Forget about pro/anti war, how about pro-reality

[sweetheart]

The next president will take office with the occupation of iraq in his/her hands. Clearly each candidate believes they have a better answer as to how to take this occupation forward.

Denial won't work. Even Dennis Kucinich will take command of the troops in iraq and military commands across asia... then what? Its all fine to say the war is wrong, but now that it is the situation on the ground, what is the proposal?

I'm reminded of a friend who was spit on on returning from viet nam, "baby killer" and all that crap was shouted by a crowd on his arrival home. This stupid mentaltity cannot rule the policy basis of a serious candidate. What do you propose to do, commander?

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. BRAVO

We need to raelize taht we are THERE, so crying over the IWR is
crying over spilled milk

Realistically we are gonig to be there for a while, UNTIL the world trusts us to the point that they will be willing to help wiht a
take over of the mess, or at least in policing

reality is that the Empire is imploding, and our days as a superpower are probably over

That is the other reality that we will need to recognize

Oh and whoever takes over, the miltiary is now a broken force

[sweetheart]

3. a broken force?

This i don't understand... can you explain?

Doing a somalia in iraq is simply not an option, and if forces are too thin, would even a liberal president need to institute the draft to ensure that the nation did not suffer in its current activities?

How can the iraq situation be de-bush'ized that it becomes stable... as the real enemy al-queda is still at large and growing... what is the policy to target the enemy while taking the burden of occupation off the taxpayer's shoulders?

[Hamlette]

2. a friend?

I thought those stories about spitting on returning vets had been completely debunked.

Having lived through the era we thought the right wing created they myth to make the "dirty hippies" look unpatriotic. I'd be interested in hearing an honest first hand account.

Not to challenge you but I don't believe your friend's account and hate to let the myth go unchallenged.

[Capn Sunshine]

4. Its destined to live on , eventhough it's a lie

thoroghly debunked. Doesn't matter.

[sweetheart]

6. as it was not first hand

i'll accept that said veteran lied to me for no reason... ok.

Doesn't matter. I should not have mentioned it... i only meant to demonstrate that "hating the war and the war makers" is not a reality solution given our current situation.

[sweetheart]

5. yes really

Not in a rambo movie. My friend had a group of protesters at the airport with "baby killer" signs and the real deal.. no shit. People vented their hatred of the war on the veterans... how silly.

Perhaps the opacity of new military operations makes such protests harder.. thankfully...

Off topic, really... though. The answer is not that IRW is wrong, or was wrong... it is here are the keys to 120,000 troops occupying iraq taking a casualty per day... now what?

[Hamlette]

8. the protests against returning vets is a myth

that has been completely debunked. There is not one shred of evidence it every happened.

Sorry to have taken theis tread off topic but its one of the myths about my generation that pisses me off because it is a lie and destructive right wing propaganda.

[w4rma]

7. Remember that many anti-war protestors were GOPers who supported Nixon

because of his secret plan to end the Vietnam War.