What is your Number?

I think every war, including the current war in Iraq, has many more reasons of being fought than just one; some are noble, but too often many are cowardly deceptions for profiteering. Every war seems to have the same general shades of patriotism, and hidden at the time the war is being fought, selfish agendas from powerful men. Sartre once said, "When the rich wage war, it is the poor who die." How often in the past have the rich and powerful men in this country found ways to spare their off spring to serve in battle? We that are still old enough all remember too well the ridicule so many of the elite received, because of the favoritism's their children received to avoid going into battle in Vietnam. Of course the irony of this is, now certain figures in politics wish us to just forget it happened, then even go so far as to act offended for when they are called out.

I suppose Mr. Bush has no problem with the elitist of our country of finding ways for their sons and daughters not to serve, for he now not only justifies his tour of duty in the "rich boy squadron", he some how even acts like he earned his way there. The obvious irony is Mr. Bush has abused the mission of our national guard, the same guard that so protected his preverbal bottom when he was young from fighting in over seas combat. We as a nation lost over 58,000 American lives in Vietnam, before as a nation we realized we made a mistake. We have lost over 4,000 now in Iraq. As a proud veteran of the USMC, I just wonder what the number in Iraq is. Is it 5,000? Is it 10,000? Is it 20,000? The longer we stay the more these numbers will become a reality. Surely to God the American people have grown wise enough to never allow these numbers to grow that high.

One of the greatest presidents ever to sit in the oval office once said, "History teaches that war begins when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap." I for one believe Mr. Reagan was right on the money there. For I do not believe one American soldier dead in action in Iraq justifies 100 million Iraqi's free. The Iraqi's freedom should be earned by their blood, not by our brave young soldier's blood. But sadly this government of ours, obviously like Mr. Reagan stated, believe the price of aggression was cheap.

Furthermore, we need to bring our boy's and girl's home! It does not matter who is president, how long we stay, or what strategy we have. When we leave Iraq it will be a matter of days, not even months before they are ruled by yet again another ruthless dictator. Probably more than likely this time a religious zealot to boot! The Iraqi people have never and probably will never fight for their freedom. You can't shove freedom down a person's throat that hates and despises everything we as a nation stand for. We need to learn from the lessons of our own past.

Now is the time to act, not later, before these numbers grow higher.
If you disagree with me that's, ok, but I am just wanting to compare numbers with you in closing here for a second, what is your number? Hopefully your number is not as high as the current President! Mine was ZERO! This government is way over 4,000 from what I would have considered too many, and the number even as I write is rising. We need more patriotic Americans writing this president and congress, demanding that they send our young men and women home! "To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public" Theodore Roosevelt. Exactly how many more brave young Americans must sacrifice their lives in Iraq before the American people will finally, regardless of political affiliation; make a stand against our own ruthless dictator George W. Bush?