From this New York Times article, via Badgers Forward:
The American effort in Iraq has gone badly because the United States did not understand the consequences of deposing Saddam Hussein, said Lt. Gen. William E. Odom, a former director of the National Security Agency. He said the principal beneficiary of the war was Iran and Al Qaeda, not the United States. "There is no way to win a war that is not in your interests," he said.
This is the clearest thinking I've seen on Iraq policy in some time. People who criticize the antiwar movement for wishing failure on the government and soldiers are missing the point. If you're burning my house down, why should I cheer you on? Simply because you're an American implementing "policy"? If you're participating in a war which I believe makes this country less safe, why in God's name would I wish for you to succeed?
Now, it's true that I may misunderstand the situation and facts, leading me to misunderstand my true interests and therefore err. But if you believe that and wish to correct me, the proper way to do that is to critique my arguments and validate my facts, not to preempt my conclusion. It's disingenuous to promote a society where people are expected to think for themselves, but then dictate the conclusions their thinking must reach.
It should go without saying that there's no way to hold a rational, topical conversation with somebody who thinks one particular person, group of people, or institution deserves unconditional support.
UPDATE: If you need more proof that conservatives desire conformity and obedience over rational, critical thinking in politics, you need look no further than this fascist's comment to the same post:
So about 60% of the American people are like a willow tree bending in the wind. The military has to start investing some significant resources into psyops on our own people. We have been underestimating the importance of the battle over the minds and hearts of the American people, but our enemies haven't. They have filled the vacuum we have left.
When somebody starts advocating this kind of bullshit seriously, you know precisely why hand-wringing about Iraq misses the point entirely.
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