WurfWhile

I was discussing the Iraq War situation yesterday with a politically astute person I’ll call Jim that I had just met, and he said something that initially startled me. Jim said a friend, who had been to Jim’s left during Vietnam (Jim might not have pulled out in that case at the time), was saying we should pull out of Iraq. When Jim objected that it might hurt our international standing, among other issues, his friend pointed out that without a clear plan to achieve our ends (if they’re achievable) why was it worse to pull out? Jim did not say that he endorsed this view, but it is a real objection to answer. The ideal (short of fixing the mess we’ve made in Iraq) might be some sort of ‘real’ “peace with honor” as Jim explicitly echoed Nixon. Yet, if we cannot salvage our international reputation, much less help the people in Iraq, then we must ask whether we should sacrifice even one more soldier for a cause that has no effect. I am not totally sold on this idea; I truthfully need to consider it more. But I do think it is incumbent on people that support the maintenance or expansion of our troop presence and involvement in Iraq to answer the objection, it is a deadly serious one.