Bring It On!

By Jersey McJones on Nov 22, 2006 | Reply

Huh.  I heard it was “Go Big,” “Go Long,” or “Go Home.”  In other words, send in many more boots, keep the course forever, or pack up and leave.

JMJ

By Craig R. Harmon on Nov 22, 2006 | Reply

I think you’re a tad confused. ‘Go long’ does not mean “keep the course forever”. That just means that it will take years at current troop levels to achieve our objectives. Remember, we’ve still got troops in Germany, 60+ years out.

Other than that, your right.

I’m for the “Go Big” but that ain’t gonna happen, it seems.

By Dusty on Nov 22, 2006 | Reply

We don’t have the soldiers for “go big” Craig. Unless you don’t have a problem with guys doing 4 tours over there. I do.

By Craig R. Harmon on Nov 22, 2006 | Reply

Hence my support for Rangles call for a draft. Also we have troops sitting around the world in places where they are no longer vitally necessary, and yet, there they sit. We could redistribute active duty troops from elsewhere in the world. We could encourage people to sign up for military service with pay bumps, sign-up bonuses. We could institute a draft. I don’t buy that it’s not possible and I have plenty of support from the actual generals on the ground in Iraq that more troops would be a beneficial thing and that pulling out before we have accomplished our goals would be a bad thing.

By Dr. Forbush on Nov 22, 2006 | Reply

Craig,

I’d be in favor of a draft if all Americans of all ages and both sexes were to be drafted equally. If that were the case then only wars of absolute nescessity would be fought. 

By Craig R. Harmon on Nov 22, 2006 | Reply

No problem there. Obviously not every individual is equally fit for combat and some exceptions would have to be made but as long as the exceptions were applied equally, I’d agree.

By Dusty on Nov 22, 2006 | Reply

Do either of you have a child of draft age? I do and you mutha fuckas can kiss my ass on another draft for this god forsaken war. Your so damn into a draft, Why haven’t you enlisted Craig?

By Craig R. Harmon on Nov 22, 2006 | Reply

Yes I do and I’m well over the admittance age and the same physical disability that keeps me out of the ministry would keep me out of the military.

By 4Truth on Nov 22, 2006 | Reply

Craig, the troops in Germany do not have to worry about staying alive so your comment “Remember, we’ve still got troops in Germany, 60+ years out.” does not apply when you are on your toes 24/7.  IF America decides to go to War to defend our country then rich & poor must go, no exceptions. Iraq WAS NOT a threat to America, just a bad guy dictator. America has no right to Nation Build.

By Dusty on Nov 22, 2006 | Reply

Perhaps you don’t mind the possibility of sacrificing your child for this bungled bullshit Craig, but I do. The bastards running this country can kiss my ass if they think a draft for this occupation of Iraq is ok. As Rangel just said..if we had a draft in place, this stupid administration would of never went into Iraq. He was calling everyone’s bluff by calling for a draft. And you took the bait..figures. Lets have more soldiers come home blown up or dead..lets make it a national effort..except of course for the rich..Those folks never serve if they don’t want to. And nothing is going to convince me that sending a million soldiers over there will end this worthless war to anyones satisfaction. Wtf is the goal now Craig? What would a win look and smell like? The idiot in the WH would just invade Iran next..followed by Syria..and god knows where else.

By Craig R. Harmon on Nov 22, 2006 | Reply

Dusty,

I’m the guy who still believes in this war, remember? I still believe it is important to win. Losing is not an option so if my sons, two of them, were inducted, went, fought and died or came back seriously maimed I’d grieve just as any parent would.

The goal is the same as it’s always been leave behind an Iraq with a stable representative government that hopefully will not tolerate terrorists making comfy as was the case in Afghanistan under the Taliban.

As for Iran, I don’t believe that there would be the political will for war with them. Back before Iraq, we didn’t know how weak our intelligence was regarding their WMD. That same cannot be said about Iran. Our intelligence is no better but we know that. There aren’t going to be any “Mr. President, it’s a slam dunk” moments and the current Congress wouldn’t buy it if there were one.

Sending a million soldiers to Iraq would end the fighting so fast you wouldn’t be able to complete your next sentence. It would be over before they got there. The only reason the violence continues now is because there aren’t enough soldiers to quell it. The terrorists can sneak in ordnance, can hide it, can bury roadside bombs undetected. The foreign terrorists, who are already very unpopular with the Iraqis, would give up on Iraq. They know they can’t defeat us in conventional war and there would be no place for them to hide, regroup to or plot their next attack from.

The whole point of the draft is that the rich can’t weasel out, at least the draft as I envision it.

By Dusty on Nov 22, 2006 | Reply

Your delusional if you believe we will be able to set up a STABLE government there. Maliki is a thug just like his “militias”. They are playing us. Your chickenhawk friends have nothing to lose by continuing this occupation of iraq forever. People who have never served in a war, yet call for the continuation of this one are disgusting,vile creatures. Even McCain has said if the country is not behind it, we should pull out now. The country as a whole, is certainly not behind this sick twisted bs that is masquerading as the GWOT…even if you and your ilk are.

By Craig R. Harmon on Nov 22, 2006 | Reply

Sigh. First Jersey calls me sleazy, now I’m a delusional, disgusting, vile creature with an ilk.

Well, it’s been fun chatting with you Dusty but if that’s the best that you can do I’ll wish you a happy Thanksgiving and say sayonara. I have better things to do than be called such things.

By Liberal Jarhead on Nov 25, 2006 | Reply

With the state of warfare today and its need for highly trained professionals, i.e. people who want to be in uniform and are in for longer than draftees would be, a bunch of conscripts would be worse than useless - the main thing they’d accomplish would be getting killed with astonishing speed.  Do you really want another wall with tens of thousands of names on it?

By Dusty on Nov 25, 2006 | Reply

Doesn’t it take like 3 months just to go through training to go over there LJ? To learn the language, etc? A draftee wouldn’t have any reason to apply him or herself..other than staying alive.

By Craig R. Harmon on Nov 25, 2006 | Reply

I think staying alive would be good motivation for doing things like learning the language since someone who knows the language probably has better chances of staying alive by, say, befriending the natives than someone who doesn’t. Becoming proficient in the language would be a ticket to a job other than pointing a gun and shooting when being shot at, a job that gives less likelihood of being shot at and greater likelihood of doing something good within the confines of a situation that one would rather not be in. I understand that a draftee might not think that way but I think it’s the way to look at it.

By Dusty on Nov 25, 2006 | Reply

Craig, they aren’t giving them language training..at least my niece didn’t get it. She will be expected to interrogate prisoners but wasn’t taught the language. I asked her about it today when I spoke to her. She also spent 6 months waiting for training..and doing nothing to prepare for her tour in Afganistan. I asked why. She said they didn’t have enough teachers, so even though she was on the base for training, she spent her time cleaning the leaves out of flower beds. Nice huh?She got a whole three months of training to go into a warzone. She is very disillusioned about the experience, saying it was nothing like the recruiter told her. 

By Craig R. Harmon on Nov 25, 2006 | Reply

Well sounds like the usual bureaucratic bs. Very sorry to hear that.