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December 18, 2005

The President's speech

If you missed it, here's the video. Excellent and spot on, regardless of the alternative-reality community's pre-written analyses. Transcript here (pt 1) and here (pt 2).

In all three aspects of our strategy -- security, democracy, and reconstruction -- we have learned from our experiences, and fixed what has not worked. We will continue to listen to honest criticism, and make every change that will help us complete the mission. Yet there is a difference between honest critics who recognize what is wrong, and defeatists who refuse to see that anything is right.

Defeatism may have its partisan uses, but it is not justified by the facts. For every scene of destruction in Iraq, there are more scenes of rebuilding and hope. For every life lost, there are countless more lives reclaimed. And for every terrorist working to stop freedom in Iraq, there are many more Iraqis and Americans working to defeat them. My fellow citizens: Not only can we win the war in Iraq, we are winning the war in Iraq.

It is also important for every American to understand the consequences of pulling out of Iraq before our work is done. We would abandon our Iraqi friends and signal to the world that America cannot be trusted to keep its word. We would undermine the morale of our troops by betraying the cause for which they have sacrificed. We would cause the tyrants in the Middle East to laugh at our failed resolve, and tighten their repressive grip. We would hand Iraq over to enemies who have pledged to attack us and the global terrorist movement would be emboldened and more dangerous than ever before. To retreat before victory would be an act of recklessness and dishonor, and I will not allow it.

Posted by Darleen at December 18, 2005 08:14 PM

Comments

Same old, same old. Stay the course; things are getting better. Have patience. Nothing new here other than an admission of sorts that mistakes were made.

Bush's speech didn't change anything.

Iraq still isn't worth one American life; let alone the 2,100 who have already died. Not to mention the thousands more who have been wounded.

Same old "stay the course rhetoric I used to hear from LBJ and Richard Nixon.

"Stay the course" got us 57,000 KIAs in Vietnam; how many Iraq will cost us before we leave is anybody's guess.

Time to declare victory and leave.

Posted by: Carl W. Goss at December 19, 2005 09:14 PM

Carl

A democracy in Iraq is not worth it? So, you'd have stayed with "staying the course" of Saddam in power, the UN continued receiving bribes from Saddam, especially Russia, France and Kofi's family -- UN sanctions withdrawn (which is what was happening) and Saddam then able to revamp his weapons programs...

THAT would have been the right course to "stay"??

Do you have any children?

Posted by: Darleen at December 19, 2005 09:16 PM

Still wouldn't be justified Mz Darleen. No, I've got no kids.

(Thankya JAYsus.)

:-)

Posted by: Carl W. Goss at December 20, 2005 07:54 AM

Ah, you see Carl, I do have kids.

Four daughters, in fact, and I don't want them worrying about having to wear burka's in the future.

Posted by: Darleen at December 20, 2005 12:35 PM