This ranty thing was a response I posted on “thefacebook” (blech) but thought I might share with others who haven’t “thefacebook” access.
I think (redacted) has great points, as ever. And I am thrilled that someone is standing up for Senator McCain. I would argue against, however, using OpEd pieces as the main source of information. The problem with bloggers is they can use the Fox technique of saying “People have said…” and they can say whatever they want after that, true or not, no matter how ridiculous an accusation, because they have no sources. “People say” “I’ve heard people talk …” “Some public polls show…” WHICH ONES? WHO? etc.
But forget all that — thank you (redacted) for speaking up.
Now, for the truth. (that’s supposed to be funny):
(He) writes: “Withdrawing from a military area is not simply a matter of taking troops out. We can’t simply leave equipment in military zones; it’ll be stolen.”
I have NEVER heard Obama accused of saying he’s going to pull all the troops out immediately leaving equipment behind, etc., except in the “people say…” context, but I would add that there are thousands of vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan (and regional support countries) which are currently being destroyed not by the enemy combatants but by the weather and lack of funds to fully fund upkeep of the equipment (think about the outrage when certain troops weren’t fitted with armor and their vehicles had only the minimal shielding) … then you add months of sandstorms getting in gears.
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“ANNISTON, Ala. — Field upon field of more than 1,000 battered M1 tanks, howitzers and other armored vehicles sit amid weeds here at the 15,000-acre Anniston Army Depot — the idle, hulking formations symbolic of an Army that is wearing out faster than it is being rebuilt.”
“Partly as a result of the shortages, many U.S. units are rated “unready” to deploy, officials say, raising alarm in Congress and concern among military leaders at a time when Iraq strategy is under review by the White House and the bipartisan Iraq Study Group.”
The Washington Post – 5 Dec 2006
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/04/AR2006120401347.html
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“The destruction of equipment, the wearing out of equipment has accelerated over what it was before,” he said. “I mean we’re wearing out helicopters, trucks, Humvees, tanks at rates that are six, eight, 10 times in some cases what we’re programmed for, so obviously combat action is destroying equipment we’ve committed.”
National Public Radio – Military Equipment Takes a Beating in Iraq
1 March 2007
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7662481
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The amount of money the US spends in a week on weapons is enough to feed ever person on earth for a year.
http://www.borgenproject.org/ –
Political Priorities by the Numbers
****$30 billion: Annual shortfall to end world hunger.
$540 billion: Annual U.S. Defense Budget.
$170 billion: Annual U.S. War Spending.
POLITICAL PRIORITIES Education v. War:
http://www.nea.org/lac/funding/images/EDvsDODfunding.pdf
From 2001-2008, Bush has appropriated in his budgets $431 Billion for Education. Loads of cash, right?
Same time period, 2001-2008, Bush gets $3.85 TRILLION dollars for WAR SPENDING. And that figure may be on the low side, considering secret appropriations.
John McCain on 100 years in Iraq:
Questioner at Town Hall Meeting: “President Bush has been talking about being in Iraq for 50 years …”
McCain: “Even one hundred years … would be fine with me.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFknKVjuyNk
He quotes one Iraqi military official from the NYTimes article…
When asked about what he thought of Obama being elected, General Nassir al-Hiti had this to say:
“Everyone in Iraq likes him, He’s young. Very active. We would be very happy if he was elected president.”
yet when asked about Obama’s plan for withdrawing troops:
“Any (Iraqi) army would love to work without any help, but let me be honest: for now, we don’t have that ability.”
(for a source of that quotation, which originally came from the NYTimes, a subscription-free copy: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008056140_iraqobama17.html)
He is quoted in the NY Times on the 17th of July 2008.
HOWEVER, that was an Iraqi general speaking before Obama even visited Iraq.
Now that Obama has met with IRAQI PRIME MINISTER al-Maliki and other top Iraqi officials, the Iraqi government has made an all-out ENDORSEMENT of Obama’s plan:
“The Iraqi Government said yesterday that it had a vision for all US combat troops to leave the country by the end of 2010 — another apparent endorsement of Barack Obama’s war strategy during his visit to Baghdad.
The sudden and unexpected Iraqi comments on the desire for a timetabled withdrawal, made by Ali al-Dabbagh, the spokesman for the Iraqi Government, was greeted with dismay by the White House and John McCain, Mr Obama’s Republican rival, who opposes setting an exit date.
