Comments on: I'll See Your Soul and Raise You http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/bok/2006/03/ill-see-your-soul-and-raise-you/ Chip Bok Editorial Cartoons Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:47:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: larry d. http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/bok/2006/03/ill-see-your-soul-and-raise-you/#comment-511 larry d. Thu, 06 Apr 2006 09:51:24 +0000 http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/bok/?p=131#comment-511 I'm not sure redemption or success are the right words but I definitely believe the U.S. shouldn't cut and run. That would damage our credibility in the Middle East far more than say, a president who stammers. Unfortunately, we probably will cut and run. Politicians and Americans in general are much more interested in the next election than the next 50 or 100 years. These are major historical events but we're unreliable and that's what our enemies count on. What do you think will happen if we withdraw from Iraq? Does it matter? I'm not sure redemption or success are the right words but I definitely believe the U.S. shouldn't cut and run. That would damage our credibility in the Middle East far more than say, a president who stammers.

Unfortunately, we probably will cut and run. Politicians and Americans in general are much more interested in the next election than the next 50 or 100 years. These are major historical events but we're unreliable and that's what our enemies count on.

What do you think will happen if we withdraw from Iraq? Does it matter?

]]> By: mencken http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/bok/2006/03/ill-see-your-soul-and-raise-you/#comment-510 mencken Wed, 05 Apr 2006 23:12:56 +0000 http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/bok/?p=131#comment-510 As I said, at some point either today, tomorrow, or five years from now, there will be a realization that Iraq is "not worth it" whether it be in dollars, lives, or limbs. I get the feeling that you feel that there is still some sort of chance of redemption or success in Iraq and that you won't let go of that ideal until the cost offends even you. As I said, at some point either today, tomorrow, or five years from now, there will be a realization that Iraq is "not worth it" whether it be in dollars, lives, or limbs.

I get the feeling that you feel that there is still some sort of chance of redemption or success in Iraq and that you won't let go of that ideal until the cost offends even you.

]]> By: larry d. http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/bok/2006/03/ill-see-your-soul-and-raise-you/#comment-509 larry d. Wed, 05 Apr 2006 10:37:41 +0000 http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/bok/?p=131#comment-509 We sure won't retain any moral highground if we decide to stay or leave based on the question, "will we get our money's worth?" We sure won't retain any moral highground if we decide to stay or leave based on the question, "will we get our money's worth?"

]]> By: mencken http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/bok/2006/03/ill-see-your-soul-and-raise-you/#comment-508 mencken Tue, 04 Apr 2006 22:14:37 +0000 http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/bok/?p=131#comment-508 Any idea at what point we're throwing good money after bad ? Have you already forgotten the joke that we're rebuilding the infrastructure of Iraq... building new hospitals, schools, roads... providing health care, jobs and education for the Iraqi people. And if it works there, we're going to try the same thing in this country. Seriously, yes we have a moral obligation to right the wrong of Bush's failed foreign policy gambit, to the point heaping an incredible tax burden on the American taxpayer for untold years to come. Will we get our money's worth? WIll we retain some moral highground? Not bloody likely. Any idea at what point we're throwing good money after bad ?

Have you already forgotten the joke that we're rebuilding the infrastructure of Iraq… building new hospitals, schools, roads… providing health care, jobs and education for the Iraqi people.

And if it works there, we're going to try the same thing in this country.

Seriously, yes we have a moral obligation to right the wrong of Bush's failed foreign policy gambit, to the point heaping

an incredible tax burden on the American taxpayer for untold years to come. Will we get our money's worth? WIll we retain some moral highground? Not bloody likely.

]]> By: larry d. http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/bok/2006/03/ill-see-your-soul-and-raise-you/#comment-507 larry d. Tue, 04 Apr 2006 17:32:07 +0000 http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/bok/?p=131#comment-507 Because we recently trashed the country and toppled the Iraqi government. It's also in our best interests. Because we recently trashed the country and toppled the Iraqi government. It's also in our best interests.

]]> By: mencken http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/bok/2006/03/ill-see-your-soul-and-raise-you/#comment-506 mencken Tue, 04 Apr 2006 15:27:08 +0000 http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/bok/?p=131#comment-506 "the U.S. has a responsibility to invest in Iraq's future." Why? "the U.S. has a responsibility to invest in Iraq's future."

