Friday, May 11, 2007

Our Dilemma

[posted by Callimachus]

In Iraq. Allahpundit puts it pretty well:

Realpolitik served ice cold. We all understand the dilemma here: we’re the only thing preventing a pogrom, but it’s at a huge human cost to our own military. At what point does our responsibility to get our boys out of harm’s way morally justify leaving a power vacuum within which Iraqi Arabs can slam away at each other? We’re not going to solve a Sunni/Shiite rift that’s existed for 1400 years so why waste any more American lives trying to postpone it?

There's no good, quick answer. If there was, it wouldn't be a dilemma. Allahpundit's is what mine would be, or was before I came to the conclusion the deep weight of the American mind had grown sick of this war and just wanted out of it, whatever the cost.

... It’d be unconscionable for the United States to acquiesce in ethnic cleansing in a country whose security we’ve taken responsibility for; if you believe some on the left (and right), it’s unconscionable for us to acquiesce in ethnic cleansing even in countries whose security we’re not responsible for, like Sudan. When we leave, we have to leave with a good faith belief that the two sides can co-exist, which is why political reconciliation within parliament is so important and why we’re stuck there until it happens.

All in a reaction to this already-notorious Mort Kondracke op-ed. I have no idea what he was trying to do with this, or whether stirring up the reaction was his point.

If it was, it's interesting to me how such a cold-blooded policy proposal finds some sympathy among the "progressives":

gee, for once i agree with this guy. i feel like throwing up ....

...

We should acknowledge some of the painful truth in Kondracke’s comment.

...

It’s about time someone starts desensitizing the nation to the inevitable. We all know the conseqences of anything but a permanent occupation. Of course, if it’s on Faux News, you make the guy who’s supposed to be the leftist do all the dirty work for you. ... So what’ll it be, permanent occupation or let them settle their own differences? I say, let them settle their own differences.

...

It is the only end game here. You bleeding heart idealists can continue to delude yourselve’s by thinking we are all the same ... all part of the human race ... all wanting, thinking, and doing the same. And that any strife or unrest is due to some evil greedy corporation.

...

Alot of people are too idealistic and expect an easy fix with no blood shed. Middle east attitudes are dysfunctional. They only understand violence. Of course innocent people get caught up in this situation. That sucks. I dont blame them if they do flea [sic] and become refugees. I would if i live there.

If that's "progressive," I want to be a reactionary.