The call came after the Democratic presidential hopeful held talks with Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi Prime Minister.
“We are talking about a real timetable which Iraqis set, up to the end of 2010,” Mr al-Dabbagh said — backing a timeframe that falls within the 16-month withdrawal plan proposed by Mr Obama.”
“Iraq: we want US troops out in two years”
22 July 2008
Times of London: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article4373602.ece
In other words, while one general may have said what (he) points out about how it’d be nice to patrol their own country without any US help, this was a man who did not actually meet with Obama, and a man who is talking at cross-purposes with his country’s own Prime Minister. Beyond that, Obama isn’t saying we’re going to abandon everything we’ve done in Iraq. He’s looking for a responsible draw-down of troops. We have far too much infrastructure in Iraq for some magic withdrawal. For example, our Baghdad embassy is the largest embassy in the history of the world.
“The Vatican-size compound, which will be the largest U.S. diplomatic facility in the world, was scheduled to open in September 2007 at a cost of $592 million, but the price tag is expected to rise to more than $730 million.” -CNN Elise Labott, 14 April 2008
CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/04/14/embassy.baghdad/
Besides all that, George W Bush has now basically accepted the Obama plan, although they have their minions come up with some other name than “timetable:”
Perino tried to put the best face on Iraqi suggestions that U.S. troops could leave by 2010, saying it shows there is enough progress on the ground that the two sides can talk about an “aspirational time horizon.” (WH Press Conference 21 July 2008 )
NPR: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92751618
(TIMETABLE=ASPIRATIONAL TIME HORIZON … BushSpeak, you know…)
(He) quotes an Iraqi citizen in charge of a former “fundamentalist” school just south of Baghdad. He got his quotation from a New York Times article (In Iraq, Mixed Feelings About Obama and His Troop Proposal, 17 July 2008 – http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/17/world/middleeast/17voices.html
However, (he) leaves out the other half of the quotations in that same article … including “Even as some Iraqis disagreed about Mr. Obama’s stance on withdrawal, they expressed broad approval for him personally as an improvement over Mr. Bush, who remains unpopular among broad portions of Iraqi society five years after the war began. No one interviewed expressed a strong dislike for Mr. Obama.”
and MOST IMPORTANTLY (if people had taken time to listen to what Obama’s plan actually is on withdrawal):
[Senator Obama] is calling for the withdrawal of combat brigades, but has said a residual force would still pursue extremist militants, protect American troops and train Iraqi security forces.”
At no point has Obama said we’re pulling everyone out and leaving our billions and billions of dollars of equipment (trucks, tanks, aircraft, artillery, mobile housing, our near trillion dollar embassy, etc), as (he) seems to suggest.
And another random Iraqi on the same subject from the same article: “The Americans paved the way for the Iraqi Army there,” said the young man, who married this year. “If they weren’t there, the Iraqi forces could not have taken control.” Even so, he agreed with Mr. Obama’s plan for a faster withdrawal. American forces “helped the Iraqi Army to get back its dignity,” he said. “They are qualified now.”
(He) correctly points out that it would be dangerous to completely withdraw. Obama agrees. It’s misleading to suggest anything else.
On the “upcoming war between Iran and Israel” (and the USA), Senator John McCain:
*singing BombBombBomb Iran:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-zoPgv_nYg
*suggesting we kill Iranians with cancer:
Responding to a question about a survey that shows increased exports to Iran, mainly from cigarettes, McCain said, “Maybe that’s a way of killing them.”
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/07/08/mccains_latest_iran_joke.html
I also find it laughable that a man who confuses Sunni and Shia Iraqis as though it’s simply a pronunciation difference claims Obama hasn’t the international knowledge or experience to lead the country.
**Funny, coming from John McCain who has “For the SECOND TIME IN TWO DAYS, McCain has made a reference to “Czechoslovakia.” His answers were about contemporary events, not history.”
MSNBC – 15 July 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNsr2aF1XM0
Czechoslovakia hasn’t been called that for fifteen years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czechoslovakia
**On record, McCain has confused Shia/Shunni Iraqis dozens of times, and he has in the past year referred to “Czechoslovakia” at least four times since the beginning of this year.
He also made the same mistake in 1994 and again in 1999. In 1999, EVEN GWBUSH called him out on his not knowing this country doesn’t exist … kind of suggesting that GWBush would be abetter President because at least he knows that Czechoslovakia isn’t a country any more.