Why?

]]> By: larry d. http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/bok/2006/03/ill-see-your-soul-and-raise-you/#comment-505 larry d. Tue, 04 Apr 2006 09:31:44 +0000 http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/bok/?p=131#comment-505 You're probably right but leaving Iraq anytime soon would be a terrible mistake. For whatever reason, we're there now and the sooner we realize we need to be there more or less permanently, the better. I don't mean to say our troops should be patrolling the streets five years from now, but the U.S. has a responsibility to invest in Iraq's future. If that happens, it would probably have to start with a large, Subic Bay-type military installation. Without some outside help, it is truly frightening to imagine how unstable the Middle East will be in 50 years or so, when the oil and water are gone. You're probably right but leaving Iraq anytime soon would be a terrible mistake. For whatever reason, we're there now and the sooner we realize we need to be there more or less permanently, the better.

I don't mean to say our troops should be patrolling the streets five years from now, but the U.S. has a responsibility to invest in Iraq's future. If that happens, it would probably have to start with a large, Subic Bay-type military installation.

Without some outside help, it is truly frightening to imagine how unstable the Middle East will be in 50 years or so, when the oil and water are gone.

]]> By: mencken http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/bok/2006/03/ill-see-your-soul-and-raise-you/#comment-504 mencken Sun, 02 Apr 2006 23:58:20 +0000 http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/bok/?p=131#comment-504 I gotta side with Batman on this one. Changing the culture in Iraq wasn't even mentioned until all of the other ridiculous rationalizations Bush floated out for the war were shown to be utter BS. There's no other agenda in Iraq now other than coming up with some sort of warm and fuzzy PR line like "Peace With Honor" and then hanging onto the chopper rails as the last Chinook leaves Baghad. I gotta side with Batman on this one. Changing the culture in Iraq wasn't even mentioned until all of the other ridiculous rationalizations Bush floated out for the war were shown to be utter BS. There's no other agenda in Iraq now other than coming up with some sort of warm and fuzzy PR line like "Peace With Honor" and then hanging onto the chopper rails as the last Chinook leaves Baghad.

]]> By: I'm Batman http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/bok/2006/03/ill-see-your-soul-and-raise-you/#comment-503 I'm Batman Fri, 31 Mar 2006 15:13:03 +0000 http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/bok/?p=131#comment-503 "I just wish a politician would admit how long it's going to take" Ha Ha Hahahaha Ha...Politicians are about as likely to do that as they were to voice their true feelings about this fiasco when it began. Politics is all about avoiding reality and when confronted with it, distorting it. "I just wish a politician would admit how long it's going to take"

Ha Ha Hahahaha Ha…Politicians are about as likely to do that as they were to voice their true feelings about this fiasco when it began. Politics is all about avoiding reality and when confronted with it, distorting it.

]]> By: larry d. http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/bok/2006/03/ill-see-your-soul-and-raise-you/#comment-502 larry d. Thu, 30 Mar 2006 17:45:03 +0000 http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/bok/?p=131#comment-502 I'm not convinced the war has potential for positive cultural changes and I'm sure it doesn't in the next few years, as politicians like to pretend. Colonialism always leaves scarring, sure, but war and colonialism are the way of history. We've fallen into a trap of thinking history has stopped, that things will evolve peaceably if we just communicate with one another. Groups like the Taliban disagree and there's really no reasoning with them about it. They're right, in a way--history hasn't stopped, things still hang in the balance, violence still begets change. Cultural change is what we're going for in the Middle East, and what we have been going for over there for the last century. I don't know if it will work but I'm not sure it's necessarily a bad thing, either. I just wish a politician would admit how long it's going to take. I'm not convinced the war has potential for positive cultural changes and I'm sure it doesn't in the next few years, as politicians like to pretend.

Colonialism always leaves scarring, sure, but war and colonialism are the way of history. We've fallen into a trap of thinking history has stopped, that things will evolve peaceably if we just communicate with one another. Groups like the Taliban disagree and there's really no reasoning with them about it. They're right, in a way–history hasn't stopped, things still hang in the balance, violence still begets change.

Cultural change is what we're going for in the Middle East, and what we have been going for over there for the last century. I don't know if it will work but I'm not sure it's necessarily a bad thing, either. I just wish a politician would admit how long it's going to take.

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