On Iraq and America’s Involvement

In a bit of a departure from the normal fare that appears on my blog, I have to chip in a few thoughts on the situation in the Middle East and the increasing number of voices in America calling for our government to pack the troops up and leave the people of Iraq to their own affairs.

It's an easy thing to criticize George Bush these days. Some might argue it's always been easy, but then again there will never be a shortage of critical, self-absorbed folk who love denouncing those who dare have a differing opinion. But the President has taken a number of blows to his image, not the least of which was the response to Hurricane Katrina's path of destruction. The status of the dollar, our popularity on the other side of the pond, economic factors, and of course our commitment to aid Iraq in their rebuilding process.... all of these can be leveraged against our leader, and frequently are.

I don't consider myself a staunch defender of President Bush, but I do think I'm in the minority by giving him the benefit of the doubt and refusing to believe the media's opinion of him. Still, recently I've started thinking maybe we ought to decrease our presence in Iraq. Maybe it's time to call it quits. Iraqi people are murdered pretty much ever day and reports of bombings fill our newspaper. What are we accomplishing?

In the Current section (which is opinion and editorials) of the Los Angeles Times today, I was surprised to see the main story: Peace is not the answer. The line underneath gave this headline its context: Calls to end Iraq's bloodshed are hardly noble when those who would triumph slaughter teachers as children weep.

I read through the article and found a well-written piece that reminded me of some things I already knew but had forgotten, and brought to light some new facts that just aren't mentioned in the mainstream media. There is an amazing amount of good happening in Iraq, not the least of which is freedom for the people in a way they have never known. Those who are slaughtering innocents and orchestrating bombings are those who tyrannized the people under Saddam's regime and are furious at having lost that power. I strongly encourage you to read the article.

But let's look at this from an angle that we ought to but rarely do. We know there is a being of utmost evil whose ultimate goal is the destruction of mankind, and we know that he is active in this world. Is he not working in Iraq? Surely he is - his mark is all over the terror being wrought through bombings, beheadings, and execution-style murders. What then is his purpose, and what is the goal of those he controls? I believe it is clear just by looking at the American public. We are tired of hearing about bombings and the soldiers being killed. Peace activists stand on the high-profile corners and march on Washington decrying this war and demanding we stop this battle over oil and stem the bloodletting of American troops. We try ignoring them but slowly the slogans work their way into our thoughts and speech. We forget the counter-arguments, but can't forget the headlines and images we're bombarded with every day.

The devil and his army are waging a very effective campaign to desensitize us and wear down our patience and support of our government. As William Shawcross writes in his piece, the Islamo-fascists in Iraq ... are trying to create an impression of a country submerged in bloody chaos. They want to convince a world where understanding comes only from brief television images that Iraq has gone to hell. That is a lie.

Regardless of where you stand on this or any issue, be very careful that you are not drawing your conclusions based on those incessant images on TV or on the messages broadcast by media outlets and protestors holding up their extremist opinions on signs for all to see. There is only one who stands to gain when people disengage their minds and choose the most convenient message to believe. That's what he thrives on; it's his game plan and it is frighteningly successful.