Thursday, July 27, 2006

As the U.S. Squanders its Resources in Iraq, it's Been Rendered Impotent Elsewhere


The real tragedy of the quagmire in Iraq is the effect it's had on the United States' ability to engage its financial, military and political resources elsewhere. Since March 2003, we've squandered $300 billion and 2600 U.S. soldiers' lives on this unjust, poorly planned and ill-fated Bush vanity project. But now with the violence and bloodshed raging out of control in Israel, Lebanon and Gaza, the U.S. appears neutered; unable to effectively inject itself into a dire situation where American diplomacy and perhaps military involvement would normally be a bedrock in the process. In short, we're stuck where we don't belong, and cannot be where we do.

As the need for a multi-nation peacekeeping force in Southern Lebanon becomes paramount towards finding an end to the violence there, the Pentagon has made it clear that U.S. forces are stretched so thin primarily from Iraq that we cannot, unlike in the past, send out troops to participate in this mission.

"As far as boots on the ground, that doesn't seem to be in the cards," said John R. Bolton, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. This position was echoed by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice: "I do not think that it is anticipated that U.S. ground forces . . . are expected for that force."

That we need to rely on France, Turkey and other nations to go it alone without U.S. participation is a sad day for America in its role as the great super-power and defender of freedom. That we now also have to send even more troops to safeguard Baghdad, as announced earlier this week, is mind-numbing. As the Middle East is imploding, with terror organizations and the countries that sponsor them--Syria and Iran--tipping the balance of power, it's criminal that we are so handcuffed by Iraq, so drained by this debacle, that we cannot play a meaningful role in securing the region. I don't care what color your state is, every American should be outraged at the Bush administration for taking this nation down such as self-destructive and wasteful path.

That we're now subjected to the constant cable news images of an impotent United States, with a tired, frustrated Rice with her head in her hands trying to blow smoke up the world's ass while it contributes nothing diplomatically or militarily, is an utter disgrace and an embarrassment. We're the United States of America, for crap's sake, and we're coming off dazed and confused and powerless. It's especially infuriating as we compare America's stature and influence in the world today to that of the FDR, Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy days. In the eyes of the world, and on the political, diplomatic and military stage, America's become a sad joke. And we can thank our court jester Bush for that.

That our nation's military resources and assets are so depleted that we cannot afford to send a few thousand troops into Lebanon is shameful. That this troop shortage precludes us from defending an ally and our own interests in the region is both maddening and frightening.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Defending an ally? Your own interests? Since when was it an "american citizens" duty to protect Israel? Since when did any tax paying citizen give 2 shits about the one country who never recieved it's proper reprimand for attacking the USS liberty?
Since when did Israel aggression turn into america battle?
Your interests as an american are to protact america. Israel has done more to compromise that than any other nation has. Who sold nuke secrets to china? Who sold them the patriot missile tech? Who still celebrates the spy that stole those nuclear secrets?

Come on...if you really were a patriot you'd see that Israel is goading america and america is tagging along like a puppy...into a war that can't be one.

Anonymous said...

You missed the point. US doesn't want to interject. We just sent Israel a new shipment of bombs.

ksdrover said...

It is beyond the comprehension of the average American. With a complete lack of understanding due to the volume of disinformation and obfuscation of the media it would take someone that is paying attention to realize what is taking place.

As the assassination of Rafiq Hariri set the stage for the withdrawl of Syrian troops so 'israel' could perform this atrocity. What the short sighted avg. American has YET to come to terms with is that it was the zionist regime that fomented the removal of Saddam Hussein because he was the ONLY person in the region that would have prevented this aggression by employing military forces to DEFEND these INNOCENT people(40+% children). The United States is a zionist rubber stamp and the votes in the House and UN prove it. 6 US Reps voted against the zionist attacks. Out of 192 nations ONLY England, the US and zionist 'israel' voted AGAINST the ceasefire.

Where is that 'one world voice' or the 'coalition of nations' crap now? They only listen to the 'voices' that allow them to perform their acts of TERRORISM, and 'israel' doesn't listen to ANYBODY.

ksdrover

ksdrover said...

anonymous 2:58,

why don't you try reading up on some history that hasn't passed through the zionist filters. Here's an article put out by the zionists themseloves that boasts of their 'excellence' in infiltrating the very group they say they're fighting.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3278663,00.html

I would like to draw your attention to the bottom of the 7th paragraph:
Additionally, a senior IDF officer said that Israeli intelligence had significantly infiltrated Hizbullah.

So if this is true then exactly whose intrests are they representing? Since we know zionists don't kidnap or kill their own people(cough,cough). Really suggest reading up on these critters.

How about fake 'al-Qaeda'?
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/fakealqaeda.html

or maybe who is REALLY behind Hamas?
http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/ZER403A.html

Or pick up a copy of The Transfer Agreement by Edwin Black, or 51 Documents by Lenni Brenner, or The Life and Times of Menachem Begin by Amos Perlmutter, or Perfidy etc, etc, etc.

Anonymous said...

The US isn't powerless...it's doing exactly what it wanted to do. This is Bernard Lewis' Lebanization of the Middle East...destruction is what was ordered by the neocons like Perle in cahoots with Netanyahu...and destruction is what is taking place. That Iran is becoming involved...and potentially a target is all to the good according to these bastards. It will have the affect of damaging the oil contracts with China.

The only problem here is that lions often turn on the people who let them loose. But I don't think the neocons care about that either. Michael Ledeen keeps a picture of Marx in his study and is an advocate of destructive chaos..and that is what is also coming to the US..just in a different form, as millions of poor and old die from the bankrupting of the country for wars that are enriching the wealthy.

smchris said...

