Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post - Iraq: The worst mistake in American History....or was it?

HOZ · 02-01-2008, 08:45 PM

I would suggest people reread the opinion piece or even better, perhaps read it for the first time.

Talk about way off the mark. Molehilling comes to mind.

Iraq," swears Al Gore, "was the single worst strategic mistake in American history." Senate Majority leader Harry Reid agrees that the war he voted to authorize is "the worst foreign policy mistake in U.S. history," and indeed is already "lost." Many of our historically minded politicians and commanders have weighed in with similar superlatives. Retired General William Odom calls Iraq "the greatest strategic disaster in United States history." Senator Chuck Hagel (who voted for the war) is somewhat more cautious; he terms Iraq "the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since Vietnam." Jimmy Carter takes, as usual, the loftiest view: the Iraq War, and Great Britain's acquiescence in it, constitute "a major tragedy for the world," and prove that the Bush Administration "has been the worst in history."

For those who need to continue the bomb convo I suggest a bit of research of what it was like back in early 1945. If you do not have the time I suggest renting "Flag of Our Fathers". They lay out the reality of the American/ Pacific situation early in the movie. The US was bankrupt and tired of the fight. Britain was spent and Japan was nowhere nearer to surrender than they were in 1942. A president facing the invasion of Okinawa and then the Main Islands (not land!) with a conservative estimate of 1 million casualties.......

And what was Japan like? Well North Korea offers a great comparison.

02-01-2008, 08:45 PM	#54
HOZ Lifetime Suspension Join Date: Oct 2001 Exp:	I would suggest people reread the opinion piece or even better, perhaps read it for the first time. Talk about way off the mark. Molehilling comes to mind. Iraq," swears Al Gore, "was the single worst strategic mistake in American history." Senate Majority leader Harry Reid agrees that the war he voted to authorize is "the worst foreign policy mistake in U.S. history," and indeed is already "lost." Many of our historically minded politicians and commanders have weighed in with similar superlatives. Retired General William Odom calls Iraq "the greatest strategic disaster in United States history." Senator Chuck Hagel (who voted for the war) is somewhat more cautious; he terms Iraq "the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since Vietnam." Jimmy Carter takes, as usual, the loftiest view: the Iraq War, and Great Britain's acquiescence in it, constitute "a major tragedy for the world," and prove that the Bush Administration "has been the worst in history." For those who need to continue the bomb convo I suggest a bit of research of what it was like back in early 1945. If you do not have the time I suggest renting "Flag of Our Fathers". They lay out the reality of the American/ Pacific situation early in the movie. The US was bankrupt and tired of the fight. Britain was spent and Japan was nowhere nearer to surrender than they were in 1942. A president facing the invasion of Okinawa and then the Main Islands (not land!) with a conservative estimate of 1 million casualties....... And what was Japan like? Well North Korea offers a great comparison.