The Surge Is Not Working
August 17, 2007
This week has been one of the bloodiest in years. Suicide bombings this week claimed over 500 lives. The worst part, from a security standpoint, was that they occured in Northern Iraq.
Up until recently, the Kurdish controlled Northern Iraq had been relatively secure. However, it seems that even that region is decending into violence.
Recent reports have suggested that in order for the “surge” to actually be successful, it will take several years, and far more troops than the US can acquire with a volunteer force.
However, short of Hitler’s resurrection, it doesn’t not appear likely a draft has any political support. Particularly not for such an unpopular war. Personally, I think one year of mandatory public service when someone turns 18 is a good idea, and would make us a stronger, smarter, more honorable nation. However, forcing an 18-year-old to get shot at in Iraq does not seem like a good idea.
But let’s pretend for a second, that there are only two options (you won’t have to pretend very hard). Reconstitute the draft, and finishing nation-building in Iraq (we should really start calling it that instead of the War in Iraq). Or, leave now, and hope that the Iraqis who hate us defeat the Iraqis who hate us enough to come to America and blow stuff up. Which would you choose?
Well, liking neither of those two very narrow options, i’d choose to abandon Iraq as far as troops go.
Iraq is a mess and I don’t believe the folks there want it to recover even as much as we want to see it go. What at least some of the locals over there want isn’t ever going to happen. (that their side suddenly wipes out everyone else) It is sad to me that a culture could support such wholesale slaughter of their own people.
So yes, leave, abandon them to their own devices, and let none of them come here until they settle their affairs over there.