former top commander in Iraq: "America is living a nightmare"

[Ecofarm]

And maybe he was just being inflamatory, for good press.

 

[Che Guava]

And maybe he was just being inflamatory, for good press.

I dunno: an unstable government, a civil war, a huge bill and no end in sight....if I had dreamed about that in 2000, I would have woken up and said 'what a nightmare!"

 

[Ecofarm]

I dunno: a fledgling democracy in place of a genocidal dictator, women voting by the thousand, women being allowed to be a part of society, no more court sentences of gang-rape, no more honor killings, no more female genital mutilation, no more death sentances for gays, no more chemical weapons being used against citizens...

No real impact on gas prices, the lowest unemployment in decades, inflation under control, casualities for 5 years that are equal to one day in WWII...

I would wake up and say "the world is a better place".

This is not a nightmare, this is our finest hour.

 

[angeleyes]

...... Or did the general simply grossly overstate a point to grab a few more headlines?

You take the statement of the general literally just to avoid to answer what the general really is saying: the war in Iraq is a disaster and there's no good way out.

 

[Ecofarm]

Umm, I think someone already countered that opinion. See the post above yours.

Noone is avoiding anything. An article must be taken one piece at a time, and the title is a good place to start - it often betrays a political agenda.

Are you suggesting that certain parts of an article should be ignored? Why?

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

I dunno: a fledgling democracy in place of a genocidal dictator, women voting by the thousand, women being allowed to be a part of society, no more court sentences of gang-rape, no more honor killings, no more female genital mutilation, no more death sentances for gays, no more chemical weapons being used against citizens...

No real impact on gas prices, the lowest unemployment in decades, inflation under control, casualities for 5 years that are equal to one day in WWII...

I would wake up and say "the world is a better place".

This is not a nightmare, this is our finest hour.

Let's not forget torture, supension of the right to a trial, PATRIOT Act, a huge deficit, spending hundreds of billion dollars on a war we aren't winnning, and lying about the reasons we went into Iraq. Hooray for dreams.

 

[Che Guava]

I dunno: a fledgling democracy in place of a genocidal dictator, women voting by the thousand, women being allowed to be a part of society, no more court sentences of gang-rape, no more honor killings, no more female genital mutilation, no more death sentances for gays, no more chemical weapons being used against citizens...

No real impact on gas prices, the lowest unemployment in decades, inflation under control, casualities for 5 years that are equal to one day in WWII...

I would wake up and say "the world is a better place".

This is not a nightmare, this is our finest hour.

Ah yes, a true golden age for both americans and Iraqis! Never have times been better! Just try not to slip on those streets paved with gold....

 

[EdwardTking]

On that same token, is the UK also living in this nightmare as well?

Actually many UK citizens think so.

As for me.

The UK supposedly disengaged itself from the Indian sub-continent in 1948,
and from the middle east in 1956 (year I was born).

Yet today in 2007, there are British troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The business case is vague, something about supporting the current United States administration, but how have we benefited from it? Prime Minister Harold Wilson was smart enough to keep the UK out of Vietnam in the 1960s and strong enough to say No to President Johnson. Yet Tony Blair rushed in.

These overseas wars merely seems to result in a steady stream of casualties and annoying the islamics with no ultimate beneficial solution in sight.

There is a realpolitic argument that we are tactically defending limited oil supplies while strategically preparing to transit to a less fossil fuel dependent economy. However it seems that the ongoing adventures are merely delaying and distracting our government from addressing the impending resource shortages and global warming too.

I find it all disturbingly peculiar and feel that it will only end in tears.

More like the start of a dream state, the nightmare is yet to come.

 

[MobBoss]

I dunno: an unstable government, a civil war, a huge bill and no end in sight....

But thats not the reality of living in America. Thats living in Iraq. Slight differance.

 

[George2816]

But thats not the reality of living in America. Thats living in Iraq. Slight difference.

10 trillion dollars debt, 0% saving rate, housing market crashing! Whats the positive side? (The super rich have everything + more?)

 

[MobBoss]

10 trillion dollars debt, 0% saving rate, housing market crashing! Whats the positive side? (The super rich have everything + more?)

Unemployment still low. Earning is up. Inflation isnt bad. And even if what you say is true, that still doesnt equate to a 'nightmare'. I mean come on. Compared to the rest of the world, people living in America have it very good. Hell, even our poor own cars, computers and have cable television.

Is it a living nightmare? Hell no. If living in the USA were a 'nightmare' people would be leaving the USA in droves...and that is simply not the case.

And if you cant see any positives...then seek some help for clinical depression.

 

[Japanrocks12]

Why do we take a statement like that and interpret it so literally? Maybe he just meant a collective nightmare, as a nation, rather than a personal one felt by all americans every day.

exactly.


I'm living in a semi-nightmare too, but that's beside the point

 

[EconomistBR]

I know that he is the former top commander in Iraq.

IMO, he is just angry that he lost his 4th star and know is bad mouthing everyone.

 

[Joe Harker]

I really tempted to say that he is stating the obivous.

 

[Ecofarm]

These overseas wars merely seems to result in a steady stream of casualties and annoying the islamics with no ultimate beneficial solution in sight.

Freedom and democracy equals no real beneficial solution? For our own security, let alone the those suffering beneath tyrants, it is quite a beneficial solution.

 

[Verbose]

Freedom and democracy equals no real beneficial solution? For our own security, let alone the those suffering beneath tyrants, it is quite a beneficial solution.

If so, why did the US in the 1950's decide to back autocratic regimes in the Middle East and not the democracy movements?

They did exist, but US policy of the time was to prefer friendly dictators on the assumption that freedom and democracy were not approppriate for that part of the world.

And it's not as if the US has so far managed to successfully graft either freedom or democracy anywher, using the present means employed. That still remains to be seen. And the US has zero credibility regarding freedom and democracy with the people in the Middle East by now.

 

[EdwardTking]

Freedom and democracy equals no real beneficial solution? For our own security, let alone the those suffering beneath tyrants, it is quite a beneficial solution.

While there were good reasons for ridding Afghanistan of Osama and Iraq of Saddam who were obstacles to freedom and democracy, I am not alas convinced that the further continuance of western armies in those countries now helps embed either freedom or democracy there.

Britain used to rule the Indian subcontinent. One of the reasons put forward against withdrawal was that a civil war would erupt bcause the different religious groups could not agree on a way forward. And indeed when the British withdrew, there was a war as India and Pakistan fought for territory.
However it was necessary for Britain to withdraw for amongst other reasons, to give them the opportunity to agree, fight their war, compromise, adopt politics etc.

And 60 years later, the larger part is a growing federal democracy.

 

[aaglo]

That "America is living a nightmare" comes from the japanese proverb the commander used in his speech.
"An action without an insight or a plan is a nightmare"... or something like that.

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

This is sooo embarrasing for Bush. Not even his own people support him.

 

[MobBoss]

This is sooo embarrasing for Bush. Not even his own people support him.

Wow. Do you really think everyone in the military is a republican?

You are funny.



Its more embarassing to you to think that.