Someone asked me what my ideas were on Iraq. What would I change? How would I fix things if I were in charge? Well, first off I wouldn't be blamestorming about who's fault it is. If you'd like to blame me or Bush or Clinton or Michael Vick then you've come to the wrong place. I'm presenting new ideas I haven't seen discussed anywhere else. If they've already been proposed before then great, let me know. If they won't work tell me why and how you'd do it differently. Saying an idea sucks with no solution is worse than saying nothing at all. I'm trying to start ideas, not stop them.
VICTORY!
Okay, so what's victory again? We hear it said all the time like some sort of mantra, but what does it really mean? What is victory in Iraq? To me victory in Iraq would be for the Iraqi government to be self sufficient, capable of withstanding overthrow, capable of preventing the spread of terrorism and become a respectable neighbor country in the international community. I do not expect it to become the pinnacle of democracy in the Middle East. I do not expect it to become violence free. As long as it becomes capable of supporting iteslf and not becoming the next great threat of anyone I'd be happy. Sure, a complete secular government similar to Turkey would be nice, but I wouldn't get my hopes up that Sharia won't have at least some foothold in the country. As long as their not killing Jews in the streets or having public execution of gays I think they'll be on the path to becoming a good country. That would be victory to me.
Now before people come out of the woodwork and attack me for beings some sort of Bush croney for wanting victory let me ask you a question. Do you like losing? Are you such a defeatist that you like walking with your tail between your legs apologizing to every man, woman, child and household pet for what somebody else did? Neither do I. I don't consider myself a loser. I'm not stupid either. I know men and women are dying in Iraq and every one of them shakes me. It's not an easy thing to swallow. It is, however, a fact that we must live with and work to change.
So how do we get there? What will get us from the current state of affairs to "claiming victory"? There are several methods we can use and I know I don't have all the answers. I have ideas of what could be done though. I have lots of ideas. Whether they'll work or not are a different story. If anyone makes the effort to put these forward we'll see if they work. And, at least we'll have tried.
A Timeline for Withdrawal
So the biggest debate right now is about how we can get out of Iraq without causing the destruction of the fragile Iraqi government and with the smallest body count. Democrats talk about how we need to make an immediat pull out and some go as far as saying they don't care how many Iraqis die as long as no more Americans do. The other mindset states that we won't pull out until we're good and ready. We won't pull out until victory and the president will decide when that is. I say we let the Iraqi government decide when we leave. It's their country, right? If we don't let them decide on a timeline we truely are occupiers.
Now something that hasn't picked up much press is the Iraqi bill currently on the table in the Iraqi government to standardize a timetable for American withdrawal from Iraq. If you don't believe me check out the article from the Washington Post. This bill, started by the party of Muqtada Al-Sadr, asks for the gradual pull-out of American forces but as of yet is not fully supported by parliament because provisions for the build-up of the Iraqi military are not included. All three sectarian factors agree on a pullout being required, but they do not agree on when or how. It's just a matter of time until they iron out their own plan for their own country. To go against the wishes of the Iraqi government would make us the occupiers many claim us to be. Put Iraq in the hands of Iraqis.
If we really wanted to make a difinitive American plan for the complete pullout of American forces it should be tied directly to what the Iraqis want. If I were an innovative Republican Congressman or Senator this would be the type of bill I'd be trying to push through. It is not a "compromise between parties", but a winning solution to a losing argument.
The Making of an Army
The biggest, most stupidest thing done in this Iraqi war was dissolving the standing Iraqi military. That single act effectively made over a million militarily trained Iraqis free agents to anybody with a paycheck to offer. I doubt we'd be in the same situation we are tooday if they'd have been able to keep the standing Iraqi army. Great job Mr. Paul Bremer. You deserve a health kick in the nuts.
Fortunately, not all of them decided to take their paychecks from terrorists. Some got regular jobs and others, with the increased need to secure their own communities, formed militias. It is these militias we need to support. They're the ones protecting the Iraqi communities when the regular army isn't available. They are an excellent means of keeping the peace in an area if used properly. They're the ones that live in the region. They are the ones that know the area and the people. They know who belongs and who doesn't. We need to regularize them.
