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James Duncan of Denver writes:

Iraq: What to do?
It’s a mess. Damned if we stay, damned if we go.
What ARE we going to do?
When we went in we were bound to ‘succeed’ and shame on us if we ‘fail’, whatever those may mean but it is clear to me that anybody who engages in violence, whatever the conditions may be, has failed. I was always taught “Two wrongs don’t make a right.” and “Love your enemies, bless those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute you.”
No, I am not naive, I just won’t settle for anything but the greatest solutions as I know we in this great country are capable of.
I can understand the reaction to get satisfaction that comes with pride and passion. This is my country and my world, you are my brothers and sisters. I share that fire that burns in all of us. But we must direct that deep burning passion into great, utmost honorable, excellent means and ends.
We’ve got to be aware of our thinking from the pattern that we’ve been exposed to how the public relations departments of the unethical corporations, government, media has now so indelibly etched in our brains. I can understand how they come about as they are trying to serve their communities immediately surrounding them. But that short sightedness away from the larger community has demonstrated its dire tragic consequences.
Then we’ve got to do humanity proud, even more than that, life in general. We’ve got to be credit to this miraculous existence. Right?!!! Let’s rise to the occasion!

This letter has not been edited.

READER COMMENTS

Huh?

Kumbaya.

Is this letter writer the dreamy touchy-feely socialist, Truth, on tis blog? Makes the same impassioned, albeit meaningless, speech...

Socialist,

After reading this I knew there would be someone calling the letter writer a socialist, after all it was about all of us as a country doing the right thing for humanity. But of course if you want to help fellow Americans you are a socialist. If you want all of our tax money to go to another country while some reap sickening profits from war you are a patriot.

Socialist,

After reading this I knew there would be someone calling the letter writer a socialist, after all it was about all of us as a country doing the right thing for humanity. But of course if you want to help fellow Americans you are a socialist. If you want all of our tax money to go to another country while some reap sickening profits from war you are a patriot.

James,
Your heart is in the right place, God bless you.
However, as you see , compassion and reason are ridiculed by those who know no better.
But take solice in the fact that you're in good company. Jesus Christ had the same fears.

It seems that human nature hasn't changed in the last 2000 years.
Only our methods of communication.

Hang in there, James. We'll be OK.

J Duncan said “but it is clear to me that anybody who engages in violence, whatever the conditions may be, has failed.” – and it is clear to me that you skipped all of your history classes, or just plain ignorant. This is not your country, you don’t own it nor you are a king here, and I’m not your brother. “Two wrongs don’t make a right.” – is pretty much pointless, when you are incapable of differentiating right from wrong. And please stay away from my property and income, it does not belong to your “community”.

What was it about the governing in Afganistan that has worked so far? What are they doing that the Iraqi government cannot do? Why was the war in Afganistan over so quickly compared to this one? Anybody?

James:

Before you went neurotic, your letter was to the point::

"Iraq: What to do?
It’s a mess. Damned if we stay, damned if we go.
What ARE we going to do?"

Citizens (read candidates) should answer this question not worry about blame. Sadly, we are where we are. We have to fix it one way or the other.

Bush at least has a plan ( whether you like that answer or not ). Stay the course, let circumstances dictate the future.

What are the Candidates ( any party) plans?
Besides milking the problem for votes.

Oh, and James; you said "I was always taught “Love your enemies, bless those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute you.”

And you say you are not Nieve???

AF

Staying the course is no plan, it's a stall. But let's just say that it is a real plan, what happens if it fails, will we still say the course? Let circumstances dictate the future? What about the rush to get in there? Where was the sit back and see where it goes attitude then?

What was it about the governing in Afganistan that has worked so far? What are they doing that the Iraqi government cannot do? Why was the war in Afganistan over so quickly compared to this one? Anybody?

Umm....unfortunately the war in Afghanistan is a long way from over:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/12/world/asia/12afghan.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

The U.S./NATO might still well prevail in Afghanistan, but like Iraq, this conflict was mismanaged, and is heading in the wrong direction. And we'll have to wait until January 2009 before getting a sense if America wants to win there. By then we'll be that much closer to the time the Soviet Union spent in that country.

I'm not saying that the war in Afganistan is over by any means. But they were able to sustain themselves so that the military could go elsewhere.

By the way, I already know the answer, I just want to hear it from the people who support this war.

JD, why do you hate America?

Why do you want the terrorists to win?

Don't you know they want to BEHEAD us?

God is on our side, he told our Decider himself, so if'n your not for us , your the enemy.

James Duncan , be on your toes, you are showing compassion and I'm afraid that is a trait that is not appreciated by the Rightwingers, especially those who post here. Jesus was the original Liberal and you know what the conservatives did to him.

Hey dumb-ass jc,It was the jews that betrayed Jesus to get him killed,it's just like the democraps betraying the U.S. getting Americans killed.

Keith, you silly little man. Pick up a bible and try reading it ( or have someone read it to you). It's Christians like you who give christianity a black eye in the world. Like it or not, Jesus was a liberal with all those nasty ideas that Conservatives hate: giving to the poor, helping the weak and the sick, turning the other cheek, rendering to Caeser what is Caesers ( he means taxes baby), not being obsessed with money, etc... Jesus offended the Conservative jews with these radical ideas!

Actually JC, Jesus didn't advocate giving other peoples money away, just your own. Nor did he teach forcing others to help.

Which bible are you reading?

jc,It's the conservatives that give to the needy,the weak and the sick.It's the liberals that that creat the poor,screw the poor,sick,weak and ignorant.

Keith, actually it was the Romans who didn`t want yet another man claiming to be the Messiah, come to free the Israelites from Roman rule.

Jews never crucified. They were too civilized to do that.

But you can use Italians in your comparison if you want to.

Wouldn`t make any less sense than what you usually write.

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