Liberating Iraq and bringing the Iraqi people democracy is the right thing to do! God told me so! Keeping in mind that I will not change my beliefs on the war on terror, what shouold I do to boost my approval ratings? Offer more tax cuts? How about cutting more social services?
200895
George remember we all got together the other day and discussed this. My god you are like retarded or something. Dick came up with the idea to have a huge festival. Is any of this ringing a bell? The games, the rides, the BBQ and the dunk tank? We could have people pay alot of money to throw balls at a white lever and if they hit you drop into a tank of oil. You were completely stoked. You even said that you could use all the money you raised as a nest egg if you get fired!\nI swear sometimes I think I'm talking to Ronald Reagan before he passed away!
442793
Well, I can tell you from my experiance that I thought we where making a difference. But I can also tell you I have friends I served with that think we are not. So the answers here will deffinately be as varied as the political parties we have in our country. Democracy is something that Iraq has never had. EVER! So there has been alot of problems. Theres Bath party members (That party was banned) Causing trouble. Religious differences, causing trouble. And a large and I mean very large segment of the population that do want to be free, go to work and just raise there families. The Kurds in the northern part of the country have had zero problem with all this and are doing very well. Whats the long term prognosis? I Don't know, I wish I had a crystal ball and could tell you and everyone for that matter. I believe in what we tried to do, and certainly feel it was the best for them, us, and everybody else in the world. I was in neighborhoods where everyone shook your hand and smiled, and they where all friendly. Two blocks away someone set up an IED, and people watched them do it, and nobody said a word to us. Theres alot of faces in Iraq, too many to be honest. But we are trying, and probably only time will tell. I'm being optimistic, but there will be others that are not.\n\nYour right Katie, they certainly do, it always made my day brighter.
205833
Now what is the point of anyone who disagrees with you answering this question?  You're making more of a political statement, seems to me, and you don't really care to know the truth.  First of all, President Bush does not make all the decisions.  If you're still in school, I recommend you take civics and stop listening to everyone else.  In civics you learn about this groovy thing called DEMOCRACY, which our country still is a democratic nation.  You also learn that there are THREE branches to the government, not just the President and Vice President.\nI'm sorry if I sound condescending, but...I guess I'm annoyed and I'm taking it out on you.  Why am I annoyed?  Because the people who disagree with me for stupid reasons try to call me narrow-minded.  And when I say stupid reasons, I mean reasons I can disprove completely.  \nAlso because people who have no idea what's really going on in Iraq protest the war.  But they don't know what they're protesting.  Yeah, let's just pull out, let the insurgency win, let them take out the Iraqi government (which has been built back up from scratch in the last three years!), and put a new dictator in charge!  Hey, maybe the next one won't be as nice as Hussein (who, um, wasn't nice at all), but that's okay, because too many soldiers have died (1.5 a day on average according to my calculations using exact numbers of how many soldiers have been in combat over the last three years.  It took a few minutes, but I figured it out!), never mind the fact that if we pull out, all of those deaths will mean NOTHING.  That means that in a few years, we get to do away with another dictator...maybe after they kill a few hundred thousand.  But hey, that's okay, that would still mean that we'd be out of Iraq, and that's all that matters, right?\nI hate to break it to you, but the government is not all powerful.  Not only that, but no, they really DON'T care about you, as an individual.  They care about the different groups, and try to represent each as well as they can.  They're only human.  Imagine for a moment with me:  Our federal government has, what, 300?  Maybe 400?  Those select few have to make decisions for ALL Americans.  How many is that?  About 100-200 million?\nYou're not seeing the whole picture.  How is Bush supposed to stop the war?  Go over to the insurgents with some flowers and a white flag?  Within seconds of him doing that, Cheney would have to be sworn in.  \nI hope that whoever we elect in 2008 has the guts to resolve the issue in the Middle East, despite all the protesters.  I hope they listen to the soldiers on the ground, instead of everyone else.
