"by August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end"

[d-ray657]

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

Maybe.

But I refuse to pay to maintain a standing army there forever. Same goes for Afghanistan. Actually, most of the bases elsewhere in the world need to go as well. We have more important and pressing money issues at home, to be paying out almost $800,000,000,000 EVERY YEAR so the GOP and the Military brass can take their kickbacks and play with their toys. The Navy can protect trade and shipping routes, after all that was their original purpose anyways.

Maybe we could redirect some of those resources to protect our borders, Pete?

I just want my country to stop trying to run the whole effin' world and concentrate on taking care of it's own. Is that really so bad?

Dave

Dadgummit Dave, you did it again. You nailed the point down with a couple of perfect strokes. Nice post and an absolutely necessary policy.

Regards,

D-Ray

[Fast_Eddie]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

So we will no longer have any combat missions in Iraq.

Pete

Major combat missions in Iraq ended on May 1st 2003.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_Mi...plished_Speech

If I were a Republican I'd not be quick to call Obama a lier on this. He's come far closer to delivering than the last guy did. And he hasn't held a photo op in an effort to gain politically on the backs of our troops.

This isn't the pot calling the kettle black. This is the crook calling he cop a thief. And it's another diversion. Rather than talking about where we are and how we should move forward as a nation, we're arguing about which President of our great nation is the bigger lier. Not likely to be a line of thought that leads to a solution.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Fast_Eddie

Major combat missions in Iraq ended on May 1st 2003.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_Mi...plished_Speech

If I were a Republican I'd not be quick to call Obama a lier on this. He's come far closer to delivering than the last guy did. And he hasn't held a photo op in an effort to gain politically on the backs of our troops.

This isn't the pot calling the kettle black. This is the crook calling he cop a thief. And it's another diversion. Rather than talking about where we are and how we should move forward as a nation, we're arguing about which President of our great nation is the bigger lier. Not likely to be a line of thought that leads to a solution.

Ed, you are 100% correct.

From what I understand, the personnel on the carrier hung the "Mission Accomplished" sign on their own. But it doesn't really matter.

What does matter is the fact that we're all in the same boat. Both Bush and Obama did, and are, doing the best that they can under difficult situations.

The situation has never been made worse by being civil and understanding...as far as I know.

Chas

[noonereal]

Originally Posted by Charles

Ed, you are 100% correct.

From what I understand, the personnel on the carrier hung the "Mission Accomplished" sign on their own. But it doesn't really matter.



Chas

they why does he regret it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNSQgZGhJkE

here is the sign, this was not thrown together by the sailors

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1fjmr-Kmxk

They may have hung the sign on their own but it was clearly choreographed along with Bush's arrival.

But honestly, it's just not a big deal. Going into Iraq was the big deal.

[Fast_Eddie]

Originally Posted by Charles

What does matter is the fact that we're all in the same boat. Both Bush and Obama did, and are, doing the best that they can under difficult situations.

The situation has never been made worse by being civil and understanding...as far as I know.

Agreed. I would love to turn on the TV and see someone, anyone, talking about the best way forward in Iraq and Afghanistan. If they talk about it at all anymore it's just one side saying the other messed it up worse than their side did. I would be interested in hearing about what the dynamics of the situation are, what our long term goals and plans are and differing ideas about how they might be accomplished. I would like to hear that from people who aren't already decided that whatever the other guy says is not only wrong, but dangerous and stupid and almost certainly he is a subversive who is trying to undermine American security. I've had plenty of that.

Take care,


Ed

(edit) Oh, for the record, I wasn't referring to the banner. I was referring to the text of the speech and was paraphrasing the opening line.

"Admiral Kelly, Captain Card, officers and sailors of the USS Abraham Lincoln, my fellow Americans: Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the Battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed. And now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country."

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Fast_Eddie

Agreed. I would love to turn on the TV and see someone, anyone, talking about the best way forward in Iraq and Afghanistan. If they talk about it at all anymore it's just one side saying the other messed it up worse than their side did. I would be interested in hearing about what the dynamics of the situation are, what our long term goals and plans are and differing ideas about how they might be accomplished. I would like to hear that from people who aren't already decided that whatever the other guy says is not only wrong, but dangerous and stupid and almost certainly he is a subversive who is trying to undermine American security. I've had plenty of that.

Take care,


Ed

You and I are on the same page, my friend.

Moving forward is the only alternative, as moving backward is impossible. The water has passed under the bridge.

Chas

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by Charles

Ed, you are 100% correct.

From what I understand, the personnel on the carrier hung the "Mission Accomplished" sign on their own. But it doesn't really matter.

What does matter is the fact that we're all in the same boat. Both Bush and Obama did, and are, doing the best that they can under difficult situations.

The situation has never been made worse by being civil and understanding...as far as I know.

Chas

While true to a degree, it's only right to hold people (Dubya) to account (historically in this instance) for grave errors in statesmanship lest we be doomed to make such stupid decisions again. Rather than accepting the "given the circumstances, I'd have done the same again" platitudes, we should, as a nation, acknowledge that we f*cked up royally in Iraq and that this f*ck-up was a result of our hubris combined with very poor intelligence.

[noonereal]

Originally Posted by finnbow

hubris combined with very poor intelligence.

being elite would account for his hubris and I don't think has poor intelligence just average with no intellectual curiosity

[BlueStreak]

A few years late, but better late than never. And the GOP will scream that next terror attack was because of this, regardless of the size or circumstance of the incident itself.

[piece-itpete]

We never planned on keeping the high level of troops there.

So you guys are OK with Obamas weaseling around with this? Reminds me of his campaign.

Oh yeah, that's right......

Pete