Yes, I know there's widespread corruption and some of these militias have become little better than street gangs. They are, however, trained guns that can be turned into something more than they are. They can be turned into local, well trained soldiers. Of course, instanly regularizing a bunch of hired guns won't make them better people overnight. It'll take time to reign them all in. Giving them someone to answer to, paying them for good service and paying them more for getting "official military training" are all means for decriminalizing these militias. They can gradually be turned into local forces with the ability to quickly root out the people that want to cause problems.
Winning the Hearts and Minds
The way things stand it really doesn't look like Iraqis like Americans in the least. They've been given no reason to respect us save by the barrel of a gun. There are several programs to build schools and cure disease. We are doing things for the Iraqi people but the standard person doesn't always see that. We need to be doing much better at promoting the good things we do. What we think of as good and positive things don't always translate well when being shown to the locals.
Once thing I believe Iraqis understand is death and martyrdom. I hear it all the time. This muslim died and became another martyr. This kid blew himself up and became another martyr. Well, aren't all the American soldiers giving their lives for the Iraqi people martyrs as well? Couldn't we try and present them as such? Sergeant John Smith gave his life so you wouldn't have to live under the rule of terrorists. Private Steve Jones gave his life so your sons and daughters could get a good education. Gunny Phillip Zarnowski, the Jew, gave his life so you could prey to Allah in peace. We should be glamorizing what each person did to help Iraq. If we don't I fear their deaths are celebrated as yet another dead infidel.
Help Me Help You!
I don't have all the answers. I don'tt doubt there are some fatal flaws to some of my ideas. However, that is all they are. They are ideas that have not been acted upon. I'm sure you have your own and would love to hear them. If something I've said won't work please let me know and what can be done better. If we don't get the conversation going for new and real ideas nobody else will.
Politics is an abyssmally bad service to America. The government, as a whole, does not serve the American people. They serve only the people that will reelect them, not the people that voted against them no matter how close the margin. The solely serve the Democratic and Republican parties and in some instances smaller parties. They serve their masters. They do not serve us.
There are some rare instances, such as the recently failed immigration bill that can be controlled by the will of the people, but similar examples are few and far between. As things stand the blocking of the immigration bill was not truely a success, but a prevention of utter failure. The problem is still on a downward slope, it just wasn't shoved off the edge of the mountain. We need a bill that does not satisfy the two parties. We need a solution that makes sense regardless of party.
The Iraq war and how it's being portrayed is a complete farce. Democrats play up the darkness of war and advertize Iraq as an utter failure of an evil empire. Republicans downplay the costs of war and trivialize failed efforts. We do nott have a true vision of what takes place in Iraq or elsewhere. Everyone answers to a master that directs what they say and how things are percieved. The Democrats want an immediate withdrawal of all U.S. personel. Republicans want to push on with the same policies. Weanwhile the Iraqis are drawing up their own guidelines for a withdrawal but everyone is yelling so loud their voice, the important voice, is not heard by anyone.
This system is failing us folks. We are not doing anyone any good by propagating the blue or red mentality. We do each other a disservice by falling behind our respective parties in lock-step. We need to be defining our own issues, not letting CNN choose importance of cause through selective Youtube questions. We continue to make a decision between A or B when there are a full 26 letters in the decision alphabet (then we go to numbers or AA, AB). We are falling in line because it is the easy and politically expedient thing to do. We are rarely, if ever making the right decision.
So I ask you, no, I emplore you, please, think of new and innovative ways to solve problems. Do not take things at face value. I don't care how many doctors or scientists agree. It doesn't matter by who's authority something was stated. Seek the truth for yourself. Always be sceptical no matter how simple the answer appears. People lie loudly and boldly. Look for the meek truth teller. Look for the answers in your own mind when others fail to deliver a viable solution.
Be free-thinking Americans. Stand up for what you believe in even if your friends disagree. Explain yourself to those that don't understand your idea. Be accepting of new ideas should they present themselves to you with adequate logic. Do not go gently behind an enigmatic politician. Change the world with your ideas for I will help you if you can convince me it is a just cause. And please, help me change the world with the ideas I can create. We are the inventors. We are the creators. We are the innovators. We are Americans. Lets start acting like the inventive, creative, innovative, free-thinking Americans that have made us the model to emulate. Have the bravery to be yourself and not what others tell you to be. Be an American.