Text Of Obama Address On End Of Combat Operations In Iraq
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Remarks of President Barack Obama – As Prepared for Delivery
Oval Office Address on Iraq
Washington, D.C.
August 31, 2010
As Prepared for Delivery—
Good evening. Tonight, I’d like to talk to you about the end of our combat mission in Iraq, the ongoing security challenges we face, and the need to rebuild our nation here at home.
I know this historic moment comes at a time of great uncertainty for many Americans. We have now been through nearly a decade of war. We have endured a long and painful recession. And sometimes in the midst of these storms, the future that we are trying to build for our nation – a future of lasting peace and long-term prosperity may seem beyond our reach.
But this milestone should serve as a reminder to all Americans that the future is ours to shape if we move forward with confidence and commitment. It should also serve as a message to the world that the United States of America intends to sustain and strengthen our leadership in this young century.
From this desk, seven and a half years ago, President Bush announced the beginning of military operations in Iraq. Much has changed since that night. A war to disarm a state became a fight against an insurgency. Terrorism and sectarian warfare threatened to tear Iraq apart. Thousands of Americans gave their lives; tens of thousands have been wounded. Our relations abroad were strained. Our unity at home was tested.
These are the rough waters encountered during the course of one of America’s longest wars. Yet there has been one constant amidst those shifting tides. At every turn, America’s men and women in uniform have served with courage and resolve. As Commander-in-Chief, I am proud of their service. Like all Americans, I am awed by their sacrifice, and by the sacrifices of their families.
The Americans who have served in Iraq completed every mission they were given. They defeated a regime that had terrorized its people. Together with Iraqis and coalition partners who made huge sacrifices of their own, our troops fought block by block to help Iraq seize the chance for a better future. They shifted tactics to protect the Iraqi people; trained Iraqi Security Forces; and took out terrorist leaders. Because of our troops and civilians –and because of the resilience of the Iraqi people – Iraq has the opportunity to embrace a new destiny, even though many challenges remain.
So tonight, I am announcing that the American combat mission in Iraq has ended. Operation Iraqi Freedom is over, and the Iraqi people now have lead responsibility for the security of their country.
This was my pledge to the American people as a candidate for this office. Last February, I announced a plan that would bring our combat brigades out of Iraq, while redoubling our efforts to strengthen Iraq’s Security Forces and support its government and people. That is what we have done. We have removed nearly 100,000 U.S. troops from Iraq. We have closed or transferred hundreds of bases to the Iraqis. And we have moved millions of pieces of equipment out of Iraq.
This completes a transition to Iraqi responsibility for their own security. U.S. troops pulled out of Iraq’s cities last summer, and Iraqi forces have moved into the lead with considerable skill and commitment to their fellow citizens. Even as Iraq continues to suffer terrorist attacks, security incidents have been near the lowest on record since the war began. And Iraqi forces have taken the fight to al Qaeda, removing much of its leadership in Iraqi-led operations.
This year also saw Iraq hold credible elections that drew a strong turnout. A caretaker administration is in place as Iraqis form a government based on the results of that election. Tonight, I encourage Iraq’s leaders to move forward with a sense of urgency to form an inclusive government that is just, representative, and accountable to the Iraqi people. And when that government is in place, there should be no doubt: the Iraqi people will have a strong partner in the United States. Our combat mission is ending, but our commitment to Iraq’s future is not.
Going forward, a transitional force of U.S. troops will remain in Iraq with a different mission: advising and assisting Iraq’s Security Forces; supporting Iraqi troops in targeted counter-terrorism missions; and protecting our civilians. Consistent with our agreement with the Iraqi government, all U.S. troops will leave by the end of next year. As our military draws down, our dedicated civilians –diplomats, aid workers, and advisors –are moving into the lead to support Iraq as it strengthens its government, resolves political disputes, resettles those displaced by war, and builds ties with the region and the world. And that is a message that Vice President Biden is delivering to the Iraqi people through his visit there today.