392677
I have a tendency to think right now that the democrats are just flexing their new found muscles.The New York Times this morning was all talk about how the democrats were only in a hurry about getting the Iraqi war situation in hand and establishing a withdrawal date.\nPolitics are all about compromise,both party's do it all the time.Neither will get all of what they want,its a trade off.There were a lot of moderate Democrats that were elected,not all are of the "lets give away the farm"attitude.\nI keep saying that each side of this issue are getting in too big a hurry to claim victory.After all what have the pro illegals won,yet? Nothing,the anti war /anti Bush faction won.I personally will take a wait and see stance on this.\nTime will tell the whole story.In the mean time,I'm contacting my states government,and this nations government officials and letting them know my views on immigration.The fights not over,its only just started.\nNo to blanket amnesty,\nsecure our borders
609258
I served during the push toward Baghdad and I am very happy with how it is going. How many chances do you get to participate in creating a democracy? One which, even with the violence, has higher voter turn-out than we have here?
578073
Well the democrats are showing us what they believe now.  We should withdraw from Iraq even though the job is not done and "hope" that terrorist groups don't thrive there and train to hit us again.  They also want to open the southern border to let millions of people in freely.  So their agenda is pretty set when comes to the war on terrorism....with the democrats you Pray Alot....except around Christmas when that is forbidden.
348106
As far as I can tell - defeat ion Iraq is seen as beneficial to the Democratic party.\n\nDefeat is also seen as more profitable for the news media.\n\nThe sad thing is all the people who want to abandon the Iraqi people to the terrorists.
480682
First, thanks for your service.  We're all indebted for your bravery and commitment.\n\nSecond...what is your exact point re: Democrats' hopes?  I'm not following....\n\nADDENDUM: Thanks for clarifying that.\n\nAs Clinton himself remarked on the eve of the November elections, there's a huge difference between "cut and run", and "Stop and think".  The Bush Administration and former architect Rumsfeld did not approach this conflict very well.  Unrealistic expectations about Iraqis greeting our troops with flowers, to the resilience of the insurgency, to the civil war erupting, show a complete lack of foresight and preparedness.  I too, have talked with soldiers back from Iraq and many are angry about being thrown into a war without adequate body armor, no clear exit strategy, and a sense of aimlessness while friends were getting picked off or blown up.  I consider our soldier boys and soldier girls to be one of the most squandered resources under Bush's rule, they deserve better.  They deserve a war based on actual intelligence, and with some attainable goals.  As tired as this comparison must be, it is a Vietnam for the New Millenium.  Pulling out would be cutting our losses short, since what I think stalwart supporters of our current military operations are holding out for is not realistically attainable or of any benefit to our nation. The Iraqis are all adults, they can fix it from here.  And the US presence is insipring insurgency recruitment and anti-American sentiment worldwide.  I say this not to dismiss your contribution or those of your comrades, but to simply say there comes a time to cut bait and recover, and that time may well be close at hand.
43046
Well--it's nice to know you've got an open mind.  I'm sure it's easy for you to think all liberals feel as you suggest, since you likely feel the exact opposite.\n\nFirst, let's try and keep Iraq and terrorism separate.  I think it may be the single biggest bill of goods Americans have been sold by the administration.  I am 100% behind our nation's effort to fight terrorism, provided we do it in a way that upholds the best traditions of our nation.  We simply cannot sink to the level of others just because "that's the way the game is played".  We cannot break laws and trample on people's rights just because it's easier that way.\n\nAs for Iraq, it seems obvious to me that our invasion had NOTHING to do with terrorism.  Unfortunately, we're in a mess there that we created.  Am I glad Saddam is out?  Of course.  Do I think a democratically-elected government in Iraq is important?  Darn right.  Am I proud we were able to bring it about?  Sure.  But America cannot just decide that a nation isn't operating the way we'd like and then invade it because it's the right thing to do.  It's just like the whole NSA spying business. I doubt there is a single American who doesn't believe they should be checking out suspicious individuals.  But bypassing legal DUE PROCESS for any reason is not the way we do it here--at least it shouldn't be.  It's no wonder Republicans in Congress are starting to back away from Bush on this.\n\nIt looks to me we are stuck in Iraq until we can make it safe enough to leave.  Despite many American's anger at our presence there, you will likely find grudging support for a logical exit.  I'm proud of the young men and women who are there putting their lives on the line--and many losing them--in service of our nation.  I just pray that their sacrifices haven't been in vain.
