Of all the Lefties that blog in these parts, I am probably the most hawkish. I had no problem with Israel going after Hamas. Or bombing Palestinian houses that hide terrorists.
But my lust for blood is also tempered by compassion and no ego driven need to think the proverbial chest of America needs to be in a constant state of being pumped up.
About thirty years ago Iranian "students" took over our embassy and held our citizens hostage over 400 days. President Carter okayed an ill fated rescue mission, that upon reflexion, was ill planned and probably prolonged the captivity of our people. But eventually, our people came home in one piece.
Now we could have bombed the hell out of Iran. Killed a bunch of Iranians. Got out people killed as well. But is that worth the privilege of us walking around with our chests pumped up? Ronald Reagan must not have thought so either because he never ordered a retaliatory attack on the Iran even though it probably would have been popular.
Move forward to the Gulf War. Saddam got his ass kicked back into Iraq where it belonged. Wonderful. But what did we get in the end. Did Kuwait leave OPEC and give us a good deal on oil? No. Did the Saudis clamp down on extremists in their country as a thank you? No. Most of the 911 terrorists were from Saudi Arabia. Their government still practices a brand of Islam that is brutal to women. But our Nation did get to have a pumped up chest after this.
Move forward to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Over 4000 of our Soldiers are dead in an invasion of a country that was no threat. We got to have the chest pumped for awhile when President Bush declared combat operations over after around two weeks. That's a testament to our Military. Our Nation should be proud of these men and women that serve.
But soon enough, insurgents popped up. Roadside bombs started killing our guys. Chaos ruled Iraq. Not us and certainly not any Iraqis. One of the jokers that had alot of power was the little fat, America hating prick Muqtada Al Sadr. (They say you can't judge a book by it's cover. This asshole proves that sometimes you can. he looks like little prick and doesn't disappoint.)
To this day, despite the propaganda, our chests aren't pumped up anymore. For all the female Iraqis that were proud of their purple fingers when they voted for the first time, they still can't walk to the market without a male relative escort and covered head to toe in their burqas.
We look at what happened in the last two days in North Korea. Two young ladies are home because instead of practicing brinkmanship and talking tough, which would have only caused these two ladies more time in captivity, our leaders decided their lives meant more than having a pumped up chest.
Our President, former President Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton taught us a great lesson in humble diplomacy. Today is the day our Nation deserves to have it's chest pumped.
13 comments:
And all I'm getting for comments on my blog on this story is GOPers wondering [and some insisting] that Mr. Clinton "hit on" the two women.
That's what passes for incisive thinking on the right.
How embarrassing.
See my post on what the Hindenburg of Gasbags had to say.
It's kind of like what Rumsfeld said Shaw. If all you have for ammunition is bullshit, that's what you have to shoot.
After the diplomacy of the last administration you almost forget what 'done right' means...
Tone down the heat with muslim countries, spoke to the Iranian people and the next thing you know their government is barely making it...
Then swap a photo shoot for two hostages...
It sure is different from fighting the world...
Oh, please spare us, Shaw. You have no idea what Kim Jon Il was given in return for 'pardoning' those women.
If Clinton starts to grope them on the plane, maybe they will ask to go back to Korea.
These women are not free until they are away from Bill Clinton
Irony God is jealous because his wife would rather be groped by Bill Clinton than him.
My only problem with the diplomatic solution (besides thinking only bullets will cure Kimmy of his mental issues), is that NK made a deal and got something they wanted. It may be something small. But it may also be something they'll use as down payment for something bigger.
And I suspect (like it did with Bush and Clinton when he was Prez) it will come back to bite us squarely in the ass.
And Shaw: If you can't make a sex joke about Bill Clinton, what point is there in life?
And Shaw: If you can't make a sex joke about Bill Clinton, what point is there in life?
Right, let the fun begin!
Talk about your dilemma for the two young women: 12 years of hard labor in a North Koren prison camp or 12 hours alone in a private jet with Willard..
For all we know, Clinton may have talked the dear leader into wearing a wig and getting under the desk.
It's a long, lonely flight to North Korea.
Sorry my left leaning friends. Patrick's logic was too powerful for even Truth 101 this time.
god of irony said...
"Oh, please spare us, Shaw. You have no idea what Kim Jon Il was given in return for 'pardoning' those women."
And do you? Tell us how you know this. Then back it up with facts. Actually tell us with evidence.
Otherwise you're talking out of your blow hole, as most of the rightwing cornbrains do.
"If Clinton starts to grope them on the plane, maybe they will ask to go back to Korea."
They were THRILLED when they saw our most beloved president who left office with higher approval ratings than did "Mission Accomplished" Bush. Higher.
"These women are not free until they are away from Bill Clinton"
Nice try. But Mr. Clinton can go anywhere in the world and be welcomed. Let's see GWB do the same.
Heh.
None of us know the specifics. We can speculate and probably will, but the fact of the matter is that two women were released safely. I don't like Clinton but I say Kudos for getting them home without bloodshed!
The jokes, well, he did bring them on himself, so I guess he's fair game. :-)
Please people.......lets not be so naive. I can't wait until the tax bill comes out for this charade. If we can throw billions of our SS money to illegal aliens, do your really think that our tax dollars wont go to Kim for ransom? Or do you wish to believe that the magnificent presence of "Slick Willy" changed the minds of one of our mast hated enemies.
Is there anyone out there who honestly believes that Bill Clinton negotiated anything with the North Koreans? Isn't it much more likely that he was was little more than the public messenger and escort home that culminated a lot of behind the scenes work that has been going on for months?
Two young ladies are home and Dear leader got a photo op. Beats hell out of dragging this out for years. And in the end, Dear Leader would still have gotten his photo op. The young ladies would have been the ones that suffered so we could "save face." Or whatever the hell is supposed to send the right message to the Asian World. I could not care less what China thinks. Does anybody really think China will start giving a shit about human rights or nuclear proliferation because America "saved face"?
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