Point One: "You're with us or against...." I do believe that the speech came after 9-11, the greatest terrorist attack ever, in the context of it's timing and it's nature, I couldn't agree more. If I'm wrong about the timing, show me to the promised land.
Point Two: "Mission Accomplished", true. The initial operation, the one the banner was to be taken into context of was true. We devastated the enemy and pulled off one of THE MOST SUCCESSFUL invasions ever as far as loss of life (on both sides) and land covered. Again in the proper context, that state was true. Bush had to say it so the next phase could begin, building the new Iraq.
Point Three: Where is this glorious stand, and who are these glorious "minute men" that so often get brought up here? I will again state the reality that the insurgency makes up LESS THEN ONE, 1, Uno percent of the TOTAL Iraqi population, and what's more, they aren't even all Iraqi!!! The fact of the matter is, you have an Al Qaeda element, former baathists, sunni's, and religious fundies trying to secure a theocracy, plus outside governments Iran and Syria meddling, and still the majority of Iraq is fine (the problem of this insurgency primarily lies in 3 of the 18 provinces).
Point Four: Nobody said this was going to be easy, nor immediate. I'm betting the long term effects will never been known, because that is the nature of the operation. The World is a better place with our presence in Iraq, Iraq is better with our presence, the Middle East will be better. There is nothing but limitless upside if people could just get over the fact that we are there, we're there to stay, and we aren't coming home until the job is done right.
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To win a war you must serve no master but your ambition.
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