cost of freedom ?

Question

In iraq , now that we have ousted there brutal dictator , saddam. the U.S. have given the Iraq people a taste of freedom & democracy. Knowing that our country has spent over 600 billion , lost over 3400 of our brothers & sisters in uniform. Are we , or are we not committed to the Iraqs freedom? For we the people , have there there lives in ower hands. sleep well !?

Answer 1

The only reason Bush has them there is due to the Oil and that's why the gas prices are high.



He sleeps mighty fine at night with visions of dollar signs dancing in his head.



It's a sad sad day indeed!

Answer 2

If the American military is only pulled out to free oil then what were we doing in the Balkans, Bosnia, Chechnya, Panama, Granada, Kosavo, and on and on. The difference here is not the oil, it is the culture. When has there been peace in the Middle East in the history of the region. Not even talking about Islam, just look at the Persians, the Assyrians, and so on. The region has been fighting among themselves since the dawn of history. The only time the tribes ever quit fighting was to drive out non-Arabs. Then it is back to tribal warfare. Palestinians are killing each other over how to best kill the Jews, Lebanese are killing each other over?? Iran vs. Iraq, we backed Saddam, but we did not start the war. It is a culture we as a nation have difficulty understanding, but as long as there is a Middle East there will be fighting over something. We just got stuck in the middle this time. Agree or not with the war, there was hundreds of thousands of Iraqis dieing before we got there, It was still tribal, just that all of the killing was from the one ruling tribe. If we just wanted cheap oil we could have overthrown Chavez and taken South America. It would have been cheaper to ship home. Quit throwing out the media hype and look at the real world. Just cause Hillery said it does not make it so, it just makes it a way to stir up discontent and influence the vote.



For the record I don't like war, and as a soldier I hope to work myself out of a job, but until the rest of the world thinks like we do, it ain't gonna happen. For you vets, thanks for taking the leads, I am honored to follow. Now lets get this thing stabilized so my friends can come home, and I can quit going. For you history buffs, while I acknowledge one dead Soldier is to many, we are at just over 3400. This includes training accidents and other non-combat related deaths (the same happens hear at home, how many died in the crash of the Red Horse squadron C-130? Any one remember that? We should quit flying it kills Airmen.), 50 some thousand in Viet Nam, and one hundred and what thousand dead in WW2?No dead soldiers are not good, but you have to accept some loss in war. So far we are having the "safest" war in our history by far.

Answer 3

Boy, there are worse people we could have gone after. Saddam threatened to assassinated baby bushie father and since then hes had blinders on that Iraq was bad. The coward bush should be looking into a mirror. Iraq has been fighting ever since the three different provinces were put together after WWII and the US installed the government which Saddam over threw.

Answer 4

I think everyone would feel better knowing that after the US and coalition forces leave, that iranian civilains will not be continuously killed. Do you honestly believe that will be the case?



As for this taste of Freedom you mention, where and when has freedom even been given the smattering of a chance at existance, save for the elections? What freedoms have the iranians enjoyed? And, more to the point, who is it that causes the lion share of death there?



I've been there and suggest you move there and tell us all about this new iranian "democracy" as you wave farewell to the troops!



The numbers you quote (for the US) pale in comparision to the reality of the iranians. They spend money too, they buy goods and services, they fight and sometimes they lose.



Sleep well indeed my friend, I do, for I live in America!

Answer 5

Sadly, I think most Americans were happy to oust Saddam,but in our enthusiasm we did not conceptualize the investment we would have to make in the Iraqi people. We were happy to "pull up the nasty weed " but were not prepared to give our engergies and money to "fill in that hole, cultivate it and plant a good plant". However, if we wish to call ourselves American then we must do right by the Iraqi people and complete the work which we so suddenly began. To give someone who has been oppressed a "taste" of freedom and then turn and leave is not only cruel but the anithesis of freedom. If we wish to support freedom from oppression, which we built this country on, we have to always be prepared to invest ourselves. Freedom does not come easy and does not come cheap because it is too easy for it to fall prey to man's true nature. However, once freedom is deeply rooted and independent it will thrive because the drive of mankind to be free and happy is stronger than one man's drive to oppress. Yes, I think that---bottom line-- we are committed to the freedom of the Iraqi people. Here's why.



"But we have faith that we shall not prove false to the memories of the men of the mighty past. They did their work, they left us the splendid heritage we now enjoy. We in our turn have an assured confidence that we shall be able to leave this heritage unwasted and enlarged to our children and our children's children. To do so we must show, not merely in great crises, but in the everyday affairs of life, the qualities of practical intelligence, of courage, of hardihood, and endurance, and above all the power of devotion to a lofty ideal..." President Theodore Roosevelt 1905

Deep down , Americans know freedom is hard work and will answer the call just as our ancestors did.

Answer 6

The cost of freedom will always be expensive. How many people died to escape slavery, freedom from the British rule (early America), freedom from religious persecution and the list goes on and on for as long as humans have existed it would seem.



