by David Alvord
I have listened to both sides of the Iraq war argument and feel that I can distill it to two approaches.
First, the Republicans are committed to winning the war in Iraq. They are exhibiting to the Iraqi people that the US will stand with the free people to the end. In essence, the Republicans are saying we will be faithful to you, no matter the cost. And, they are saying to the enemy, "we will fight you to the end".
The second approach is owned by the Democrats. They want to threaten the Iraqis. "Shape up, or we're out of here!" is basically their stance. They think that this kind of psychology will scare the leaders of Iraq to get their act together quickly. But in saying that, the Democrats are telling terrorists: "hang in there, the US will pull out if they don't get their act together soon". In fact, the terrorists are receiving the message that all they have to do is disrupt the peace and the US is out of there.
I believe that the human spirit is more motivated by faithfulness than by fear. The Iraqi people will more likely obtain freedom if they are persuaded that it is possible. These are people who have been smitten and driven for centuries. They know little else than leadership by dictators. In the past, they have seen friends and family killed and tortured for standing against political powers. It must be frightening to stand for freedom when doing so may cost you your life. So, threatening to leave may be the worst thing to do if you want to have a peaceful Iraq.
So America must stand with the Iraqi people. Those purple-fingered voters need to know that we will not forsake them. We will stand by them to the end. This course will produce an Iraq that will stand by us someday. God bless our soldiers who are making this happen.
Churchill said it well:
"We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender."