This new approach reflects our long-term partnership with Iraq–one based upon mutual interests, and mutual respect. Of course, violence will not end with our combat mission. Extremists will continue to set off bombs, attack Iraqi civilians and try to spark sectarian strife. But ultimately, these terrorists will fail to achieve their goals. Iraqis are a proud people. They have rejected sectarian war, and they have no interest in endless destruction. They understand that, in the end, only Iraqis can resolve their differences and police their streets. Only Iraqis can build a democracy within their borders. What America can do, and will do, is provide support for the Iraqi people as both a friend and a partner.
Ending this war is not only in Iraq’s interest– it is in our own. The United States has paid a huge price to put the future of Iraq in the hands of its people. We have sent our young men and women to make enormous sacrifices in Iraq, and spent vast resources abroad at a time of tight budgets at home. We have persevered because of a belief we share with the Iraqi people –a belief that out of the ashes of war, a new beginning could be born in this cradle of civilization. Through this remarkable chapter in the history of the United States and Iraq, we have met our responsibility. Now, it is time to turn the page.
As we do, I am mindful that the Iraq War has been a contentious issue at home. Here, too, it is time to turn the page. This afternoon, I spoke to former President George W. Bush. It’s well known that he and I disagreed about the war from its outset. Yet no one could doubt President Bush’s support for our troops, or his love of country and commitment to our security. As I have said, there were patriots who supported this war, and patriots who opposed it. And all of us are united in appreciation for our servicemen and women, and our hope for Iraq’s future.
The greatness of our democracy is grounded in our ability to move beyond our differences, and to learn from our experience as we confront the many challenges ahead. And no challenge is more essential to our security than our fight against al Qaeda.
Americans across the political spectrum supported the use of force against those who attacked us on 9/11. Now, as we approach our 10th year of combat in Afghanistan, there are those who are understandably asking tough questions about our mission there. But we must never lose sight of what’s at stake. As we speak, al Qaeda continues to plot against us, and its leadership remains anchored in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan. We will disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda, while preventing Afghanistan from again serving as a base for terrorists. And because of our drawdown in Iraq, we are now able to apply the resources necessary to go on offense. In fact, over the last 19 months, nearly a dozen al Qaeda leaders –and hundreds of Al Qaeda’s extremist allies–have been killed or captured around the world.
Within Afghanistan, I have ordered the deployment of additional troops who–under the command of General David Petraeus –are fighting to break the Taliban’s momentum. As with the surge in Iraq, these forces will be in place for a limited time to provide space for the Afghans to build their capacity and secure their own future. But, as was the case in Iraq, we cannot do for Afghans what they must ultimately do for themselves. That’s why we are training Afghan Security Forces and supporting a political resolution to Afghanistan’s problems. And, next July, we will begin a transition to Afghan responsibility. The pace of our troop reductions will be determined by conditions on the ground, and our support for Afghanistan will endure. But make no mistake: this transition will begin – because open-ended war serves neither our interests nor the Afghan people’s.
Indeed, one of the lessons of our effort in Iraq is that American influence around the world is not a function of military force alone. We must use all elements of our power –including our diplomacy, our economic strength, and the power of America’s example –to secure our interests and stand by our allies. And we must project a vision of the future that is based not just on our fears, but also on our hopes –a vision that recognizes the real dangers that exist around the world, but also the limitless possibility of our time.
Today, old adversaries are at peace, and emerging democracies are potential partners. New markets for our goods stretch from Asia to the Americas. A new push for peace in the Middle East will begin here tomorrow. Billions of young people want to move beyond the shackles of poverty and conflict. As the leader of the free world, America will do more than just defeat on the battlefield those who offer hatred and destruction –we will also lead among those who are willing to work together to expand freedom and opportunity for all people.
That effort must begin within our own borders. Throughout our history, America has been willing to bear the burden of promoting liberty and human dignity overseas, understanding its link to our own liberty and security. But we have also understood that our nation’s strength and influence abroad must be firmly anchored in our prosperity at home. And the bedrock of that prosperity must be a growing middle class.
