Religious extremists aren't worth American lives

Editor's note: This post is occasionally profane.

In living and traveling overseas I've gotten to know a lot of military guys. I happen to like them for their general aversion to BS, and the fact that they've been places and done things. They also tend to have something to say, which is a plus in a world full of too many boring people. One thing that is common is that they all tend to be anti-Democrat, which I can understand in some ways as Democrats tend to be pussies, but at the same time Republicans tend to send them places to make massive sacrifices unworthy of the national interest, such as Iraq now. Yet soldiers tend to be the one and only demographic, other than Bush himself, who still want America in Iraq.

I'm a liberal, but not an easily offended, watch what you say liberal, more of a stop shoveling religion and corporate bullshit at me anti-Republican liberal. I'm very sympathetic to the poor, but I believe in personal responsibility and that merit should be rewarded. If categorized, I'm really kind of a Green, progressive with a libertarian streak.

When this whole Iraq thing started, I thought the goal was to remove Hussein and get out, and I thought that part wouldn't be too hard, which it wasn't. I agreed with that idea. I never bought the nonsense about WMD's, and I wasn't stupid enough to confuse Iraq with 9/11, which Republicans were successful in doing.

Long ago I had it with Iraq, and I wish this albatross around America's neck would end. A war should have everyone sacrificing something. No non-military families are contributing to this thing. If there is any winner in this war it is Exxon and Haliburton. The sacrifice is disproportionately on the troops' shoulders. Already the Republicans are doing a good job at the spin game in calling for a "surrender date" regarding the Democrats feeble attempt to set a date to start removing troops as a condition for war funding. Democrats never do enough fighting back. Just once I'd like one of them to say, "How could we be surrendering if it was "Mission Accomplished" three years ago, jackass." Democrats are still merely the much lesser of two evils, with Bush and his ilk wearing horns and torturing souls -- and "enemy combatants."

From day one I loathed Bush with every fiber in my being. He was always a connected, mediocre, frat boy being overly rewarded because he was stupid enough to be easily controlled by monied interests. I'm offended by his lack of intellectual curiousity. I have been only slightly comforted that the world now gets that he is worthless. It should have been crystal during the last election, yet he won. I stood in amazement for the first couple years when people supported this idiot, who probably never even got legitimately elected. I am astonished that issue was swept under the rug as easily as it was. The fact that the Supreme Court installed this guy into office is a national disgrace. That decision damages America's prestige more than an Iraqi pullout would.

But all those things happend, and we're in Iraq and the debate is out there on how to solve this problem in "politically acceptable" way. All problems in Washington are political problems. To appeal to the bellicose instincts of Americans, and to the general American antipathy to ingrates, I feel the Democratic response should be something along the lines of "Screw Iraq, they're not worth American lives, and it's not the troops' fault." Bill Maher, just about the person I most admire on the planet right now, says as much on his great show Real Time on Friday nights. This is one smart and funny show -- much edgier than Jon Stewart, who I also like. I think that would be about all they would need to say for a palatable withdrawal. Some are going to talk about "America's prestige" or their "credibility" and other nonsense, but did the loss in Vietnam really matter looking back now? Did we not have the roaring 80s, win the Cold War, the Internet boom and four Yankee world series wins in five years even with the pull out in Vietnam? Is there anyone who watched Iraq and Afghanistan fall in a week and think the American military is overrated? Cmon. Nation building we're not so good, but we have the nation destroying thing down pretty well.

When I think about all the sacrifices soldiers are asked to make, the goal has to be very worthwhile. The goal in Iraq shifts regularly. For any war, there should be a clear threat to the homeland or an attack against you, such as Pearl Harbor. I think what the Taliban did qualifies. I don't think I'd want myself, my friends or my kids involved in most all American wars in history other than the Revolution, the Civil War, WWII and Afghanistan now. I'm not sure there was a war we fought otherwise that was worth casualties on the battlefield. Certainly none that involved a direct threat to the United States.

All the other stuff, I would have probably thought, you people weren't worth me dying over. Why would a soldier support the idea, for instance, that they should go to Vietnam to stop people you don't know, poor peasant farmers, who are no threat to you, from being Communist? I know they went with the whole cold war, Russia could be a threat leap, but it seems like a big leap for a lot of people to die in Vietnam. Vietnam went communist and it didn't matter. If we leave Iraq, one of the slightly different views on Allah will win out, and our not having stayed there to take all the errant bombs won't matter.

I'm hardly a pacifist. I just can't imagine wanting to see any fellow American stay without end in the middle of that hole in Iraq and possibly die because those idiots have a different view on Allah. Iraq isn't a threat now or ever, and I'm at the point where I don't care much if they all just kill each other, though I hate to see kids over there suffer from all that religious intolerance. I'm sick of suicide bombers killing innocent people to support a theocracy. I think most of those people want a theocracy, which is what all the middle east is for a long time.

So, that is my take. I've had it with those people. Why are we wasting our men, money and focus on some place that is no threat to us in a place with a tradition of religious hatred and theocratic government. How many people have to die in the future because 3,300 died in the past?