Spiteful hypocrits

I was going to do a post on character names, but I was so incensed at the news that I had to vent. Here goes:

Like a lot of people, I was looking forward to what General David Petraeus had to say about Iraq. And, like a lot of people, I was appalled, nay, disgusted at the mealy-mouthed criticism levelled before Petraeus or Ambassador Ryan Crocker had a chance to speak.

And that was nothing compared to what came after, with Hillary Clinton euphamistically calling Petraeus a 'liar', with her 'suspension of disbelief' comment.

It's bad enough that the Democrats used a decorated soldier for target practice, it's worse when a man who has only ever done his duty is used for political mileage and as a photo opportunity for certain candidates to further their ambitions.

It matters not what Petraeus' politics are; it matters that he's done what was asked of him, as have 160,000 plus other troops on the ground in Iraq, and to snarkily snipe at the General, snipes at them all.

There's no 'good job, we'll try and get you home soon', no 'you fight for the freedom of all', no 'we're gonna send you help', nor are there many news item on the construction of schools, hospitals, roads, infrastructure, security, good relationships with the locals. It's all about alleged and false atrocities, accidental killings, ineptitude, bad planning, needless casualties, poor decision-making and the fundamental wrongness of being there in the first place.

But what were these politicians thinking in the days immediately after 9/11? Did any of them say 'oh, well, that hurt, but we'll let it pass', or 'gee, I really think we need to reconsider our foreign policy'? Nope. It was 'who has done this?' and 'we need to kill the muthahs' and 'no one kicks our butt on home soil, we're gonna sort you out!'

What morally corrupt, self-aggrandizing, disrespectful and arrogant people they are! It is politicians who start wars, but it is the soldier who fights and maybe will die for the mistakes politicians make. To insult and demean a professional soldier when they demanded the report in the first place smacks of hypocrisy and spitefulness. Worse, I'm sure Petraeus knew what would happen when he presented his report, but he did his duty anyway; he took his responsibility to his troops and his area of command seriously, when Congress was determined to find fault with anything he had to say.

Any war that goes on longer than the public expect will be unpopular; but anyone who thinks an immediate withdrawal of troops will solve the problem will find they've lost the war and given victory to people who will see America's defeat as a mandate to wreak more murderous havoc on the West. Iran will invade and begin snatching up the satellite countries to create a nice big Islamic state.

The Democrats should think about that before they slap at the messenger and decide isolationism and xenophobia is better than being a good global citizen. To break trust with your own military, is to break trust with your allies.