"As they passed the rows of houses they saw through the open doors that men were sweeping and dusting and washing dishes, while the women sat around in groups, gossiping and laughing.
"What has happened?" the Scarecrow asked a sad-looking man with a bushy beard, who wore an apron and was wheeling a baby-carriage along the sidewalk.
"Why, we've had a revolution, your Majesty -- as you ought to know very well," replied the man; "and since you went away the women have been running things to suit themselves. I'm glad you have decided to come back and restore order, for doing housework and minding the children is wearing out the strength of every man in the Emerald City."
"Hm!" said the Scarecrow, thoughtfully. "If it is such hard work as you say, how did the women manage it so easily?"
"I really do not know," replied the man, with a deep sigh. "Perhaps the women are made of cast-iron.""
- L. Frank Baum, "The Land of Oz"
Sunday, November 23, 2008
You may have already seen this, but a number of blogs have joined in what is being called the Victory in Iraq celebration, and have declared yesterday, 11/22/2008, as "VI Day". From Zombietime:
Who gets to decide when it's over?Read the whole thing.
Indeed, everywhere you look, someone has highlighted yet another detail which, cumulatively, demonstrate that "peace has broken out all over" Iraq.
Each person has their own criteria as to when the war was won: Some say we won the war long ago when we defeated the Iraqi Army in three weeks. Some say we won when the Iraqi government tried and executed Saddam Hussein. Some say we won when Iraqis voted democratically to elect their own leaders. Some say we won when we established control over the entirety of the country last year, eliminating the last remaining insurgent strongholds. Some say we won six months ago when the last remaining organized resistance evaporated.
On the other hand, there are those who are saying (in response to this essay) that we have not reached that magical benchmark. The Iraqi parliament may have passed the security agreement solidifying Iraq's post-war stability, but some people say we should wait until the U.S. Senate approves it before we declare victory. Others say that the war won't be won until casualty levels literally drop to zero. Other say we haven't won until all troops are gone from the country. Others wait in vain for an official announcement.
There is no consensus. And there never will be. Still, the cut-off point between "war" and "not war" has to be drawn somewhere, and if we don't draw the line ourselves, I guarantee it will NEVER be drawn. Because the Left and the media want to make sure that even ten years from now, when perhaps one US soldier is killed per year in an otherwise completely stable Iraq, that still won't qualify as "victory." Because their overarching goal is to to make sure that the war goes down in history as a defeat, no matter what.
My opinion is: This is as good a time to declare victory as we're ever going to get. All signs point to "Yes." If you don't agree, that's perfectly fine, you can ignore this essay. But if you think this is long overdue, then climb on board.
I'm interested in your thoughts on this. For my part, I think a declaration of success is way overdue, if for no other reason than to thank our soldiers for a job well done. They have persevered bravely and with expertise through some of the most trying conditions imaginable. All that being said, I can understand why some are loathe to declare victory. Aside from people who simply don't want to see or admit to the success in Iraq for political or moral reason, a number of people have valid concerns about ever assuming success when it comes to the middle east.
Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments thread. I would ask that we avoid pointless arguments about whether we should ever have gone to Iraq in the first place. This thread is concerned with whether we can consider this a win or not. If you hated the war from the start and hate the fact that we're even talking about this, please post your thoughts on your own blog. If you'd like to discuss whether or not declaring victory is a reasonable response to current events, please feel free to express your thoughts here. All opinions that are on topic with this post are welcome.
[Hat Tip: The Anchoress]
Michael Yon is probably the most embedded journalist of the entire war. When Dennis Miller interviewed him he said that the war was "past won." He said there were still small sacks of resistance, but in a country like this there always will be. War never ends in this part of the world.
I see it as a victory in two wars. First, we successfully deposed Saddam. Then we more than decimated the ambitions of Al Qaeda. Yes, good prevailed for now. But there is nothing the anti-American liberals love more than a standard that can be re-adjusted to their every whim, so no, a win will never be recognized by the Harry Reids and Nancy Pelosis of the the liberal Bizzaro World.