[Vision2020] Story from SpokesmanReview.com
Sunil Ramalingam
sunilramalingam@hotmail.com
Thu, 13 May 2004 12:52:24 -0700
<html><div style='background-color:'><P>Pat, </P>
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<P>I read that column this morning over breakfast, and I do have several bones to pick with its author; however, I'll limit myself to my main concern. James Lileks wrote, "We've become so mired in these cliches that we are losing sight of the goal: victory." </P>
<P>Well, what is victory in Iraq? Is it total military victory? Is there a political goal? What is it we are trying to accomplish? How can we know if we've attained a victory if we can't identify our goals? That's why I have kept asking you why you think the President chose to go to war; and I do take the position that this is a war of choice, not necessity. I don't think it's possible to discuss the war without talking about the goals.</P>
<P>If the goal is military victory, and a subjugated population, setting aside the probability that it will take a LOT more troops to achieve and maintain this, do we want Iraq as a colony? Isn't that where military victory leads us?</P>
<P>Carl mentioned that he found himself in the rare position of agreeing with Bush apologist Kathleen Parker recently. (Did you know that she sometimes describes herself as neutral?) She wrote a week ago about the need to make sure we don't repeat what she seems to see as the mistake of Vietnam. In the column she quoted a letter from a sergeant in Baghdad who also served in Vietnam. Here's a snip from that column:</P>
<P>'Again, he remembers the lessons of Vietnam, a war lost politically rather than militarily. </P>
<P><BR>"From my service in Vietnam as a young lieutenant to my experience in Iraq as a somewhat crusty old sergeant, I must ask one thing of our civilian leaders: If you are not going to win, do not send us to war. If you do send us to war, then give us everything we need, not only to win, but to finish the job." '</P>
<P>Again, what's 'the job?' What are we trying to do? And if empire is NOT our goal, than how can we not consider the political implications of our actions?</P>
<P>Sunil<BR><BR></P></DIV>
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