Responsibility
It is now clear that we have a lot of hard (and expensive) work ahead of
us in order to leave Iraq better than we found it. Listening to the
news lately, it seems that as the size of the task ahead of us sinks in,
a greater portion of the American public is getting cold feet about the
follow through.
Bush's decision to invade Iraq is a bell that we cannot unring. The
question we have to ask ourselves now is this: "What is the next right
thing to do?"
Pulling out without making sure that Iraq has the tools to thrive would
be even more morally bankrupt than Bush's choice to invade in the first
place. We have an obligation now. We cannot just walk away from that.
Bush claimed that invading Iraq was necessary to protect us from
terrorism. This was clearly a lie. Rebuilding and stabilizing Iraq,
however, is necessary to protect us from terrorism. Before
this war, Iraq was brutal, but stable and contained. After Bush's war,
Iraq has the potential to slip into anarchy, militant fundamentalism,
balkanization or civil war. Does that menu of dangers remind you of
anyplace in particular? Afghanistan, perhaps?
As we pound the Bush administration for their arrogance, errors and lies
in leading us into war, we cannot advocate for the abandonment of Iraq.
We should support our young people in uniform as they do the "next right
thing" for us.
My mom forwarded me a letter from one of my cousins today. He is an MP,
stationed in a particularly grateful Shiite community. He is working to
re-train Iraqi police to serve the people in a post-dictatorial state.
While he says he wants Bush voted out "for lying about our motive for
being here," he makes it clear that he knows in his heart he is doing
good things today for the Iraqi people. He hates seeing negative news
reports about the operation in Iraq because the situation he sees around
him holds a lot of promise. He takes pride in his job, and is doing his
part every day to build a brighter future for the Iraqis around him. He
goes on:
"Americans need to be rallying in support of Iraq--sending aid and
expertise. It's an unprecedented opportunity to bring
self-determination to the Middle East."
While I wholeheartedly believe that the invasion of Iraq was an
unnecessary war (and as John Adams said: "Great is the shame of an
unneccesary war,") that does not mean I believe that we should run from
this opportunity. Indeed, it is not so much an opportunity as a
responsibility.
When we attack Bush on the war in Iraq and on its cost, we should not
create in the public debate an incentive to skimp on the necessary
work. Yes, the hundereds of billions of dollars that the invasion and
reconstruction of Iraq will ultimately cost would have been better spent
on protecting our ports and bolstering our first responders, on
stabilizing and nurturing Afghanistan, on shoring up Social Security to
survive the retirement of the baby boomers, on implementing health care
solutions in our own country. But it's too late for that now. We have
a job to do. And how well we do that job might determine whether Iraq
in 2023 will have more in common with Germany in 1965 or with Germany in
1938.
10:44:59 AM 
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