By Charles Bloomer
web posted June 19, 2006
Except, of course, for "war heroes" such as John Murtha (D-PA).
Jack Murtha would rather see America become "Home of the Cowards" and "Land of the Fearful". He would rather see America as a weak, timid nation unable or unwilling to help oppressed people around the world remove the yoke of murderous dictators, unwilling to honor our commitments to Iraq and Afghanistan, unwilling to perform the dangerous tasks required to preserve and spread freedom and democracy.
 Murtha on Meet the Press on June 18 |
Murtha has become a clown-like figure in the circus of anti-war sentiment. Given a conspicuous pulpit by the Liberal press, he is the embodiment of the left's fetish with America's failure in Vietnam. He is convinced that, despite the successes in Iraq, the United States should cut and run, the sooner the better, leaving the Iraqi people to fend for themselves.
"We need to change direction. We can't win a war like this." Murtha on Meet the Press, June 18.
Change direction to what? To failure? To complicity in the deaths of thousands of Iraqis in the inevitable terrorist resurgence that would follow a US pull-out? To a direction that convinces Osama bin Laden and his cohorts that they were right about American weakness?
We can't win a war like this? So much for Murtha's military experience. Why can't we win this war? We have the finest, most capable military in the world. Will the effort be difficult? Yes, of course. But what alternative is there? If we don't win this war against terror -- in Iraq, in Afghanistan -- the future of America, the future of our children and grandchildren is in jeopardy. The only way we will fail in this war is the same reason we failed in Vietnam. Because irresponsible politicians, supported by an irresponsible press will work relentlessly to undermine the American public's will and confidence.
"But there comes a time when you got to change direction, there comes a time when you have to say to yourself, ok, we've done everything we could do. We can't win this militarily." Murtha, Meet the Press, June 18.
"We can't win this militarily." One of the attitudes I dislike about critics such as Murtha is that they think it is sufficient to complain without offering a rational solution. If we can't win militarily, how does Murtha propose we can win? Does he subscribe to the Joe Wilson proposal that we should negotiate with the terrorists? [1] Should we hold a summit? Maybe we should just pay them off -- you know, buy a cease fire. After all, it has worked so well with the Palestinians. So far, the only solution that has been forthcoming from Murtha's bloviating mouth is: "We don't have to be right there. We can go to Okinawa." (Another of Murtha's brilliant statements on Meet the Press.)
What a great plan. Pull our troops out of Iraq, send them to Okinawa where they can watch the total disintegration of a fledgling democracy they helped to establish. But at least they will be there, ready to be deployed "almost instantly" should such brilliant minds such as Murtha, Kennedy, Kerry, or Pelosi determine they are needed. How reassuring.
The debate in the House of Representatives last week was very revealing. The debate was over a non-binding resolution that started out with the words "The United States will prevail in the Global War on Terror, the struggle to protect freedom from the terrorist adversary", and included a statement that the United States is "committed to the completion of the mission to create a sovereign, free, secure and united Iraq." The vote was 256-153 vote in favor of the pro-war measure. Murtha voted against the resolution.
Murtha wants America to lose. But America is the land of the free because of the brave, not because of cut-and-run cowards. 
Footnotes:
[1] Former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson, whose wife was at the center of a CIA leak case that led to the indictment of Vice President Cheney's top aide, argued Wednesday that the U.S. needs to bring Iraqi insurgents and their "foreign patrons" to the conference table for negotiations. -- Nathan Burchfiel, CNSNews.com, June 15, 2006
Charles Bloomer is a Contributing Editor at Enter Stage Right and creator of Liberty Call US. He can be contacted at
clbloomer@enterstageright.com. (c) 2006 by Charles Bloomer