gideon1789's blog
Posted at 12:00am on Apr. 9, 2008 Standing Down from Iraq Will Not Make the Iraqis More Likely to Stand Up
By gideon1789
[promoted from diaries by haystack...I would be the loudest proponent of withdrawal too, gideon1789...well timed and well said my friend...]
In his column in the L.A. Times today, Max Boot points out:
"The question that opponents of the war effort have to answer is: Will Iraq's problems become better or worse if we pull our troops out? Few who have spent any time in Iraq doubt that an American withdrawal would trigger chaos that would make the recent fighting in Basra look like a picnic. That would be not only a terrible stain on our honor (we might be indirectly responsible for genocide) but a significant strategic setback because it could destabilize the entire region."
All well and good, Mr. Boot, but you have ignored the fact that proponents of retreat do have an answer for this question, which is, in my own phrasing:
"Far from hurting Iraq, a retreat would do the most to help Iraq. The Iraqis are free riding on American forces. They won't provide for their own security until we leave. We have to leave to force them to stand up for themselves."
It is this position that supporters of the mission in Iraq must confront. It is not enough to assert that retreat would mean chaos. War opponents argue that the converse is true.
It would be very, very nice if the war opponents were right. If they were, I'd be the loudest proponent of withdrawal. But it goes against all the experience we have had thus far in Iraq.
More below the fold...
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Posted at 1:50pm on Apr. 8, 2008 The New "One-Stop Shop" For News & Analysis About Iraq
By gideon1789
I encourage you to check out the Iraq Status Report web site, http://www.IraqStatusReport.com.
This new site is a collaborative effort by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), and The Long War Journal providing the “one-stop-shop” on the Internet for news, commentary and analysis related to the U.S. Mission in Iraq.
Included are recent articles on Iraq by many distinguished columnists and journalists as well as research and analysis by leading experts including Cliff May and Daveed Gartenstein-Ross (FDD), Kim Kagan (President, ISW) and Bill Roggio (Editor, Long War Journal).
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Posted at 5:18pm on Mar. 25, 2008 House to House... to House! Support War Hero David Bellavia for Congress
By gideon1789
With the retirement of Rep. Reynolds in district NY-26 in Buffalo, former Staff Sergeant David Bellavia is on the verge of running for the empty seat. He hasn’t announced yet, but is likely to do so any day now. The Corner learned a few days ago that Bellavia wants to gauge the potential support for his candidacy before deciding. The district is Republican, so if he gets his party’s nomination, he will probably win the general election.
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Posted at 7:01pm on Mar. 23, 2008 My Telegram to the Chinese Communists (and Three Cheers for Speaker Pelosi!)
By gideon1789
Promoted from diaries - and, a note to the unworthy successors to the Sons of Heaven? Please be advised that even when we of the United States of America require a foreign opinion on any holder of the office of Speaker of the House - a title that predates your own regime by several generations - it will be some time before we work our way down to nation-states that have yet to see their first century, let alone their first successful one.
And even then, we will probably first inquire of the Republic of China. - Moe Lane
[Hat tip to Academic Elephant for alerting us all to this in "RedHot".]
While the Chinese violently choke Tibet - consistent with the Chinese policy of the last 60 years - Speaker Pelosi visited the headquarters of the Tibetan government in exile and condemned their country's cruel subjection.
The trip had been planned weeks in advance, but Speaker Pelosi did not merely follow the plans she had made previously. "Perhaps it is our karma, perhaps it is our fate we be with you at this time," she remarked.
Indeed, perhaps it was.
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Posted at 12:19am on Mar. 14, 2008 You Will Love This Jon Stewart Show Report On Berkeley And The Marines
By gideon1789
I haven't seen anyone post this yet and y'all should really watch it right now. Just put down whatever you're doing and take a gander. You'll be happier for it, I promise, much happier.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=163653&title=marin...
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Posted at 2:55pm on Mar. 5, 2008 Reporting Directly From General Odierno's Talk This Morning At The Heritage Foundation In D.C
By gideon1789
March 5, 2008, WASHINGTON – General Odierno spoke at the Heritage Foundation this morning regarding the changes in Iraq over the last fifteen months and where the nation is headed now. Following his brief remarks, which lasted about twenty minutes, he responded to questions for about half-an-hour.
Gen. Odierno was introduced by James Carafano, Assistant Research Director and Senior Research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, who pointed out that Gen. Odierno has now fought in “The Long War” longer than American generals fought in World War II. Gen. Odierno then rose to present a vigorous defense of the success thus far of the new strategy that Multi-National Forces in Iraq began implementing early in 2007, but warned that serious threats and obstacles remain and that full success would take many years more. A tall, robust man with a determined regard, Gen. Odierno’s bearing itself seemed to communicate a conviction that victory could and should be achieved, despite the additional time and sacrifices required.