Freedom has no price tag.

Could you put a price on freedom?

My soldier is willing to risk his life for someones freedom.



Lets try this scenario. You and your entire family (aprox. 50 people total) are being sorely mistreated for your beliefs, I am now aware of your difficulties. My family is very powerful and has the resources to help you. Our cost may be one of our children's lives and money that we are more then capable of providing.

Now I don't know you or your family but I have been brought up to believe that everyone should have a chance for what my family has enjoyed. We love each other dearly and don't want any of our family members to die.

The head of our family says that we will help you and wants some volunteers to go and help you out. We don't know what the end result will be however a group of our precious sons and daughters have decided that you are worth it. They have decided that we have to at least try knowing they may not all make it back.

We are very proud of those who have decided they must answer our leaders call. We will pray and worry about our children until they come home. We are family, this is what we do.

It was decided long ago that for those who go as our leader asks them, there will be a special place for them cradled within the comfort of the others in their family that have volunteered when our leader called. Our family has someone who will be there all day every day forever and ever. Our children will not be forgotten for what they sacrificed when our leader asked for help.

Sometimes we have forgotten why we are called a family and our leader gets angry with us and tells us that we have to send someone. We think no less of our leader because we have forgotten why we are a family. It is his job as the head of our family to remind us.



Do I sleep well at night? Hell yeah. Right after I say my prayers for the rest of my extensive military family.



Rog, Bruce, Roland, Mike, Linda, John and Andre, we love you and think of you always. The extentions suck but your family is here for you!

Is my family committed? You bet you A**.

Answer 7

I agree. BUT, we didn't go there for this reason. Oil is the chief reason...if you don't believe me answer this; why have we not intervened in Africa? There are plenty of murderous dictators in Africa...why did we pick Saddam? Because he just happens to sit on a VERY large oil reserve.



One of the folks answered why are we paying so much for gas: Europe pays much more my friend and are closer to the action.



But, I agree...we started this thing and we need to end it. They said the same thing about Japan 60 years ago...look at them now. If only our great citizens could look beyond their short noses for once.

Answer 8

Freedom costs blood. Have we learned nothing from History? Are we as a people so blind that we need to keep repeating history without learning anthing?



How did we get to this point? Our founder said that "Freedom should be our greatest export." Why have we lost site of such an important job?



Have a good day fellow American.

Answer 9

Now see if Saddam would have just denominated his oil in US dollars, we wouldn't be there now, nor would we have been there in 1991 paying him a visit. Want to take a guess which other country won't denominate their oil in US dollars as well? You'll only need one guess. We need to get rid of the Federal Reserve and IRS. Also want to know who's really behind illegal immigration as well? You'll only need one guess for that as well.

Answer 10

Freedom ? is this real freedom to live in fear of the next suicide bomber ?

Btw try to imagine what can be done for mankind with 600 B$, aids and cancer cure, fully efficient solar panels, etc....

With sadam it wasn't civil war ...

This war is just a stupid vandetta leaded for economical reasons.

Bush and it s administration lied to American people. I hope one day the country of freedom will realize this.

Answer 11

There is a shift in the conflict ( war) in Iraq starting to form. I believe we still are committed , but, the Iraqi people need to increase the pressure within. we will help them out to obtain their freedom, but, until they want it as bad as we want it for them, the struggle continues.

Answer 12

Dream on! I can tell you have bought into all the news media propaganda and also what your president Bush says.



He needs to get out of Iraq and quit using young men and women as canon fodder in another countries civil war. Saddam may not have been the most pleasant of people, but at least there was not the rampant killing there is over there now.

Answer 13

The even more sad fact is the countless hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi's that have died and the millions that have migrated outside of Iraq.



Iraq will never become a democracy now. U.S. policy had already proved to be a diaster in the middle east.



The end result will be the countless number of our troops that die over there and the countless number of Iraqi's that will continue to die.

Answer 14

Their will always be cowards who hide behind dollar signs and false notions that WAR is fought for oil.



As a former Marine and veteran of Desert Shield/Storm, I fully support President Bush and above all our troops.



If you don't like the US, get your cowardly rear out and form your own liberal oasis!!!



GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES - SEMPER FIDELIS!!!

Answer 15

I seriously doubt the iraqi's freedom was the real reason for this war. Also i think that what americans should do is to rethink their own freedoms and liberties and how this government had stole some of those fundamental rights

Answer 16

What a COWARD. WPB_LV_A spews forth herLiberal venom but does not have the courage to IM or E-Mail. I guess she is like mose Libs. She tries to cut off debate or dissent even when she is wrong.

Answer 17

Democracy has nothing to do with why we are in the middle east.... Here's a clue "oil patch"

Answer 18

It's called, "Operation Iraqi Freedom," so that must be what it's about, right?



Right?



ahem... RIGHT?