Unfortunately, over the last decade, we have not done what is necessary to shore up the foundation of our own prosperity. We have spent over a trillion dollars at war, often financed by borrowing from overseas. This, in turn, has short-changed investments in our own people, and contributed to record deficits. For too long, we have put off tough decisions on everything from our manufacturing base to our energy policy to education reform. As a result, too many middle class families find themselves working harder for less, while our nation’s long-term competitiveness is put at risk.
And so at this moment, as we wind down the war in Iraq, we must tackle those challenges at home with as much energy, and grit, and sense of common purpose as our men and women in uniform who have served abroad. They have met every test that they faced. Now, it is our turn. Now, it is our responsibility to honor them by coming together, all of us, and working to secure the dream that so many generations have fought for –the dream that a better life awaits anyone who is willing to work for it and reach for it.
Our most urgent task is to restore our economy, and put the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs back to work. To strengthen our middle class, we must give all our children the education they deserve, and all our workers the skills that they need to compete in a global economy. We must jumpstart industries that create jobs, and end our dependence on foreign oil. We must unleash the innovation that allows new products to roll off our assembly lines, and nurture the ideas that spring from our entrepreneurs. This will be difficult. But in the days to come, it must be our central mission as a people, and my central responsibility as President.
Part of that responsibility is making sure that we honor our commitments to those who have served our country with such valor. As long as I am President, we will maintain the finest fighting force that the world has ever known, and do whatever it takes to serve our veterans as well as they have served us. This is a sacred trust. That is why we have already made one of the largest increases in funding for veterans in decades. We are treating the signature wounds of today’s wars post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury, while providing the health care and benefits that all of our veterans have earned. And we are funding a post-9/11 GI Bill that helps our veterans and their families pursue the dream of a college education. Just as the GI Bill helped those who fought World War II- including my grandfather- become the backbone of our middle class, so today’s servicemen and women must have the chance to apply their gifts to expand the American economy. Because part of ending a war responsibly is standing by those who have fought it.
Two weeks ago, America’s final combat brigade in Iraq –the Army’s Fourth Stryker Brigade –journeyed home in the pre-dawn darkness. Thousands of soldiers and hundreds of vehicles made the trip from Baghdad, the last of them passing into Kuwait in the early morning hours. Over seven years before, American troops and coalition partners had fought their way across similar highways, but this time no shots were fired. It was just a convoy of brave Americans, making their way home.
Of course, the soldiers left much behind. Some were teenagers when the war began. Many have served multiple tours of duty, far from their families who bore a heroic burden of their own, enduring the absence of a husband’s embrace or a mother’s kiss. Most painfully, since the war began fifty-five members of the Fourth Stryker Brigade made the ultimate sacrifice –part of over 4,400 Americans who have given their lives in Iraq. As one staff sergeant said, “I know that to my brothers in arms who fought and died, this day would probably mean a lot.”
Those Americans gave their lives for the values that have lived in the hearts of our people for over two centuries. Along with nearly 1.5 million Americans who have served in Iraq, they fought in a faraway place for people they never knew. They stared into the darkest of human creations –war –and helped the Iraqi people seek the light of peace.
In an age without surrender ceremonies, we must earn victory through the success of our partners and the strength of our own nation. Every American who serves joins an unbroken line of heroes that stretches from Lexington to Gettysburg; from Iwo Jima to Inchon; from Khe Sanh to Kandahar – Americans who have fought to see that the lives of our children are better than our own. Our troops are the steel in our ship of state. And though our nation may be travelling through rough waters, they give us confidence that our course is true, and that beyond the pre-dawn darkness, better days lie ahead.
Thank you. May God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America, and all who serve her.
###
46 Responses to “Text Of Obama Address On End Of Combat Operations In Iraq”
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He didn’t spend enough time kissing George Bush’s ass!! WAAAAAHH!
I notice he didn’t specify the number of support troops, or whatever the fuck we’re calling them, we’re leaving in Iraq. IIRC, it’s about 50,000. That ain’t chopped liver. How long will they be there?
