Commentary by H.G. Listiak

Thursday 4/15/2004

Welcome to My World, where President Bush went before the beltway bashers, the Washington press corps, Tuesday evening. He renewed the resolve to see Iraq become a democracy, which I agree with mainly because of it's location between Syria and Iran, strategic areas in the war against terrorism. Bush said he would send more troops, which is necessary when the enemy is killing your troops. More troops will kill more of the enemy and dead men can't kill you. Some of our forces will be extended in Iraq, but these young men and women, the finest military in the world, eager to get the job done, will handle it. Most of the complaining will be here at home. The President still insists he'll stick to the June 30th deadline to turn political power over to the Iraqis, which gives me mixed emotions, but at least we would be keeping our word. He also wants the U.N. and NATO to play key roles, which gives me more mixed emotions when I look back at the roles they've played so far. Accused of getting us into another Vietnam by the likes of Ted Kennedy, whose big brother got us into Vietnam, Bush said that analogy is false, adding that the analogy sends the wrong message to our troops and sends the wrong message to the enemy. Ever since Vietnam I have believed that. With every display of disunity, with every protest at home, the enemy becomes more deadly to those who are in harms way. You have to have the stomach for it at home and on the battlefield. The political opposition wants the Bush war footing and battle plans fully explained to the American people. Here's what we are going to do, where and when. Meanwhile we've got the enemy in bathrobes sitting around the TV eating finger foods, taking notes on what to do, where and when, before clicking over to the comedy channel to laugh at the 9-11 Commission hearings. My friends this is war. To politicize it is wrong. World War II was won with misinformation, deception, sacrifice and resolve. If our leadership would have had to deal with what our leadership is dealing with now, half the world would be living on sauerkraut, the other half on sushi, as I see it ... I'm H.G. Listiak.