is anyone else worried we're learning the wrong lessons from Iraq?

Question

We're letting Iraq make us too cautious about our use of force:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/62313

Answer 1

Not really - I do think, however, that we are letting the liberals make us too cautious about the U.S ever confronting Any enemy, for ANY cause - regardless of the provocation or consequences of remaining passive.

Answer 2

Actually, extreme caution is the absolutely correct lesson to learn. Military power is a chainsaw, not a scalpel. When you need to do surgery, you should pick the right tool for the job, if the job even really needs doing..

The author uses some common rhetorical tricks and fallacies in his article: he compares apples to oranges when he talks about the 1940's India, he attacks critics arguments about Arab cultural & democracy, even though those aren't the main arguments against involvement in the war, and he ignores or denies evidence that Iraq has created more terrorists with a claim that they don't need a new excuse. This is an incomplete argument at best, and dangerously oversimplified at worst.

I actually wouldn't mind reading a contrarian argument about excessive caution being the wrong lesson to learn, but such an article needs a better, and more honest, writer than this guy.

Answer 3

Sure........I think there are alot of Wrong things coming from Iraq.....

like going there in the 1st place....WRONG
like the policy's in Iraq from day 1 up to now.....WRONG

just think about it......what would be the upside to the US invading Iraq?
Answer: 1. Establish a strategic base of operations in the Middle East indepenent of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia ..(conveniently bordering Iran!ha!)

2. Gain access to Iraq's natural resources: (Oil)


Have we accomplished any of those two objectives? NO!!!!

We can't use Iraq as a place to stage military power for further on operations in that theater......because we can't even secure Iraq.......and the oil is being stolen by the government officials in power and sold on the blackmarket and NOT put on the real market where it would be useful to the US and intl community.......

Basically the takeaway lesson from Iraq is this: The money spent not accomplishing anything a world away would have been better spent on securing the US and establishing aggressive offensive intelligence operations against the Islamo Fascits.......

..so that when we do attack them we do it right and we acheive victory in such an overwhelming manner that everyone else on the planet...from North Korea to China to Iran to Syria to a friggin' peasant on a bannana boat off the coast of Venezuala will think twice about putting the U.S.'s name in their fat mouths!

"the bigger headache the bigger the pill...they call me the big pill baby!" Parliament/Funkadellic

Answer 4

hi listed right here are my responses on your statements, numbered the same. a million. In Vietnam we went to guard democracy in South Vietnam on the request of their governmenr. as quickly as we went to Iraq we went to get Saddam who replaced right into a conflict criminal for the genocides he commited and to locate the WMDs. despite the fact that with the WMDs he had an incredible style of warning we've been coming and replaced into in a position to get rid of them. 2. In Iraq we've been very useful. The Iraqi's are experienceing freedoms many have in no way had below Saddams regeim. do no longer persist with what the media shows on television. They practice the memories which will deliver the main reaction, despite the fact that they fail to coach the form we've completed. In Vietnam, we could have been very useful despite the fact that the phobia replaced into with the intention to realize standard fulfillment could have led to an all out conflict so the politicians did no longer enable our militia combat the conflict. 3. rules of Engagment have been set as much as shield the harmless. the U. S. militia follows them the main suitable they could, despite the fact that at circumstances, civilians do die. this does not supply the enemy a extensive benefit, despite the fact that it does ward off your techniques whilst it includes appealing them. Plus everytime a single civilian is killed there is outrage, despite the fact that this is not in any respect stated the undesirable civilian replaced into killed because of the fact the enemy ran and hid between them. 4. maximum of Iraq is a secure place. There are placed that are risky, yet even the u . s . a . has those places interior of its own borders. I relate the enemy in Iraq to gangs interior the u . s . a .. They walk around in elementary website yet cover among pals and kin. despite the fact that on the same time as the enemy is using guerilla war, this is not something like in Vietnam. In Iraq the enemy is using greater of city war then Guerilla. 5. the militia does not underestimate them. 6. How are we dropping the profession? 7. Going into Iraq the u . s . a . knew it replaced into no longer likely to be difficulty-free. they did no longer think of it replaced into going to be this hard despite the fact that they did no longer think of it replaced into going to be a walk interior the park the two.

Answer 5

No, it seems as though many that were once close to our current administration have stepped back and taken a second look at previous policies. The author of the link you provided has done just that. We are learning from our mistakes, it's unfortunate that those still loyal to the current administration cannot bring themselves to admit that mistakes were made. It's fortunate that 70% of the American public want these mistakes corrected.

Answer 6

Iraq should make us cautious about our use of force - that is THE lesson of this obscenity.

Answer 7

hey, here's a lesson the us government should learn. we are not the world police! i pay taxes to benifit this country not some monster corporations that use the us government to get their way around the world.

Answer 8

It does not matter, because when the Neocons are voted out of office next year, we will start withdrawal of forces.

Answer 9

what is the lesson....
Invade...kill any one in your way....
Always believe what you are doing...is the right thing...
Even if Innocent get killed....because....you are part of the best ( ideaology that u . r. it)....country on the planet....(although we have to use force to substantiate this)
Ever hear you sleep in the bed you make...
We have set up an ...... interesting future...for ourselves...and the rest of the planet.....ya!!!....force is the only answer...
Lets spend ourselves....and our children...and their children into debit to prove it....Good idea....