And Afghanistan scares me. It has the potential to blow Vietnam right out of the water in the clusterfuck department.
“we will also lead among those who are willing to work together to expand freedom and opportunity for all people.”
Unless you’re Jewish, Georgian, Honduran or a member of the Iranian Green Movement. In which case, “F@#* off and die!”
SF,
you forgot Republican.
You’re an asshole ferret.
Shorter address: “We have declared victory, and if it gets really dirty, we will run like rabbits.”
Frank one again demonstrates that reality be damned. What happen is what he says happened, regardless of what actually happened.
Frank you suck man. Obama didnt cut and run, we shouldnt have been there to begin with. Iraqis are going to sort out some issues when we leave, and there’s nothing we can do about it.
Ben , you apparently have no idea how Democrats handle war. First, they sneak into them. Then they approve them , without declaring war, so they can back out later. Then they declare victory when it is politically expedient, and the devil take the hindmost.
I for one do not believe we should not have been there in the first place. I believe we should stay there, and commit ourselves to staying there to maintain security in the Middle East from a stable position. I believe this for reasons you would either deny, call false or fail to understand.
President Bush and Pres Obama have made more progress in the Middle East than all of the Presidents since 1948 COMBINED.
We should not walk away from that advantage.
However, since there will be 50,000 troops there in NOV 2010, when the Dems get their asses to them, and in 2012,,when we have a Republican president, Iraq will be safe, and the hard fought security will be preserved
First, they sneak into them.
What the hell are you talking about?
Then they approve them , without declaring war, so they can back out later.
You DO know that the Democrats were not in control of Congress when we invaded Iraq, don’t you?
Then they declare victory when it is politically expedient, and the devil take the hindmost.
Again… what?
I for one do not believe we should not have been there in the first place.
And this is because you’re an idiot.
I believe we should stay there, and commit ourselves to staying there to maintain security in the Middle East from a stable position
Until when, Frank? When can we come home? It’s been seven fucking years, how many will be enough?
I believe this for reasons you would either deny, call false or fail to understand.
Saying that you have good reasons for the way you think, but not elucidating them, is a poor strategy, Frank. Makes you look like you’re completely full of shit.
President Bush and Pres Obama have made more progress in the Middle East than all of the Presidents since 1948 COMBINED.
As measured… how?
We should not walk away from that advantage.
When can we?
However, since there will be 50,000 troops there in NOV 2010, when the Dems get their asses to them, and in 2012,,when we have a Republican president, Iraq will be safe, and the hard fought security will be preserved
You seem to be awfully confident in those predictions, Frankie. I’m sure that if you’re wrong about either of them, you’ll own it, right? You wouldn’t be a cowardly little bitch now, would you?
Shorter FrankDiSalle: Despite the best efforts of the Democrats in 1941, it wasn’t over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor.
Until when, Frank? When can we come home? It’s been seven fucking years, how many will be enough?
When can we?
You obviously don’t understand where we are geopolitically. We have created a “killing ground” in Afghanistan and Iraq. We are fighting asymmetrical warfare: “Asymmetric warfare is war between belligerents whose relative military power differs significantly, or whose strategy or tactics differ significantly.”
They have far less resources and support than we do, but they have the advantage in speed and knowledge of the terrain. If we can draw terrorists to Afghanistan and Iraq to die, they have less resources and personnel to be blowing up pizza parlors and discotheques around the world. We can win by attrition. Our intelligence indicates that recruitment is down.
You don’t leave a war when you are winning; you wait until you have won.
How long? Let me ask you that question: When would you have wanted them to leave? How many deaths would you have called enough?
Oh, that’s right … No time at all; no deaths at all.
Then , how many Iraqis would be dead or suffering at the hands of Saddam Hussein, and NONE free?
NONE free.
No troops in Iraq, collecting intelligence all over the region.
No insurgents dying everyday in Afghanistan and Iraq.
You getting this yet?
Less ability to monitor Iran; less ability to hold Syria in check.
You probably still believe this is about Halliburton, or “finishing what Daddy started.” And you called me an idiot.
