Defeatism

Hopeful things to hear:

Indeed, the Dems have declared defeat so loudly and insistently that they've convinced much of the world that freedom's cause is lost in the Middle East.

But let me tell you who isn't convinced: Our soldiers. Last week, I was privileged to speak to and listen to hundreds of U.S. Army officers and enlisted soldiers at the Land Combat Exposition in Heidelberg, Germany, the headquarters of our ground troops in Europe. Even I was surprised by the complete absence of griping. I did not hear a single criticism of our engagement in Iraq.

Now, soldiers complain. It's a hallowed tradition. Yet, not one of the troops with whom I spoke suggested we were losing in Iraq. Those soldiers, from generals down to the junior enlisted ranks, are the ones who pay the bills that come due in blood. And they were proud to have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many were getting ready to go back. They believed in what their country asked them to do.

Shocked! Fans of Michael Moore will be shocked!

And it only gets worse: Troops in survey back Bush 4-to-1 over Kerry

I'm not really all that surprised. I read blogs - and I pay special attention to blogs by Iraqis and our soldiers in Iraq.

Make no mistake, we could lose this thing. But we will lose it here, by giving up.

And all of the Iraqis who have worked with us - hundreds of thousands of them - will be massacred (as our friends were in Vietnam).

Then - only then - will I be ashamed of what my country has done in Iraq.

After all, brutal terrorist groups are usually defeated. Their brutality repels the people of the countries that they would lead:

WHILE kidnappings and head-choppings in the Sunni Triangle dominate the news from Iraq, the real battle for that nation's future is fought in diplomatic, political and media arenas outside that country.

The terrorist movement in Iraq, at times graced with the label of "insurgency," is in no position to impose its will on the nation. With the help of its outside backers, it could, to be sure, continue kidnappings and killings for years.

More than a dozen countries (Colombia, Peru, Malaysia, the Philippines, Algeria, Egypt, etc.) have experienced similar terrorist movements in recent decades. In every case, the terrorists, having pushed the limits of brutality as far as they could, were ultimately defeated.

When the leaders of the Shining Path in Peru and the PKK in Turkey were captured or killed, the people of those nations rejoiced. Their bombings, kidnappings and assasinations earned them few friends.

Iraqis - like common people everywhere - have no desire to be ruled by thugs.

We can prevent that from happening.
- posted by total @ 10/08/2004 06:22:00 AM .