Bush said in 2000 when running against McCain for the nomination:
“John McCain says something about the ‘ambassador to Czechoslovakia.’ Well, I know there is no Czechoslovakia (there’s a Czech Republic and a Slovakia), but yet it didn’t make the nightly national news. I’m not going to gripe about it, but the media question is starting to pop up.”
He’s suggesting that if he, Bush, had made such an egregious error, the media would be all over him.
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/07/15/mccain-czechoslovakia/
And from the man who brags about “graduating fifth from the bottom” of his class in College. Sounds like shades of GWBush:
Question: “We know President Bush was a C Student at Yale … do you remember your GPA at school?”
McCain: “My GPA earned me fifth from the bottom of my class at the Naval Academy.” (that’s 894 out of 899 graduates that year).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srbX26vp57c
He later admits to being computer illiterate in the same video clip. Great.
Senator Obama, on the other hand, graduated with a J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1991 (as in the top 10% of his class), was the first African American to head the Harvard Law Review, and received a BA from Columbia.
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(He) is also quick to cite sources suggesting they are other “articles of interest.” In reality, these “articles” he posted are not NEWS but Op-Ed pieces, including:
“What Part of ‘War’ Don’t We Understand?”
By Robert Tracinski
July 19, 2006
Real Clear Politics – hosted by Time Magazine
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2006/07/what_part_of_war_dont_we_under.html
“Obama’s Judgement”
Op-Ed Contributing Board of the Wall Street Journal (Rupert Murdoch/NewsCorp/Fox paper)
July 18, 2008
the Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121633647742963787.html?mod=opinion_main_review_and_outlooks
“The Future of Iraq: The decline of violence, the rise of politics.”
By Kimberly Kagan
July 28, 2008
The Weekly Standard (ALSO owned by Rupert Murdoch/NewsCorp/Fox)
http://weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/015/345jfuan.asp
“Al Qaeda’s Market Crash”
by Ralph Peters
July 19, 2008
the New York Post (ALSO owned by Rupert Murdoch/NewsCorp/Fox)
http://www.nypost.com/seven/07192008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/al_qaedas_market_crash_120538.htm?page=0
These are NOT news articles that; these are opinion pieces. And the majority are owned by Rupert Murdoch. There’s no reason not to read opinion pieces … opinion pieces and panel discussions can be used to help shape or suggest policies of all types. It’s just misleading to treat it as news.
For news articles, try some of the following (notice how I include the Fox/Murdoch/NewsCorp websites … but I do NOT direct you to the OP ED sections):
NonBiased:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp-world-news.html (AFP)
Progressive/Liberal:
http://www.rawstory.com
Blogs –
http://corner.nationalreview.com/
MediaWatchdogs:
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/
Conservative:
Random/Fun:
2 Comments
22 July 2008 at 10:51 pm
Sorry but there is no way to pull all the equipment out of Iraq within 16 months. It would almost be impossiable to pull all the troops out within 16 months. I guess many people have forgotten just how long it took to build up a force to attack Iraq the first war and along time the second war. Obama has no experience in moving the troops around the World, matter of fact Obama does not have any military experience. He will face off against a commander that does have more experience than most all the others. http://xrl.us/nxzjd
22 July 2008 at 11:11 pm
I in no way intended to imply that 16 months would have everything out of Iraq. I think the line you refer to is actually something I originally was quoting and responding to from a discussion I had on thefacebook.
I argue in no way that John McCain has less experience in the military than “most all the other” candidates. He bravely went to war and most horrendously was taken prisoner for years and years.
I would argue, though, that serving in the military, even if you were tortured and that’s horrible and everyone should be grateful for your sacrifice, you are not necessarily better prepared to be the President.
But, as clarification, I never suggest anything about 16 months and everyone is gone from Iraq. I even point out that we’re building the biggest, most expensive embassy in the history of all nations in Baghdad. Think we’d abandon the new $750 billion (at least) embassy? Doubtful. The argument here should be about security for the Iraqis, the lack of control Iraq has over its own troops, the potential power vacuum (Iran, Syria, etc.) that would probably occur without a very well thought out withdrawal plan, and the continuing cost of this war and how it is sucking our ability to do good things for ourselves (schools, rebuilding New Orleans, having bridges that don’t collapse, etc.) and for others (international aid, medicines, technology, good-will, etc.).
Does that at all make sense?