What you don’t know about the Middle East could fill a book – in fact, many books. You’ll find them in big buildings called libraries. Find one and check back with me next year, you dolt.
Dark Avenger, your attempts at humor make you look ridiculous.
Shorter FDS: We should stay in Iraq forever because killing Mooooslems makes me feel like I’m still potent.
Ben , you apparently have no idea how Democrats handle war.
We declare them on the right countries?
The words of Tony Blair, Oliver:
/
Even shorter FDS:
Love me, I’m a tw*t.
‘I for one do not believe we should not have been there in the first place. I believe we should stay there, and commit ourselves to staying there to maintain security in the Middle East from a stable position.’
What would possibly allow you to believe that the US has either the right or the will and means to do that after 7 years of a needless and unsuccessful imperialist debacle?
‘…in 2012,,when we have a Republican president, Iraq will be safe, and the hard fought security will be preserved’
Riighhhhttt…..and even as we speak Elvis is impregnating alien superbabes to produce the next generation of American Idol winners.
‘President Bush and Pres Obama have made more progress in the Middle East than all of the Presidents since 1948 COMBINED.’
The SINGLE most idiotic thing you have ever posted; and that is low praise bub.
‘Then , how many Iraqis would be dead or suffering at the hands of Saddam Hussein, and NONE free?’
That canard has been eviscerated time and again. Iraq is a destroyed country; social services are non-existent, water and electricity are scarcely available, unemployment is rampant at estimates between 25-60%, security is transient at best and there is no government nearly 6 months after the election.
This is the ‘freedom’ you want to tout?
Wow Dennis, quoting Tony Blair, that paragon of virtue, as the voice of reason in this fiasco?
Beyond sad.
‘Then , how many Iraqis would be dead or suffering at the hands of Saddam Hussein, and NONE free?’
Yeah — remember when Colin Powell went to the UN and held up that vial of oppression? That was so moving, the way they appealed to our better natures in selling this war, rather than trying to scare us into supporting it, because now we can look back and say, “Whatever we did poorly, at least we accomplished our primary goal of bringing freedom to the Iraqi people.”
Pffft. We fucked that place up good because we were a-scared they’d shoot anthrax into a mall in Dubuque. We didn’t give a shit about the people at the time, and while it’s nice that the thing had at least *one* positive result, let’s keep in mind that it’s one that didn’t matter to anybody until everything else got entirely shitty.
Dark Avenger, your attempts at humor make you look ridiculous.
And your attempts to be serious are seriously funny:
Wow Dennis, quoting Tony Blair, that paragon of virtue, as the voice of reason in this fiasco?
Who else is he gonna quote? Sarah Palin? Charlie Daniels? FDS?
How many years ago did Bush strap on a flight suit and declare “Mission accomplished”?
That’s a good point. Dead level minimum of scores of thousands dead – but sound estimates place excess deaths over a million. Destruction of the government, of the infrastructure, millions displaced.
In short, horrible amounts of suffering among the Iraqi people. But it was at least *arguably* worse if we hadn’t chosen to inflict that suffering to serve US national interests.
Because, really, isn’t that what matters? US national interests, as defined by a bunch of war-hungry people who think war is exciting and manly, rather than hideously destructive and murderous? And there’s an *argument* that things might have been worse. It’s not *impossible* that things would have been worse.
And more importantly, we said that it was about *freedom*. And isn’t freedom where it’s at? The freedom to have people come in and bomb the *fuck* out of your country, killing your friends and neighbors, so they can
install a leaderdetermine leadership via caucuseser, HOLD ELECTIONS, because ayatollah Ali Sistani insisted that nothing less than elections would do, and the Bushies recognized that their first two ideas were unworkable without his support.Yeah, that’s freedom fighting for you – people coming in to install a leader of *their* choice, until, fortunately, one of your own people who holds enough power can push back.