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Posted at 5:31pm on Mar. 4, 2008 Iraq Summer 2 - The Revenge: The Massive New Anti-War Effort And What You Can Do To Stop It
By gideon1789
Promoted by Jeff
THE NEW $20 MILLION ANTI-WAR COALITION
Anti-war groups are joining together for a huge and well-funded new push to bring about America’s surrender in Iraq. Reuters reported recently:
"Democratic grass roots organizations on Monday launched a $20 million campaign to defeat Republican John McCain in the 2008 U.S. presidential election by focusing their attention on rising costs of the Iraq war.
"The campaign, supported by former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, aims to link war spending with the ailing U.S. economy.
***
"The groups plan to spend at least $20 million on advertisements and grass-roots efforts to work to defeat McCain and some key lawmakers who support the war and are up for reelection.
"Groups taking part in the new campaign are the Center for American Progress, USAction, MoveOn.org, VoteVets.org, Service Employees International Union and Americans United for Change."
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN2524736320080225
Read on.
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Posted at 12:34am on Feb. 29, 2008 Pew: 47% Want To Persevere In Iraq. Can We Get It To 55%?
By gideon1789
The Pew Research Center - a liberal polling group - has just released a study which states that 47% of Americans want to keep the troops in Iraq, as opposed to 49% who prefer to begin withdrawing them. In other words, the numbers are nearly even. Also, 47% is up five points from Pew's November report. If this information is correct, it is a huge change, and represents the first time in about a year-and-a-half that close to 50% of the country supported the mission. (Thanks, Ben Domenech, for alerting us to this news in RedHot.)
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Posted at 4:35pm on Feb. 26, 2008 Sen. Lieberman's Speech Today Opposing The Iraq Surrender Bill And Chastising Fellow Democrats [updated again]
By gideon1789
Sen. Feingold's "Iraq Surrender, er, Redeployment Act of 2007" proposal would, if passed, require the retreat of most soldiers from Iraq within six months. According to Sen. Feingold, running from Al Qaeda, Iran and Syria, and abandoning our Iraqi allies, will help us win the war on radical Islamic terrorism.
Sen. Lieberman gave the speech below in opposition to the bill. (It is not yet online on Sen. Lieberman's site, so I can't link to it. I'm sure it will be up in the next week or two.)
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Posted at 10:43am on Feb. 24, 2008 Gov. Huckabee Goes On Saturday Night Live
By gideon1789
I'm still speechless, but very amused.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvSXpM5qGmg
"Well, Seth, the media loves to throw around the term 'mathematical' and 'impossibility' but no one can ever explain exactly what that means to me."
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Posted at 10:13am on Jan. 31, 2008 Health Warning: MCDS Spreading Rapidly Among RedStaters
By gideon1789
Incidents of McCain Derangement Syndrome rise sharply around these parts every time the senator wins a primary.
Running my eye down the list of diaries just this morning (and ignoring all the other recent comments), I see 5 or 6 virulently anti-McCain diaries, which gently break it to me that McCain supporters are Kool-Aid drinkers, doncha know, and McCain is a Kerry-like flip-flopper, a Gollum look-alike, and a liberal Democrat's dream.
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Posted at 3:20pm on Jan. 29, 2008 Why This McCainiac Will Vote For Romney If He Is Nominated
By gideon1789
BlackRepub, a Romney supporter, has published a diary (now in the recommended section) explaining why he will vote for McCain in the general election if he is the nominee.
http://www.redstate.com/blogs/blackrepub/2008/jan/29/i_will_support_john...
He has challenged McCain supporters to do the same - explain why they will support Romney in the general should he become the nominee.
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Posted at 1:35am on Jan. 21, 2008 The Evening's Non-Primary Diary: The Bigotry Of The Far Left
By gideon1789
(There is currently not one single non-primary diary available. So here's a bit of relief for the weary. I suppose I could have chosen a more uplifting topic... Next time, perhaps.)
Just for kicks, take a look sometime at the stuff Prof. Juan Cole is writing at his blog: http://www.juancole.com/
Here is an excerpt from his second-to-most-recent post, entitled "Iraq Is Still A Bad Bargain," which implicitly accuses Bill Kristol and Frederick Kagan of greater loyalty to Israel than to the U.S.:
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Posted at 1:03pm on Jan. 20, 2008 Open-Minded Oxford Hosts A Debate: DOES Israel Have A Right To Exist? Hmmm....
By gideon1789
Jolly good fun!
http://www.oxford-union.org/hilary?SQ_CALENDAR_VIEW=event&SQ_CALENDAR_EV...
Yes you read correctly! Norman Finkelstein, celebrated Israel basher, and Holocaust minimizer, is arguing *FOR* the proposition that the colonial occupier Israel has a right to exist! (At the first debate of this question, all will remember the scintiallating first affirmative speech given by Yasser Arafat.)
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Posted at 10:59pm on Jan. 16, 2008 Internal Senate Memo On The Latest Progress In Iraq (And There's Lots Of It)
By gideon1789
I know that RedState diaries are supposed to contain more analysis than information-sharing, but this internal Senate memorandum alone is worth our attention. It provides a brief but comprehensive update of the political progress occurring in Iraq. While many RedStaters keep up on latest events in Iraq, especially through the reports of soldiers and independent journalists, this memorandum puts all the most recent relevant information in one place (non-classified and unprivileged information, of course).
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