Ponderings on a cold Saturday morning

While my brother immediately assumes that I must be against the war in Iraq becaus I lean left, it is just not true. I admit that I was totally against invading a sovereign country without provocation ( and don't tell me that Sadaam's rhetoric was provocation enough - if it was , I should be able to play golf right now at the Havana Marriott). Intelligence was weak and shoddy and under dispute at all levels of the intelligence service- intelligence was used by both sides of the argument to support their sides, and this was possible because it ws so poor.
That said, I feel that the US should be held to a higher standard becasue we are the US - our system which we display as a model for all other countries was created by the Founding Fathers (hereby known as the FF on this blog) to be a morally superior model, responding to tyranny and opression - (okay, it was really a response about money , but isn't every single thing in the history of mankind :
The Trojan War - Helen Schmellen, Troy was a wealthy port of trade between the Mediterranean and the East
The Crusades - Get the infidels out of the Holy Land, and by the way, could you make me some money from the Spice Routes while you're there
The Civil War - Sure, slavery was a driving issue, but it ws more about the economics of slavery
than States rights.
The Spanish American War - a"Remember the Maine" and also remember to dominate the region to build a Canal to move product quicker to make more money.
Dessert Storm - How do you spell it, oh yeah ":O - I - L" )
Alright, I digress too much - back to our current situation - I believe the failure in Viet Nam, the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, and the current quagmire we are now in in Iraq (and I know that Willue is posting links that show a school being built, and market opening, etc - but really does anyone out there believe that we are actually succeeding there?) all stemmed from a reluctance to committ enough resources to the arena. Win the war and provide security, and the hearts and minds will follow - as soon as every one can safely start making a living. When people feel safe enough to build businesses that will provide a nice living for a majority of the nation, they tend to worry a little less about jihad, and a lttle more about what's going to happen on "Baghdad Street Blues" tonight. I think we needed to have more troops on the ground to start with, and we need more now - or it is going to continue to go poorly. But the current DOD has never had any real plan, and keeps preaching more from less - Sorry Rummy, but you can't do that with the military - feet on the ground in large quantities is what provides real and perceived security - both important, but the latter is even more so.