Letters to the NYT's Editor.

This is not exactly an example of the Nations pulse, but never-the-less it is an example of what some folks thought of the “Deciders” decision making and explaining on why we should remain in Iraq until the end of time.

From the NYT’s:

September 15, 2007

Parsing Bush’s Address on Iraq (8 Letters)

To the Editor:

Re “Bush Says Success Allows Gradual Troop Cuts” (front page, Sept. 14) and “No Exit, No Strategy” (editorial, Sept. 14):

Since American tanks first hit Iraqi soil in a swirl of wind and dust more than four years ago, this war has been sold like snake oil to an increasingly skeptical public. Facing ever-dwindling support, President Bush mocks us with tarnished platitudes while pushing a war that has imprisoned Iraq in a vortex of disintegration and grief.

Mr. Bush could be right in saying “it is never too late to advance freedom,” yet it is a notion he refuses to act upon. There is no time like the present to end the war, which is the only avenue to advance freedom in Iraq.

Exiting Iraq would also free the United States from a war that entraps us all on a futile, volatile and failed course. Let’s try freedom by removing our military bases, withdrawing all troops and plucking ourselves out of the muck into which this administration has insistently and disdainfully pitched us.

Nancy Dickeman
Seattle, Sept. 14, 2007

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To the Editor:

It was an eerie experience to listen to the president’s speech on Iraq on Thursday night, and feel that one could not believe a word he said. It was as if there was a disconnect between the words spoken and reality.

Since the goals set for the Iraqi government have not been met, there are now essentially no goals whatever attached to our stay beyond simply remaining in Iraq, occupying it indefinitely, allowing more of our young soldiers to be caught in the meat-grinder of a civil war, wasting our resources and attention, and undermining our security at home and abroad.

There is essentially now no plan at all, either for an achievable objective in Iraq, or for an end to our occupation.

The president mocks and disrespects the intelligence of American voters. To pretend that Gen. David H. Petraeus, having been in close and frequent contact with his boss for many months, submitted to Congress and America an independent and dispassionate evaluation of the best course for America in Iraq, which the president then “accepted,” is no more than a disgraceful dog-and-pony show.

We are supposedly not a military dictatorship — yet at times it seems that we are.

Kathryn W. Kelber
Houston, Sept. 14, 2007

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To the Editor:

“Return on success” is both grammatically unsound and wrongly places the burden of Iraqi success on our military. It is in the tradition of “when they stand up, we’ll stand down” that posits that our military is responsible until the Iraqis coalesce their own forces and achieve some “success” that has thus far eluded them.

Conversely, it also sets up a logical fallacy that makes it seem that any withdrawal means that “success” has been achieved. All in all, another day, another phrase — and another ploy to dupe the American people into believing in this discredited strategy that should read simply “return with dignity.”

David E. Pasinski
Fayetteville, N.Y., Sept. 14, 2007

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To the Editor:

In his speech Thursday night, President Bush announced that we will be engaged in Iraq beyond his presidency. By engaged, the president meant that there will be troops in Iraq, and by beyond his presidency he meant indefinitely. In effect, the president explicitly told us that future presidents will be bound by his policies in Iraq.

We should not ignore the deeply undemocratic implication of that part of his speech: no matter whom we choose as our next president of the United States, we will be unable to choose a new policy in Iraq. It comes as no surprise to many of us that President Bush has no love for democracy, but it is still shocking to hear such antidemocratic sentiments coming from the president and his supporters.

John Douard
Montclair, N.J., Sept. 14, 2007

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To the Editor:

A subtext of the president’s rhetorical reliance on Gen. David H. Petraeus is that the general is an apolitical military professional whose views are shaped entirely by the application of strategic and tactical expertise. This, of course, is baloney, not because General Petraeus is a politician in a uniform — which he could be, of course — but because he is an active-duty officer in a chain of command that flows down from the president.

The president has made clear what he wants to do in Iraq. It’s silly to think that General Petraeus would recommend anything inconsistent with what the president wants to do.

We’ll only know what General Petraeus really thinks, if ever, when he retires.

Bob Brussack
Athens, Ga., Sept. 14, 2007

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To the Editor:

Re “No Exit, No Strategy” (editorial, Sept. 14):

My son was a fifth grader as the administration built up the case for the war in Iraq. He came home one day and told us that his teacher had told his class that “the road to war is wide, but the road back is narrow.” He and his classmates understood the seriousness of the decision to go to war while the administration, Congress and much of the country didn’t.

My son is now a sophomore in high school, and we will, no doubt, still be immersed in this quagmire when he graduates. The road back from war is very narrow indeed, and President Bush obviously has no strategy whatsoever to extricate us from Iraq and will leave others to clean up his mess.

Unfortunately, our children will suffer the consequences of his catastrophic actions long after Mr. Bush retires to his ranch to clear brush.

Cindy Harden
Brooklyn, Sept. 14, 2007

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To the Editor:

There is no end to the spinning of this administration. Weapons of mass destruction, yellow cake, ties to Al Qaeda, shock and awe, a cakewalk, being greeted as liberators, Iraqi oil paying for the war, fostering an Islamic democracy.

Now we have failure being termed success, “running out of troops” renamed “return on success,” and “unending occupation” being labeled “enduring relationship.” The president has no shame, and continues to hide behind our brave soldiers.

Through absolute certainty, the president and most of his party can escape the ravages of conscience, but we the people cannot.

Thomas Dolcimascolo
Atlanta, Sept. 14, 2007

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To the Editor:

One of President Bush’s major faults is his inability to admit a mistake. To this day and beyond, he’ll probably still believe to invade and occupy Iraq — one of the biggest blunders in American history — was the right thing to do.

Maintaining the status quo in Iraq through the rest of his term so he can turn over the mess he created to a new president is an evasion of responsibility. President Bush’s presidential successors should not be saddled with having lost the war in Iraq. It was lost when the invasion and occupation began in 2003.

Every presidential candidate now and in the future should be asked in the debates how they would handle mistakes they make.

“To err is human, to forgive divine.” Forgiveness can occur when first we acknowledge our mistakes.

Paul L. Whiteley Sr.
Louisville, Ky., Sept. 14, 2007

Yes, “To err is human, to forgive divine” and how gracious Mr. Whiteley is. Tell that to the over 2 million Iraqi’s who have fled their country and the over 1 million Iraqi’s displaced within Iraq.

As an American I like having access to electricity and potable water. I think that those are just the bottom line in making life livable. Then of course there is the security issue. Walking to the Market and not being worried that I will be shot or worse is also one of those issues that make life livable. I can’t believe for a minute that Iraqis wouldn’t also believe that these would make their lives livable. I personally think that until those issues are dealt with “Freedom” and “Democracy” are “Issues” that are really just “ephemeral.” Call me one of those practical types.

The President’s delusional pronouncements on the situation in Iraq and his lack of policy or plan is just another insult to the intelligence of every thinking and sentient being in the United States and Iraq.

Forgiveness is divine and I am trying to be divine. Unfortunately as the lies continue it becomes harder and harder.