Kerry: Escalation Is The Wrong Answer

[sandnsea]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/9/5/121020/0010

"The entire Iraq policy of George W. Bush has failed since the fall of Saddam Hussein’s statue in Baghdad. No amount of parsing or spinning can change those simple facts: the escalation is and was the wrong answer...

read all of the statements at the time about the “reason” for the escalation – it was to buy political breathing room for Iraqis to compromise. Period. It hasn’t happened. So it all boils down to the same thing: these are more “steps” that don’t get you any closer to your real goals, “successes” that don’t lead to any resolution..

I’ll be working continuously this month trying to set a deadline to force a new policy in Iraq. I’ll try to stop by as often as I can this month with ways you can, if you choose, put the pressure on the Roadblock Republicans to force them to take a new tack. In the end, it’s been sustained action by millions of activists that have gotten us this far, and it’s only through the loud voices of those activists that we can get what’s right – an end to the Bush doctrine in Iraq, and a policy worthy of our soldiers’ sacrifice."

[politicasista]

1. K&R

:kick:

[krispos42]

2. Escalation or withdrawal is the right answer

At least to the narrowly-defined question of 'winning in Iraq'. That assumes ignoring questions of a moral nature, such as "should we be there in the first place", and "is this operation moral?".

General Petraus' own counter-insurgency manual, which he wrote and which became an official Army field manual within the past year or so, says how many soldiers are needed to surpress an insurgency:

1 soldier for every 50 people in the country. For Iraq, that translates into about 550,000 'boots on the ground' at any one time for a period of years.

Considering how bad Iraq currently is, the number needed is probably 100,000 more.

THAT'S an escalation. 650,000 troops. That would probably work in time for the 2012 or 2016 election.

Or, we can withdraw militarily and press forward hard on the political, economic, and international fronts instead. International peacekeepers, partition of Iraq, regional players aiding in the rebuilding and reconcilliation.


The 'surge' in Iraq is precisely what Jon Stewart said a few months ago: a tip. A gratuity.


A true escalation would require a massive draft for the next decade or so, war taxes, rationing, and a partial nationalization of the defense industry.

A true withdrawal would require certain American politicians to admit wrongdoing, take responsibility, and eat large abouts of crow in a very public fashion.

I fear that both aspects of the 'right' answer are about as equally probable. Fortunately, we can throw out of office the politicians that will not support withdrawal.

[sandnsea]

3. You either stop it now

or will have your definition of escalation. That's the point of calling it an escalation now. You may be able to put troops in there and calm some areas, but the point of the surge was to buy time for diplomacy. If we let them convince the people more troops will work in a few places, it's only a short step to the escalation you want to pretend isn't in the picture.

[krispos42]

4. Exactly

Let's get the hell out before we get sucked in even more.

[blues90]

5. Why on earth didn't Kerry put up a fight ?

When he had the chance to count the votes as he promised instead of falling into the bush bull none speak ? all he had to do was relax a bit and expose bush for what he is and perhaps we would not be in this mess as deep as we are now .

[sandnsea]

6. Do you have the evidence?

And isn't ending the war more important, or is your sole purpose here to distract from ending the war.

[blues90]

8. No I don't have evidence anymore than you have

But I was aware of how this went down , it was evident in the 2004 debates how Kerry switched his focus to stand tough on the war .

How can I distract from ending the war . Do you have the answer of how to end the war , I don't see this so far .

Kerry should have stayed on course and beaten bush at his own game rather than back off . When Kerry came out with the footage of hunting what was the point , what had this to do with anything as far as this war was concerned , Kerry also adopted the war on terror and called them killers than must be killed . the entire war on terror is a false enterprise in itself , you must know this .

When the day comes where a candidate sticks with the issues of reality then we will have an end to this , this should not be a popularity contest with so much at stake .

I like Kerry , I just truely feel he made alot of mistakes listening to his handlers rather than going from his beliefs .

[_dynamicdems]

7. Utter nonsense. n/t