

Do people really understand what is at stake here?

One Choice in Iraq

Lieberman is a good man and spot on. Those who want to run away like cowards have conveniently decided to ignore the civilians who are being murdered by the terrorists. Withdrawing is not the answer in Vietnam and it is not the answer now. It's time to turn up the military force a few notches and fight this as it needs to be.

[MikeWaters]

If staying in Iraq means that we have to abandon an all-volunteer military, will you support staying?

[il Padrino Ute]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

If staying in Iraq means that we have to abandon an all-volunteer military, will you support staying?

Yes, I will.

It's time for the politicians to step aside and allow the military to run the war.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by il Padrino Ute

Yes, I will.

It's time for the politicians to step aside and allow the military to run the war.

The military won't support a draft. So if you say that a draft may be necessary you would be injecting politics (or what I call 'reality') into the process, that the military hierarchy would not support.

[il Padrino Ute]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

The military won't support a draft. So if you say that a draft may be necessary you would be injecting politics (or what I call 'reality') into the process, that the military hierarchy would not support.

What you say is true; perhaps it's because there are enough people volunteering for the military even today. Still, I still believe that we need to allow the military to make all the decisions in this war and for the politicians in DC to support those decisions.

A very good friend of mine is in the National Guard here in Utah and has been deployed and returned safely both times. His biggest complaint about what is happening over there is that the troops are not allowed to kill the enemy if the enemy shoots at them from a mosque, as school, a house or any place where collateral damage may occur. He has had friends injured of killed by snipers who shoot at them from mosques and unless that sniper comes out of the mosque under his own free will, they can't return fire. This is the result of politicians getting in the way.

[MikeWaters]

The United States can't win at any cost.

If we wanted to win at any cost we would firebomb any neighborhood where we were attacked.

This may frustrate some soldiers, but those soldiers aren't realistic.

The entire thing is political, and the only solution is political. This war can't be won with bullets. I hope your friend will understand that.

[Cali Coug]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

The United States can't win at any cost.

If we wanted to win at any cost we would firebomb any neighborhood where we were attacked.

This may frustrate some soldiers, but those soldiers aren't realistic.

The entire thing is political, and the only solution is political. This war can't be won with bullets. I hope your friend will understand that.

Agreed.

The "totally take the gloves off and let the military run the war" has several problems. There is a reason the Constitution put the civilian authorities in charge of the military authorities.

[il Padrino Ute]

Originally Posted by Cali Coug

Agreed.

The "totally take the gloves off and let the military run the war" has several problems. There is a reason the Constitution put the civilian authorities in charge of the military authorities.

I can agree with this.

World War II was treated by politicians as a war. They knew that the threat of Nazi Germany was real and that it had to be stopped. Politicians in World War I did the same.

Contrast that with the politicians today.

[il Padrino Ute]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

The United States can't win at any cost.

If we wanted to win at any cost we would firebomb any neighborhood where we were attacked.

This may frustrate some soldiers, but those soldiers aren't realistic.

The entire thing is political, and the only solution is political. This war can't be won with bullets. I hope your friend will understand that.

Why do you believe that those soldiers aren't realistic?

I understand that it's terrible that civilians die in war and my friend doesn't want that to happen, but he'd like to be able to defend himself and his fellow soldiers if he gets deployed once again (and he is willing to go again if necessary).