At the Democratic Party's begging page (link below) there's a fascinating clip of Republican presidential candidate John McCain telling a questioner that American forces could be in Iraq for a century. When I first heard this I figured he'd be caught making some sort of joke. He wasn't. Check out this clip.
http://www.democrats.org/page/m/578089f04b56cf64/7q80iW/
4 comments:
You have the title of this blog right how long has it been since you looked at the blogs? The subject matter is at least a week old and taken out of context so it amounts to a lie. you need to take your rearend back to Canada where someone really cares about your opinion because here in the good old US of A opinions are like a-holes everybody has one but no one is interested in yours.
Well colecurtis, thanks for your display of vulgarity we've come to expect from so many down there. I'll let those who want to figure whether this is taken out of context watch the clip, listen to the question and McCain's full answer, and decide for themselves whether there's any lie in this. By the way, I don't need to take my rearend back to Canada but I'll extend a warm welcome to you for bringing yours to mine. I hope you get over your ugly temper real soon.
Mound
To be fair, McCain was speaking in the context of past conflicts. The Americans still have a presence in Japan, Korea and Germany. McCain also said it would be up to the Iraqis, whether the Americans maintain a base, and he cited Saudi Arabia's resistence as an example where they would leave, if asked. I think this quote is much ado about nothing frankly, taken out of context, to sound provocative. Does anyone really doubt the Americans will have some force in Iraq for decades to come? If McCain said that about Kuwait, would anyone bat an eye?
I have your point, Steve, and I think McCain's reference to American forces being in Japan for 60-years clearly establishes the context. What is different, however, is that America stayed in Japan not to enforce its occupation or to bolster the Japanese government but in response to the perceived communist threat in China, Korea and Vietnam. That same, extended defensive context isn't applicable to Iraq and especially not with the strained and limited force structure Washington is prepared to encamp there. There's utterly no comparison between Japan and Iraq in regard to American military presence.
Post a Comment