Comments on: What Happens If We Just Pull Out of Iraq? http://jscafenette.com/2007/06/04/what-happens-if-we-just-pull-out-of-iraq/ Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:23:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: ~J~ http://jscafenette.com/2007/06/04/what-happens-if-we-just-pull-out-of-iraq/#comment-1651 ~J~ Tue, 05 Jun 2007 01:11:52 +0000 http://jscafenette.com/2007/06/04/what-happens-if-we-just-pull-out-of-iraq/#comment-1651 Can't argue with that either, Andrew. Except if we do pull out before it's relatively safe (who knows how long?) we should make provision for those who put their lives on the line to help us and US companies over there. We just left the Vietnamese to their own fates and I would hope Congress would have the compassion to make some sort of provision to prevent something like that happening again on such a wide scale. If we allow this to happen again everyone in the world, including terrorists, will know for certain we are indeed paper tigers and our word means nothing. That's why I feel it's important for us to get as many of the bad guys as possible and try to get Maliki or whomever to get a stable government with police and military trained by us to protect their citizens. Can’t argue with that either, Andrew. Except if we do pull out before it’s relatively safe (who knows how long?) we should make provision for those who put their lives on the line to help us and US companies over there. We just left the Vietnamese to their own fates and I would hope Congress would have the compassion to make some sort of provision to prevent something like that happening again on such a wide scale.

If we allow this to happen again everyone in the world, including terrorists, will know for certain we are indeed paper tigers and our word means nothing.

That’s why I feel it’s important for us to get as many of the bad guys as possible and try to get Maliki or whomever to get a stable government with police and military trained by us to protect their citizens.

]]> By: Andrew Schlewitz http://jscafenette.com/2007/06/04/what-happens-if-we-just-pull-out-of-iraq/#comment-1648 Andrew Schlewitz Tue, 05 Jun 2007 00:05:26 +0000 http://jscafenette.com/2007/06/04/what-happens-if-we-just-pull-out-of-iraq/#comment-1648 I didn't communicate well. My point wasn't to dredge up the initial action itself, but to say that that it has ended up in a situation where there is no good or best way out of this bloody morass. There are awful costs, and few benefits to exiting quickly, or staying to some indeterminate time when the killing has settled down. Or, back to my long division analogy--there's no way to fix that long division problem by just continuing to do calculations when the errors are at the outset. I'm not sure why the ending in Vietnam--the embassy roof scene--is that much more horrific than what is already happening on the ground, or what is to come if we keep looking for a way to save all the people we've already left hanging out to dry. I think trying to avoid humiliation and deny impending failure is just going to make it worse. As for the companies over there that believed the US government and/or tried to cash in on US reconstruction bucks--they'll have ample time to get out of there. But yes, no doubt those who openly allied themselves with the US will be in danger. But given all the cross-cutting tensions, who won't be in danger (even the Kurds esconsed in their territory will have to worry)? I didn’t communicate well. My point wasn’t to dredge up the initial action itself, but to say that that it has ended up in a situation where there is no good or best way out of this bloody morass. There are awful costs, and few benefits to exiting quickly, or staying to some indeterminate time when the killing has settled down. Or, back to my long division analogy–there’s no way to fix that long division problem by just continuing to do calculations when the errors are at the outset.

I’m not sure why the ending in Vietnam–the embassy roof scene–is that much more horrific than what is already happening on the ground, or what is to come if we keep looking for a way to save all the people we’ve already left hanging out to dry. I think trying to avoid humiliation and deny impending failure is just going to make it worse.

As for the companies over there that believed the US government and/or tried to cash in on US reconstruction bucks–they’ll have ample time to get out of there. But yes, no doubt those who openly allied themselves with the US will be in danger. But given all the cross-cutting tensions, who won’t be in danger (even the Kurds esconsed in their territory will have to worry)?

]]> By: ~J~ http://jscafenette.com/2007/06/04/what-happens-if-we-just-pull-out-of-iraq/#comment-1647 ~J~ Mon, 04 Jun 2007 23:25:18 +0000 http://jscafenette.com/2007/06/04/what-happens-if-we-just-pull-out-of-iraq/#comment-1647 Andrew, we can argue as to whether or not we should have gone into Iraq in the first place until we're blue in the face. The fact is we did. Now, if Congress forces withdrawal of troops prior to the killing settling down, what happens to the people who helped us and our companies if we just leave them there? We both know the answer to that, and I don't look forward to Marines pushing people away from the last helicopter as it lifts off the roof of the embassy, knowing these people will not even get the same chance the Vietnamese got. They will just be beheaded or hanged or some other unthinkable act all for helping us out. It just doesn't seem right. Andrew, we can argue as to whether or not we should have gone into Iraq in the first place until we’re blue in the face. The fact is we did.

Now, if Congress forces withdrawal of troops prior to the killing settling down, what happens to the people who helped us and our companies if we just leave them there? We both know the answer to that, and I don’t look forward to Marines pushing people away from the last helicopter as it lifts off the roof of the embassy, knowing these people will not even get the same chance the Vietnamese got. They will just be beheaded or hanged or some other unthinkable act all for helping us out. It just doesn’t seem right.

]]> By: Andrew Schlewitz http://jscafenette.com/2007/06/04/what-happens-if-we-just-pull-out-of-iraq/#comment-1645 Andrew Schlewitz Mon, 04 Jun 2007 20:43:55 +0000 http://jscafenette.com/2007/06/04/what-happens-if-we-just-pull-out-of-iraq/#comment-1645 It may well be we signalled unreliability initially with the invasion of Iraq. That is, our rep is already damaged. Can pulling out sooner rather than later ruin what's already in tatters? Anyway, I guess we should at least keep trying while simultaneously broaching regional security issues with Iran--thus keeping two options open. But, I think this war is like a long division problem in which the person made the mistake in the first calculation (invasion). Maybe most of the rest of the calculations are correct, but the person will never get the solution, the correct answer. It may well be we signalled unreliability initially with the invasion of Iraq. That is, our rep is already damaged. Can pulling out sooner rather than later ruin what’s already in tatters?

Anyway, I guess we should at least keep trying while simultaneously broaching regional security issues with Iran–thus keeping two options open.

But, I think this war is like a long division problem in which the person made the mistake in the first calculation (invasion). Maybe most of the rest of the calculations are correct, but the person will never get the solution, the correct answer.

]]> By: CMR http://jscafenette.com/2007/06/04/what-happens-if-we-just-pull-out-of-iraq/#comment-1642 CMR Mon, 04 Jun 2007 19:10:04 +0000 http://jscafenette.com/2007/06/04/what-happens-if-we-just-pull-out-of-iraq/#comment-1642 Just hope it doesn't come to this. If it does, many will take us to be unreliable in any situation. Moreover, the impact of that kind of withdrawal will come home with us. Just hope it doesn’t come to this. If it does, many will take us to be unreliable in any situation. Moreover, the impact of that kind of withdrawal will come home with us.

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