Only thing holding her back is that she agrees that we never should have gone into Iraq, but pulling out now would be a big mistake.
The catastrophic military occupation of Iraq is rarely described accurately in the U.S. media. And according to independent journalist Dahr Jamail, “
The bogus idea that if the U.S. leaves things will worsen is both inherently racist and ignorant.”. By not pulling out, we Americans are asserting that we are somehow more knowledgeable and better capable of uniting a country half the world away (not only in terms of location, but of culture and tradition) more than the Iraqi people themselves.
Even if one were for the war in Iraq, the big mistake is to continue to occupy the country. Why? Simple. We can't afford it. We're 9,000,000,000,000+ in debt.
Each day we spend in Iraq costs us $720,000,000. That's $500,000 per minute! The most costly is the blood of hundreds of our men and women. Thousands of our soldiers are being maimed and injured. There's untold numbers suffering from
post-traumatic stress disorder --- a living hell if there ever was one. MSNBC reported back in 2004 that
1 in 8 returning soldiers suffers from PTSD, but less than half with problems seek help. Imagine the numbers now as our soldiers are being forced to take longer tours of duty and those who do have PTSD are sent back!
Who is going to pay for all of the lives lost and our debt to countries like China (
we're borrowing from them like crazy to continue funding our wars)? Some of it will be paid by our parents' generation. But not all. It'll be our generation, and the generation after, and the generation after if we continue this senseless war and occupation of sovereign nations.
To paraphrase this
one soldier who expressed his thoughts on video, why not send our troops home with their lives? Why not? Why not set the generations to come free from having to pay for the mistakes we've made today?
Resorting to a medical analogy, a wrong diagnosis was made at the beginning of the war and the wrong treatment was prescribed. Refusing to reassess our mistakes and insist on just more and more of a failed remedy is destined to kill the patient-in this case the casualties will be our liberties and prosperity here at home and peace abroad.
- Dr. Ron Paul
Statement on the Iraq War Resolution
Fin.
ETA: Not quite.
I'd also like to point out this article from the AP:
In Basra, violence is a tenth of what it was before British pullback, general says. Our presence in Iraq is what motivates the Iraqis to strap bombs on themselves and blow us up. We're also not winning their hearts and minds when we we have reports like
Iraqi Soldier Who Killed U.S. Troops is a Hero in Iraq.
It's a mess over there and the sooner we stop meddling in the affairs of others, the better for all those involved. Give the Iraqis their liberty and the ability to determine what course they want their country to take. Fix our own problems here at home and set a good example for other countries instead of bombing or bribing them to do as we wish. Please.