After last night’s speech on Iraq, it’s time for a celebration
Last night, President Barack Obama urged us to “turn the page” from Iraq to other matters of state, here at home and in Afghanistan.
The end of US combat operations in Iraq, he argued, “should serve as a reminder to all Americans that the future is ours to shape if we move forward with confidence and commitment.”
Iraq was one of the greatest political and military blunders in US history.
We wound up fighting a deadly and draining war of choice at a time when our brave soldiers and our national wealth were desperately needed on other fronts.
But Mr. Obama is wrong: it’s not time yet to turn the page. First we need a day of celebration.
Not a celebration of victory. As everyone agrees — left, right and center — this wasn’t that kind of conflict. And it certainly didn’t reach the kind of culmination that makes anyone want to stand and cheer.
But we need to celebrate on a massive scale the commitment, courage and sacrifice of America’s military.
They showed heroic devotion to a brutal cause, at a time when the rest of our citizens preferred to think about other things.
It’s a sign of Mr. Obama’s political tin ear that he didn’t propose such an event.
To correct course, here’s what the White House should do:
Announce immediately that a full-honors military parade will be held in the capital city of every state in the Union on the same day.
The date for the celebration should be March 20th, 2011, the eighth anniversary of the day that our ground forces entered Iraq from Kuwait.
That gives time to prepare. And it takes place after the midterm elections, so that the celebration won’t be seen as political.
In the aftermath of Vietnam, our soldiers had no collective moment of home-coming, no national honoring of their sacrifice.
Mr. Obama should move quickly to make certain that we don’t repeat that unconscionable mistake.
Iraqi general says planned US troop pull-out ‘too soon’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-10947918
The problem with a celebration in March 2011 is what if the general is right, and Obama is wrong?
JDM –
Then Mr. Obama will face criticism for his policy decision. That shouldn’t be a reason to deny soldiers their day of honor.
Brian, NCPR
But it’s Obama’s declaration of leaving that we would be celebrating, not victory.
If Obama is wrong, let him be disgraced. Let’s not add others to it.
JDM –
Obviously, I disagree. By staging the celebration after the election, we would avoid politics. By holding the celebrations in state capitals it would allow fifty different types of event to unfold, each with the stamp and character of the governors, legislatures, and local activists who participate.
To your main point: I think there will likely be a lot of disgrace to go around as we sum up and digest what happened in Iraq. I expect conservatives to attempt to lump most of it on President Obama, but the facts just don’t bear that out.
Democrats and Republicans approved this war and conducted it. The utter lack of preparation and diligence by the Bush administration will haunt us for a long time. His decisions are certainly at fault as much as those of the current commander in chief.
So as I say, there’s plenty of opprobrium to go around.
But the soldiers should be spared all that. They should be given their day.
–Brian, NCPR
Will this ‘celebration’ include any recognition of the half million or more Iraqis who have perished since the ‘liberation’? Will it make the politically correct, but wholly truthful acknowledgment that are others who’ve made far greater sacrifices?
Oops… meant to write…
Will it make the politically incorrect but wholly truthful acknowledgment that there are others who’ve made far greater sacrifices?”
Brian,
I think you’re being myopic. More time will tell if the US invasion was “one of the greatest political and military blunders in US history.” Arguably, militarily it wasn’t a blunder and the jury’s still out on the political. Lets see what happens in Iraq and if a civil society can emerge from the war, “occupation”, and decades of oppression. Historians usually give a few decades before making such judgments. That said, if you think back to how President Truman’s presidency was characterized while he was in office and shortly after his exit you’d never believe that today his presidency is viewed very favorably.
Jack
I am thankful that Pres. Obama was able to change the focus and plan in Iraq so that we can get these troops home. Fresh ideas have been a welcome change over the previous administration. Thank you.
While I greatly respect those who serve in the military, I have a hard time with celebrating the stupidity of this country getting involved where we had no right to. We honor the servicemen by providing them with the best in benefits and care for them and their families but celebrating will be a slap in the face to the Iraquies who’s lives and country we have shattered in the name of showing our power. Let us just get on with reshaping our national outlook as Obama rightly understands the need for.
With all due respect sherry I find your comment insulting. I like Brian’s idea and think we need to honor our servicemen and women. I’ve had two friends die in Iraq and for you to say we honor our military with benefits is the real slap in the face. No one can say the world isn’t a safer and better place without Saddam Hussein. No one.
Jack – I don’t think there’s much debate that we had far more important things to do than invade and occupy (and leave in wretched shape) the nation of Iraq. But that’s a fight for another day and perhaps I should have saved those comments for another commentary. My point here is that we should honor the soldiers who fought in Iraq, period.
–Brian, NCPR
Brian,
Fair enough. I like the idea of honoring our vets.
How do we celebrate the soldiers without celebrating the war? This has always disturbed me. Do we say, “Thank you for doing something honorably (hopefully) that I do not support in any way”? To me it just sounds like one more day of coerced patriotism.
The analogy with Vietnam is not apt – the draft makes the whole dynamic very different.
Iraq was not a total disaster thanks to the greatness of the US military. Where IS the civil war, where are all of the horrors that were supposed to be occurring right now? There is a path to a new country in Iraq, it will be hard but there is light at the end.
I think a celebration is in order for the returning troops to put a period on this adventure and move on, the war is over that in itself is worth a celebration. Those of us who basically supported the invasion can celebrate the parts we think went well, those who think the whole thing was an unmitigated disaster can celebrate that it is over.
It is always good to celebrate the end of a war.
If it’s really over and maybe that is the concern.
Iraq was a dictatorship, now it’s a tottering democracy that may or may not avoid sectarian war. On the whole I suppose that’s a good thing
…but if the US public were asked in advance, “would it be worth 4,400 US lives, maybe 100,000 Iraq lives and over a trillion dollars, I’m not sure how much support it would have gained.