423761
we need to reduce our troops in Iraq....... leave a small amount to support the Iraq army...... let them take the brunt of their security.\n\nwe went over there to remove Sadam..... he is gone..... we went to help them start their own government...... they have one...... we are in the middle of their own civil war..... we werent invited to come over....... we need to step down so they can step up...... when they decide what they want we can help them if they are invaded by a foreign force \n\nbut until then they have to take control their own security... as long as we are there they wont bother with their own security\n\nyou cant fight an idea with a gun
583984
Well I'm all for removal of the troops but I see 2 problems with this (going by only what you have told me btw)\n\n1. We can't make deals with the insurgents. That is for the new Iraqi government to do, not us.\n\n2. The question remains: are they willing to recognize the new Iraqi government as the sole controlling power within Iraq even after we leave?
646214
Koo Koo - If you can't think of one way that we have helped Iraq you are very misguided. We have saved an entire society from a leader who didn't believe in personal freedoms, who created rape rooms and gassed his own people. You claim that are president is so bad, and that the conservatives are so bad, take a look at the big picture instead of the narrow hallways of your very very liberal mind.
345100
Murtha is an idiot.  The Iraqi people need time to stabilize their government and become strong enough to protect themselves from the terrorists.\n\nHave you forgotten that the Iraqi people have defied death threats in order to vote for democracy?  \n\nThe fact of the matter is that the situation in Iraq is better than the media suggests.
398197
That poll has been shot to death already, they asked 150 Sunni.  I am shocked that they didn't get 100% since the Sunni is Saddams people, 99% of the baathist party who lost power when we came in, no wonder they want us out.  BTW, they are also most of the insurgents and suicide killers in Iraq right now.
385579
True democracy is a grand concept, but unworkable in reality. The will of all cannot be appeased because you will never have complete agreement. Therefore we use representative democracy which accounts for the shortcomings of true democracy by catering to the will of the majority. No one is forcing anyone to believe a particular way. We may be manipulated by rhetoric, but you cannot be manipulated if you learn the facts. If you do not learn the facts then by extension you must be happy with the system. Either way people in free societies are not being suppressed, but they are in other forms of government in the world.  As to Iraq we do not have to force the country to accept democracy. What we have to do is give them the opportunity to decide for themselves. In the end democracy may not take there, but the people deserve at least the chance at governing themselves. Lastly, it is apparent you are not a fan of democracy so please propose alternatives. Democracy may not be perfect, but from my vantage point it beats all alternatives hands down.
425867
Depends--What's your idea of "real democracy"?  Is it where citizens vote for who they want to lead them?  Is so, then I seem to recall a few newspapers might have had a FRIGGIN HUGE PURPLE-INKED THUMB ON THEIR FRONT PAGES after elections in Iraq.  I'm not really sure what that means, though.  Maybe it's just a secret club or something.
350118
Go big.  We made this mess, we have a responsibility to clean it up.  We need to stabilize that region.  Walking away will only let the chaos we've already created escalate.\n\nIt was an incredibly stupid thing to do from the outset, going into Iraq.  Bush, and the people who supported him shouldn't be still calling the shots over there, based on their track record alone.  But, for the first time since the man took office, I find myself agreeing with him on one point.  It's a mistake to leave Iraq in this mess.  The entire region will implode. \n\nHowever, it's idiotic to say that troop levels over there are sufficient, they are woefully inadequate at best.   Big--overwhelmingly big, preferably--is the only chance we have at getting control.\n\nBTW--I've voted pretty much straight Democrat in all elections, this last one included.  The need for change in our leadership is obvious and necessary, but I believe we can't afford to compound the error we made (I say 'we' because over half of this country supported the invasion of Iraq, so much so that 'we' re-elected Bush for a second term) by leaving Iraq to it's fate.  We will never see the end of violence in that region if we don't get control of it now.  If we leave, and Iraq becomes a terrorist stronghold, how long do you imagine it will be until Israel is engaged?  Anyone fancy a nuclear war in your lifetime?\n\n\nArcticchick--you seem to have forgotten that convenient intelligence failures, coverups, and deliberate circulation of misinformation have been the main attribute of  GW Bush's administration.   Your selected excerpts do a fine job of implying that, despite the fact that their support was based on erroneous information, the Democrats are to blame for the Iraq invasion.  You demonstrate how well Bush & Co.'s tactics worked--and continue to work--on the segment of America's populace who refuse to acknowledge what terrible consequences have resulted from their support of this administration.