Iraq War
Perhaps we will never know the real reasons behind this war—much as we don’t know the real reasons behind most wars. Still, it should not have taken a genius—given the internecine hatred that pervades the country—to figure out that we would easily win the war, but lose the “peace.”
Maybe the idea was to flush out the bad guys, and wipe them out in Iraq, rather than on Main Street, USA. In theory, that sounds great, but hamstrung with rules of engagement that are fully exploited by the other side and an over-reliance on high tech hardware that might make Robert McNamara blush, the losses are intolerable.
Exactly what WAS the exit strategy? If Saddam proved anything, it was that stability came only under an iron-fisted rule. But even getting to that point will require something close to a civil war, and I can’t think of too many good arguments for our guys to be in the middle of it.
As long as al-Qaeda and company are willingly harbored by civilians, and we don’t want to kill “innocent” civilians because of the bad press, I could get quite comfortable with isolationism, thank you very much. Then, we could then spend some of the war money on the threat already here.
Immigration
The slave labor lobby, comprised largely of the hospitality industry, meat-packing facilities, and low-end construction trades clearly has way more political influence than the significant majority of Americans, who are fed up with uncontrolled immigration. Recent news stories confirm that donations to the Republican National Committee are down because of the lax immigration policy.
No doubt, the short-term political advantage of building a dubious prosperity on the backs of hapless illegals benefits both political parties. Sad to say, this whole thing would not have gotten off the ground but for the puerile and far too readily believed notion—widely promulgated by the education and self-esteem cartel— of “the jobs that Americans won’t do.”
In truth, there are no jobs that Americans won’t do. Rather, there are wages that Americans won’t accept. Consider this: In terms of physical danger, stress, unpalatable and grotesque working conditions, and the real possibility of being killed outright, few if any jobs can top Alaskan crab fisherman.
Yet, there is never of shortage of workers, and there are very few immigrants involved. Of course, the pay is excellent. What a surprise.
Moreover, anytime someone speaks even gently about vast numbers of unassimilable immigrants—legal or otherwise—he is labeled “racist” at the earliest opportunity, thus stifling any meaningful dialog. Yet, the piper will be paid.
War on Terror
If it were not bad enough that some object to this term as being too harsh, the home front of this war has seen little more than a gigantic bureaucratic build-up, which seems to specialize in kabuki theater airport security and failed federal prosecutions. Evidently, the welfare of the vast majority of Americans who wish to live peaceful lives is trumped by the supposed “rights” of targeted groups under investigation.
You cannot drive around downtown Washington, DC, replete with massive security roadblocks, closed-off streets being added on nearly a daily basis, and enhanced security procedures at formerly benign agency buildings without getting the distinct feeling that the terrorists have effectively won: We have adjusted our lives around them.
If this truly is a “war,” then we have been most cruelly betrayed by our feckless leaders, who apparently live out their pathetic lives in a isolation bubble filled to the brim with arrogance and self-importance. Indeed, in this new kind of war, the traitors have so far escaped any punishment, while the merely incompetent get promoted.