Were there no cute children in pre-invasion Iraq? Are they happy that we’ve made their country the first battle-field in a vague and never-ending war on a tactic?

Left by Dan on November 30th, 2005 at 11:30 pm

As you can see by their age these are the same children. They were already living on a battle field. THIS time they are happy and they understand it is for their freedom. If you would take the time to read Michael Yon’s work, maybe you would better understand their happiness. Or not, because of course your liberal a$$ freedom has never been in jeopardy.

Left by mdsit on December 1st, 2005 at 9:21 am

Dan…Perhaps you’d prefer to see pictures of the children who Saddam had tortured and killed? How soon we forget.

Left by dianne on December 1st, 2005 at 12:21 pm

If our goal was to improve the lives of cute children then I imagine our 500 billion dollars might have been more efficiently used to help eradicate malaria and other diseases in Africa.

Just sayin’.

Left by Preston on December 1st, 2005 at 4:35 pm

Ah, the ‘ol “if we can’t help everybody, then we shouldn’t help anybody” line of reasoning…

The Left attacks the Right for going to the aid of the Iraqi people, but then in the same breath derides the Adminitration for not stepping in and helping another group of people.

We have to prioritze where and how we can intervene around the world, and for the record, Preston, I’d rather us go in and take out a despotic dictator with a penchant for torture and genocide first…malaria and other diseases take (and should take) a back seat to evils such as Saddam and his regime.

I know that you know that though, and were just being contrarian.

Left by Robbie on December 1st, 2005 at 5:37 pm

No, I’m sincerely happy for the any improvements that may come from the invasion. My objections to the invasion of Iraq are based on the fact that those benefits are offset by too many negative consequences.

(Some of those consequences, however, are the opportunity costs of spending money to attempt to secure Iraq rather than killing terrorists in Afganistan or Sudan or whereever they lurk.)

Left by Preston on December 1st, 2005 at 5:51 pm

Ah, the ‘ol “if we can’t help everybody, then we shouldn’t help anybody” line of reasoning…

This is- intentionally or not- a misreading of my post.

An analogy would be to tell me I can’t appreciate nice things when I object to buying a Lamborghini though we can’t afford our rent. Perhaps the new car is useful but it has opportunity costs.

If we are trying to make the US safer then the costs of the Iraq invasion were killing terrorists that actually pose a threat to us.

If we are trying to improve the lives of cute children this war was ludicrously inefficient.

This is just to focus on opportunity cost and not the actual negative effects that result from the invasion: civil war, Shia alliance with Iran, and creating a terrorist training ground are the first things to come to mind (along, obviously, with the death and maiming of tens (hundreds?) of thousands of people.

Left by Preston on December 1st, 2005 at 6:05 pm

Preston — you do bring up some valid points, but I don’t think any of them trump the overwhelming good that our military is achieving in Iraq; good that keeps US safe, while providing hope and freedom of the people of Iraq.

Your commment and malaria kept me away thinking last night — and here are some of the thoughts I had why going after Saddam and continuing on with a war on terror organizations should take priority over a more “cost effective” program of immunizations and disease prevention:

Malaria doesn’t fly airplanes into buildings full of innocent people
We cannot eradicate malaria, but there are medications to cure it. There are no vaccines against terrorism, the only cure is to eradicate it.
If President Bush were to declare a war on Malaria, Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry, and Harry Reid would immediately hold a press confrence to oppose it.
Malaria doesn’t choose who it kills based on the victim’s religion, race, or nationality.
Malaria doesn’t wear a uniform, and it’s not isolated to one country; it doesn’t obey or recognize “borders”. Ok, on this one — terrorists and malaria are the same.

Left by Robbie on December 2nd, 2005 at 10:30 am

I don’t mean to pile on Preston here, but, I think we already spend quite a bit of money on eradicating diseases. The problem usually lies with the corrupt governments who steal the medicine or aid we so generously give.

I was good friends with a Navy chaplain who served on an aircraft carrier. One of his responsibilities was overseeing the distribution of the hundreds of pallets of aid the ship carried. So, they would drop the aid at the dock and before they could even get away from the pier government forces would arrive and begin looting the pallets. Which they would then sell.

The stories he told would break your heart.

America is truly the most generous nation on earth. However, we have no control over the heart of the recipient.

Left by Jake Jacobsen on December 2nd, 2005 at 12:51 pm

Jake:
I can take it.

Sure, I agree, corruption is a problem. Do you suggest we are going to invade the countries we donate to to maximize the efficiency of our donations? I imagine there are easier ways than that- though more difficult than naively dropping millions of dollars on the street and hoping it finds its way to the needy.

Robbie: I’ll have to rewrite the post I had in response, if I can bear to. It seems to have disappeared.

Left by Preston on December 2nd, 2005 at 4:21 pm

those are the honkiest arabs i’ve ever seen… who knew iraq was full of white kids? if we did we probably wouldn’t have invaded.

Left by Luke on December 5th, 2005 at 5:53 pm

LOL, Luke. That one in the upper left looks like she’s going to start singing “Edelweiss”. I think Mikie Yon did a little work on Photoshop!

Left by Dan on December 6th, 2005 at 11:01 am

Dan, you might very well be the most sour person I’ve encountered in a long time. You should seriously consider lossening up your tin foil hat.

Oh, and read from Jeff Harrell, too.

Left by Robbie on December 6th, 2005 at 12:01 pm

I think it’s fair to guess that the children are not Arabs but are Kurds. No photoshop needed.

Still- funny comment, Luke.

Left by Preston on December 6th, 2005 at 1:22 pm

Not sour, Robbie. The comment by Luke was funny. As Costello sings - I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused.

Left by Dan on December 7th, 2005 at 8:26 am