Here’s what’s really scary for me. The war in Iraq opened my eyes. I was afraid that the war was going to be a horrible precedent. Never having lived through a war, I didn’t have the expectations of its full impact on a people. And I realized just how much it showcased the limitations of military power, and how much it demonstrated the utter idiocy of “Let’s go over there and blow shit up and kill people – for their own good, of course!”
But so many people learned a different lesson: if you keep shouting out lies about how it’s glorious to kill people and destroy things, you can keep making it sound like there’s a reasonable moral argument to be made for war. Sure, we’re killing people and destroying property for reasons that turned out to be a pack of lies. But there’s *two sides to the story* – and one side just loudly and baselessly insists that it’s all worth it, and that’s enough to keep them politically viable.
Mission Accomplished.
Where to begin…
You obviously don’t understand where we are geopolitically.
The depth of the pool of my understanding may be shallow, but yours is akin to a puddle.
If we can draw terrorists to Afghanistan and Iraq to die, they have less resources and personnel to be blowing up pizza parlors and discotheques around the world.
Ah yes, the old “Fight them there so we don’t have to fight them here” argument. Complete horseshit.
We can win by attrition.
What if our militaristic actions are actually increasing the opposition’s numbers?
Our intelligence indicates that recruitment is down.
Link?
You don’t leave a war when you are winning; you wait until you have won.
And when is that point? Tell us when the war is won. Give me a specific goal.
How long? Let me ask you that question: When would you have wanted them to leave? How many deaths would you have called enough?
You’re a clown, Frank. I ask you a question. You don’t answer it, but you expect me to answer one in a similar vein for you. Fuck off.
Oh, that’s right … No time at all; no deaths at all.
Oh, and you’ll answer the question for me anyway! Good. Do you actually earn a living as a psychic/mind-reader, or is it just a hobby of yours?
Then , how many Iraqis would be dead or suffering at the hands of Saddam Hussein, and NONE free?
Fewer would be dead than died during our invasion and occupation. And I’m not going to actually have a debate about what constitutes “freedom”. It’s a fucking esoteric concept when talked about generally. If you want to talk specifics, then have at it.
NONE free.
You think repeating it makes it more persuasive to me? It doesn’t.
No troops in Iraq, collecting intelligence all over the region.
No insurgents dying everyday in Afghanistan and Iraq.
No trillion dollars down the drain. No Americans dying in a foreign land.
You getting this yet?
Apparently not.
Less ability to monitor Iran; less ability to hold Syria in check.
Link, please? Because I completely believe that you are pulling this out of your ass.
You probably still believe this is about Halliburton, or “finishing what Daddy started.” And you called me an idiot.
Yes, I am an idiot because of something you imagine that I believe, something that you just made up. Good call. Idiot.
What you don’t know about the Middle East could fill a book – in fact, many books. You’ll find them in big buildings called libraries. Find one and check back with me next year, you dolt.
I never claimed to be an expert, Frank. That doesn’t mean that you’re right and I am wrong. The fact remains that we invaded Iraq for reasons that turned out to be false. Thousands of innocent Iraqis have died. We have been diverted from Afghanistan by our excursion into Iraq. We’ve had several thousand of our own soldiers die. And we’ve sunk about a trillion dollars into warfare at this point.
I don’t like any of those things. But you can go ahead and think that everything is great and that Dubya was brilliant for invading Iraq. That’s your right. But it shows you to be a buffoon.
and one side just loudly and baselessly insists that it’s all worth it, and that’s enough to keep them politically viable.
Poltically viable, Long-Haired? Per Gallup, seems Americans trust that side on just about every major issue confronting our country today. 24 point difference on terrorism. I think characterizing that side as merely polticially viable is a bit of an understatement, don’t you?
The fact remains that we invaded Iraq for reasons that turned out to be false. Thousands of innocent Iraqis have died. We have been diverted from Afghanistan by our excursion into Iraq. We’ve had several thousand of our own soldiers die. And we’ve sunk about a trillion dollars into warfare at this point.
And the guy responsible for setting the whole shebang in motion is alive and hiding out in Pakistan, because Bush didn’t care about him anymore, diverting the resources that had him trapped in Tora Bora because his goal, since taking office, was to attack Iraq.
