John McCain: What Went Wrong?

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by 12thMan

Hog, what progress have we made in Iraq? Not a personal attack on you, but I hear people say, well kids are going to school again and now they have gas and running water, etc.

They had these things prior to the invasion, so how is that progress?
We're simply back at square one, if that. And by all accounts, many Iraquis, as demonstrated by the protest a couple of weeks ago, are anxious for Americans to go home.

First the schools over the past decade in Iraq had deminished so bad that attendence had droped to something like 53% and at one time their schools did very well. To use one protest of a very small % of people does not really support an argument. We have protest all the time in Washington but that does not mean that we all agree with what those few stand for. Its really hard to a grip on the progress that is made because the media refusses to do any story that is of a positive nature on Iraq and we get a one sided story.

[Beemnseven]

Originally Posted by firstdown

First the schools over the past decade in Iraq had deminished so bad that attendence had droped to something like 53% and at one time their schools did very well. To use one protest of a very small % of people does not really support an argument. We have protest all the time in Washington but that does not mean that we all agree with what those few stand for. Its really hard to a grip on the progress that is made because the media refusses to do any story that is of a positive nature on Iraq and we get a one sided story.

But the question has to be asked -- is this why we are there? Is it now the responsibility of the United States military to make sure schools around the world are adequate?

How many American lives is it worth to see to it that Iraqi schools are operating, or that there's running water and electricity? If the war supporters are forced into a position of pointing out how fast the basic utilities of that country are being rebuilt (after we destroyed them in the first place) -- if that's "progress" to them, then they are truly grasping at straws here.

[12thMan]

Originally Posted by Beemnseven

But the question has to be asked -- is this why we are there? Is it now the responsibility of the United States military to make sure schools around the world are adequate?

How many American lives is it worth to see to it that Iraqi schools are operating, or that there's running water and electricity? If the war supporters are forced into a position of pointing out how fast the basic utilities of that country are being rebuilt (after we destroyed them in the first place) -- if that's "progress" to them, then they are truly grasping at straws here.

Exactly, this is truly the fundamental question. To focus on the progress or lack thereof schools have made is to really become distracted with the real issue here.