I'm ranting again. Actual real life posts will re-appear soon.
Apparently there's this email floating around from a certain SFC Raymond Reynolds from Denison, Iowa which highlights the good things going on in Iraq by our troops and is highly critical of anyone who says otherwise. Its posted on the Galva-Kewanee Armed Services Group message list if you are interested. Basically, he ends the statement with a veiled threat to beat up John Kerry, which is just my interpretation of it. I could be out of line there, but there was a certain vehemence to it. SFC Reynolds' previous internet appearances have come in the form of a request for sweet corn and in a statement much less belligerent and focused. Simply put, I feel for the guy, but don't agree with his motivation.
I agree with one thing the NCO says. There is not a lot of positive spin in the mainstream press. I read about it because I'm gathering news from all types of sources just to keep up on events; but I realize Tom Brokaw isn't making that the highlight of his evening routine. If anything, watching the Iraqi people actually accept the work of our troops at least makes it easier for us to realize the good we can do when we use our people wisely.
SFC Reynolds is certainly entitled to his opinion. After being home for a couple weeks, I am sure he heard a lot he did not care to hear. That said, while I realize our military is doing good things and commend them for it, these acts in no way make the president's decision to invade any more wrongheaded and incorrect. Its quite pathetic and opportunistic for conservatives to jump on one man's opinion and try to make political hay out of it; especially trying to use his frustration to turn the entire motivation of the president into a theory that is more evocative of the Peace Corps or Unicef than of his combative bluster of last year.
Saddam Hussein was a jerk from, well, probably the day of his birth. This was never news. It was also not a revelation that he abused, mistreated, and murderered his citizens. There was ample motivation to gather up the world and remove him from power on that alone. However, this was not the approach taken by our leaders. A vendetta to atone for some unfinished business by George H.W. Bush (which even the former president himself never bought into as an argument) and this concept that Iraq: a) had WMDs that could b) actually be delivered all the way to the US because c) the B'aath Party was in bed with Al Qaeda was not the way to gather the world together to achieve this worthy goal of liberating a society. Which is fine, as that was not the stated goal.
Let's review. We did not go in to save the Iraqis from their leader. If that were the case, Galva, Illinois wouldn't be pulling the equivalent weight of the country of Lithuania. Any moves to make people believe that is a lie. We have not found WMDs, the supposed ones could never reach American soil while launched from Iraq, and Iraq was not in cahoots with Bin Laden and the Bully Boys.
So, while I believe more of the good deeds of our troops should be acknowledged in the media - and the sooner the better - I still stand on the fact that we were lied to, our troops were put into a dangerous situation made worse by poor planning and someone supposed to be a world leader who taunts terrorists to "bring it on" and shoot at our friends and family. In short, this is not the type of person who should be running a day care, much less a nation.
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