IIRC, we had the freakin’ Iranians helping out with intelligence in Afghanistan early on, as they weren’t too fond of the Taliban either, but Ol’ Georgie blew that too, by lumping them into his “axis of evil.”
And we’ve sunk about a trillion dollars into warfare at this point.
It’s still less than we spent on the Stimulus.
And the guy responsible for setting the whole shebang in motion is alive and hiding out in Pakistan
And your guy promised to capture or kill him. How’s that going?
And your guy promised to capture or kill him. How’s that going?
Better than your guy who also promised to capture or kill him. How did that go again?
“It’s still less than we spent on the Stimulus.”
Yes — wouldn’t it be nice if we’d only had to pay for the stimulus, and not the war? You know, because two things is more than one thing?
“And your guy promised to capture or kill him. How’s that going?”
So did your guy, and our guy’s time isn’t up. Can we stop playing ‘i know you are but what am i’?
Sing along chicken hawks –
All we are saying, is give war a chance …
Christianity is about helping the strong. Support warfare welfare today.
’cause, we’alls just better’n them Others, nyuk nyuk.</i?
All the new car sales are going to China. Notice how wingnuts ignore the Communist Chinese, maybe because they know how to run an economy? Not long now before we’ll be relying on them to be the world’s policeman.
“maybe because they know how to run an economy?”
On a bowl of rice a day? Since the Chinese are so damn competent, should we lower our minimum wage to $3/day?
Since the Chinese are so damn competent, should we lower our minimum wage to $3/day?
No william. That is one of the lamer Republican solutions for competing with their “success”.
In reality, we created that success. We, as in all the self-interested “American conservatives” from Nixon to the many libertarian billionaires, who have no problem trading short term coin in their own pockets for long term difficulties for this country. Sounds a bit Lou Dobbs-ian but prove it wrong.
I’m short on time today, so I’ll ask my question best I can and leave:
Don’t you get the least bit of cognitive dissonance when conservative think tanks sell and market messages of personal freedom and unfettered capitalism in altruistic and patriotic ways, as if they really do care about us all, but also know that these think tanks are being run and funded by the most self-interested of players?
It’s still less than we spent on the Stimulus.
And therefore, it’s not an ungodly amount of money. Or is your point that spending the money domestically is less preferable than spending it on military operations in a foreign land? Or do you even have a cogent point at all?
And your guy promised to capture or kill him. How’s that going?
You are ridiculous. Bush had seven years to capture or kill him, and what happened?
What a tool.
Then , how many Iraqis would be dead or suffering at the hands of Saddam Hussein,
Less than by our hands.
You don’t leave a war when you are winning; you wait until you have won.
And when will we have won?
Frank, at least accept the fact that the war was not sold to us as a humanitarian effort (those tend to be hard sells), it was sold as a preemptive attack to protect us against nonexistent weapons.
Yes, I know, Dennis. You’re proud that your chosen leaders can lie and demand bloodshed and keep proudly proclaiming that bloodshed is all good, good enough for them, at least, and that’s all that matters.
And, you’re right – it *is* working. People who celebrate the tens of thousands of innocent deaths *can* still get elected.
But I don’t see any reason to be *proud* of that. I mean, what, you think bloodthirstiness is a *virtue*?
SaveFerris:
Most people are probably realizing that new cars just aren’t worth it, especially now the used market is flooded with high quality repos.
In December I bought a loaded Dodge RAM with an original sticker price of 40,000 for less than 13,000.
I’m not going to say the economy is good, but new car sales is probably not a good indicator right now.
As far as the Chinese economy, they had nowhere to go than up. As the quality of life there improves, so will workers pay and so will the cost of chinese goods. And they will be less of a bargain.
“Ben , you apparently have no idea how Democrats handle war.”
That’s right, Frank. Democrats do craven stuff like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5rFLH6hPH0
‘Who else is he gonna quote? Sarah Palin? Charlie Daniels? FDS?’
Among that quartet, one might as well quote the cat.