John McCain? I Don't Think So

Note To Readers:

I am currently cleaning out my "To Post" file. Some of these were written months ago, but I just hadn't gotten around to posting them.

GF

The December 26th Washington Post ran a story, in which Presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Az) supported sending additional troops to Iraq. Also in the article, Senator McCain said that the United States couldn't withdraw from Iraq, because "...they'd just follow us home"

I submit, friends, that Senator McCain has demonstrated, in just a few sentences, why he shouldn't be President of The United States. Simply put, he lacks discernment, and has dreadfully poor judgement.

First, Senator, let me say that our most senior military commanders, not to mention the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) for example, are against the concept commonly referred to these days as "the surge" of additional troops to Iraq. Most of them believe that an increase in the number of troops for 18 to 24 months won't produce the knock-out punch to end the insurgency. Sending more troops just to keep the lid on Bagdhad simply won't achieve success.

Additionally, let's be honest about this, the Army and Marines are stretched horribly thin right now, not only thin in numbers, but thin in terms of available weapons to fight a major war, should something flare up around the world. Remember, combat vehicles (tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, etc), helicopters (especially the high-tech gunships), and artillery pieces, have a designed lifespan of a given number of miles to be driven or flight hours to be flown, or rounds fired through them. Combat greatly reduces their lifespan, combat in an arid place reduces them even further. My point here, simply, is that our forces have less of what they need for war-fighting than they SHOULD have. Sending more ill-equipped troops WON'T help.

Look, if we are still trying to hold down just this one city, more than three years after it was conquered "liberated" it, suggests that the original battle-plan was flawed (which it was) and that the Presiden't version of success is impossible.

Let me make a few comments about your statement about being "followed home."

Weren't you paying attention in the midterm elections? The people didn't buy the "fight them there or we will have to fight them here" tactic. It doesn't make any sense. If you buy into it, Senator McCain, you must every bit as stupid as George W. Bush and the people that are telling him what to do advising him. Do you really want to be President so badly that you would attach yourself to this policy, when surely you MUST know how wrong it is?

You may have noticed, Senator, that we are wasting spending unholy amounts of money, and have created an entirely new internal security apparatus, because the President says we need to protect ourselves at home, since there are already terrorists among us. (Trust me when I tell you that a lot of the money is being wasted... some of you know where I work. I could tell you stories that would make run for your pitchforks and muskets!)

So, since we have already turned the FBI into a counterterrorist agency, and created the Department of Homeland Security, do we REALLY need to conduct a war in Iraq to protect us at the mall? Is that what this is all about? Kill Iraqi civillians to be safe at home? Do we really want to be THAT safe, at THAT price?

For shame, sir.

For shame.

GF