Same battle cry/other side of the coin: Why do we have to be the policemen of the world? It's in their quadrant so why can't Europe handle the peacekeeping on this one? Just asking.

Anonymous said...

I am appalled by these Dems who keep attacking from the right. Used to be the Liebermans, now Dean too has joined the band! On the other hand, it's refreshing to see how most of the postings get it right. Sad truth is that democracy in the US is a joke. Both parties serve the same masters - Zionists, war profiters and oil manipulators. Republican and Democrat parties alike, both are the real enemy of the PEOPLE of the US and of the entire world.

Anonymous said...

wow, surprising to see so many jew-haters on this board. Anti-semitism...still alive and well.

Anonymous said...

I have a Jewish friend. He won't let me go to his zionist meetings. I'm not rich enough, anyways. I wouldn't appreciate their crackers covered in oil and herring.

There is no zionist agenda. A large portion of the intellectual elite at one time believed all sorts of crazy things about blacks--they have extra bones in their feet, they are scientifically bred to be ape-monsters. Stupid things like that.

Idiot faces!

Anonymous said...

Anon 8:45

Do you have a reading problem? The complaint is Leiberman, now Dean and the Dems are for this Israeli assault. THey are Democrats. Get it????? Maybe the posts on this blog are by Independents?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 12:34,
You don't understand. Leiberman is rational. Dean is a lying midget who says things to get a headline in the newspaper. The rest of the progressives, like me, don't want Israel to exist. It is a sandbox for the crickets.

Cathy,
From the great state of Michigan, where we don't have no stinkin' jobs

Anonymous said...

Cathy -- What happened to you? Did you start dating Larry after meeting him onthis blog or are you Larry? Or, has someone stolen you identity? The gross change is puzzling.

Anonymous said...

Torah law forbids Jews to have their own state, while awaiting the
Messiah. But few modern Jews are
Torah Jews. Rabbinical Judaism rules. i.e. the Talmud which is virulently anti-goyim. Zionists use Talmud texts to justify genocide. Just like (I can't say his name) uses God to justify world chaos.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Anon 5:54 for the knowledge you have shared. This explains so much that has worried so many. I wish the distinction between Torah Jews and Zionists was made clear to the world. Such knowledge could probably save many lives and lead to a position different from the one so many hold now. THere could perhaps be peace.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Oh My G-D! What is wrong with most of you people? Do you even re-read your own comments?

"wow, surprising to see so many Jew-haters on this board. Anti-Semitism...still alive and well."

Thank you for stating the obvious. Read the blog. Read your comments. Educate us with more insight, not insight more hatred. Right or wrong, our hands are tied because of "Shrub" and his ideological fantasies of world domination in a galaxy far beyond any parallel universe I care to even think about. Pick your battles carefully? Maybe no one could have foreseen what was about to happen on the Israeli border, or tomorrow what may come. But, why are we in Iraq? Why are we still there? And, regarding this blog, why was the state of Israel created? One of many reasons is due to the fact that the US, the great FDR, turned away a large Jewish population on an escaping ship with many sympathizers at their sides during the holocaust; looking for a safe place, one where hope prevailed. And hand in hand with many other countries, we buried our heads, shut our eyes and sent them back to a certain death. Those people perished in the gas chambers moments after they returned to their homeland. Not that I agree with the current actions of Israel, but these people are in fight or flight mode. Never again! In our country of the free and brave, all men are created equal; these comments only prove that we have a long way to go. Hatred, - isms abound – is a learned behavior, lest we not hear that day after day. Sad sad state of affairs. It seems as if we haven’t learned a damn thing.

Anonymous said...

"SS St. Louis was a German ocean liner which sailed out of Hamburg into the Atlantic Ocean in the summer of 1939 carrying over 950 Jewish refugees, mostly wealthy, seeking asylum from Nazi persecution just before World War II.
After seeking asylum in Cuba and being refused, the ship headed to Florida, where, on 4 June 1939, it was also refused permission to unload on orders of President Roosevelt."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_St._Louis

or another take

http://www.wymaninstitute.org/articles/2004-05-cartoons.php

Honestly, there are many versions of this story. However, whatever your name is (which you are hiding from us). The trouble lies in you. Unlike you, I base my words on fact. Granted, there may be articles that misconstrue or have a different perspective. If you had done some simple research...then maybe you could have intellegently refuted and I could have easily read you version of history and might have come around to your way of looking at things. But, here again, so much for the original Blog.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
The Ostroy Report said...

Hey folks, sorry to disappoint, but, to quote Bob Dylan, unless you see this handsome blue-sirted mug next to an "Andy Ostroy" comment, "It Ain't Me Babe."

Anonymous said...

no offense, but we hate that blue shirt.

Anonymous said...

Andy -- Thank you for making it clear that one or more are impersonating you, or stealing your identiy on this blog. I had hoped you would respond and I hope you will make that very clear at the top of each article. Is there any way for you to trace who's doing it? The "style" of the remarks remind me of one who sullied this site recently and his responses are easy to recognize. Not all who come to this site, however, know his history with the blog and they could mistake his response as yours. At any rate, please continue to make it clear how to recognize your comments.

Anonymous said...

Someone is posting in my name and I don't like it. Is that you Larry? Why would anyone do that? So now I have to be one of those anoynmous types? BTW: Dems do not hate Jews. Most Jews are Dems!

Cathy (not Larry)

Anonymous said...

Cathy 8:44 AM,
How do we know you are the real Cathy? The Cathy we are used to signs her name followed by a silly rant about Michigan.

Anonymous said...

5:50 Anon.

We are so sick of you.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 5:50,

I don't care.