Friday, November 10, 2006

"Only pacifists and isolationists should feel good about the way this election was won"

So says Ann Althouse this morning. I have to agree with that sentiment, especially after reading this story about the way the elections may change Iraq policy.

Democrats say the first step to repairing the situation in Iraq is putting substantial pressure on its government to take more responsibility. The best way to do this, they say, is by pulling out some troops right away to signal the U.S. commitment is finite.

Democrats also have called on Bush to convene an international conference on Iraq and say the military mission should begin to switch from a leading role to a supportive one.

Other proposals the administration may be asked to consider include a regional dialogue with U.S. adversaries Iran and Syria, or remaking the Iraq political federation into three largely autonomous sectarian states.

All this means is that the strategy of the terrorists has won. If enough Americans die, then they will get tired and go home. That was the lesson our enemies learned in Vietnam. It was the lesson they learned in Beirut. And now we are teaching them the same lesson again.

Let's face it. We have elections every four years and the leadership changes. The terrorists don't have elections and change strategy every four years. That's the advantage they have in war. Just wait a while and Americans will grow tired and want to go home until the next attack here.

Ann says:
It's the failure of Americans to support the war. It's the folding and crumpling because things didn't go well enough and the way we conspicuously displayed that to our enemies. They're going to use that information.

I think Ann's right. And it is depressing.