What if they ended a war, and nobody noticed except war mongers?

[Scuba]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show/#45677455


Rachel Maddow covers President Obama's speech at Fort Bragg and the bitter disappointment Republicans are feeling about the end of the Iraq War.

It appears that the American public is largely unaware that the war is ending (at least among those who even know we are at war). But more startling is the consistent Republican rhetoric lamenting the end of death and destruction.

Every leading Republican thinks ending the war is a bad idea, except Ron Paul and Mitt Romney who thinks it's both a bad idea and a good idea.

Meanwhile, 77% of Americans, including 63% of Republicans, think ending the war is a good idea.


This confirms, yet again, that Republicans are all nuts.

With guest Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, former Chief of Staff to SOS Colin Powell, who makes a couple very interesting statements:

"The preposterous protest being made my members of my political party, like John McCain, Lindsey Graham and others, just boggle my mind."

"It's absurd that we were mired in Iraq so long."

"...nationalism in Iraq is their best defense against Iran, not US forces on the ground, unless of course your plan is to go on to Syria or to go on to Iran from Afghanistan and Iraq , and of course that was the plan of George Bush and Dick Cheney."

"The only way I can explain (Republican statements) is their hatred for Obama."

"With any issue you want to pick, my Republicans seem intent on suicide."


His remarks begin at the 14 minute mark.


Runs 18:17

[Wait Wut]

1. I watched this last nite.

I had to call my husband in from the kitchen to hear the Col. What a great statement he made. I hope some Republicans were actually listening.

[tilsammans]

2. K&R!

Didja all hear McCain's statement on the war's ending?

[XemaSab]

3. What did that ol' bastid say?

[tilsammans]

5. Full text here:

http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressOffice.FloorStatements&ContentRecord_id=3e1aaa43-97eb-7855-5a8c-e1fc2580c469

[SoCalDem]

4. Wars "end", when the public stops caring one way or the other

Leadership always lags and keeps "warring" long past the expiration date.

Only when there's a draft, does the public outcry mean much. Because we have a "volunteer" military, our government can keep fighting useless "East-Asia" wars, at will.

A very dark cynical part of me thinks that our perpetual warring is little more than a "jobs" program, cloaked as military necessity..and is primarily a "Big-Oil" security guard/procurement service

[Mimosa]

6. Oh, yes.

I've thought that since 2007 or so.

[JDPriestly]

7. Some noticed. I received a call from a young person who has been indirectly

affected by that war. She was utterly delighted that the war is over.

I feel a sense of relief but also suspicion that maybe we are not being told the whole story. Maybe there will be so many civilian contractors in Iraq that we might as well be fighting there. Also, I am cautious in my feelings because it would be so easy for things to flare up and for us then to become re-involved in that mess.

I hope that war is over and that we can return to a normal relationship, a peacetime relationship with Iraq.

[ellisonz]

8. I think we should have ticker-tape parades. n/t