I've Had Enough (continued)

Is It Worth It? I think not.

Comments

[Charlie Sierra]

Thank the dear lord, that we were not dependent upon you, and your ilk, on June 6, 1945, or any number of times thereafter.

Winners never quit, and quitters never win.

And Fred the only logical conclusion from your 'transparent' blog is that you are a coword, a quitter, actually, a free loader.

Perhaps you could re-locate to Toronto. Its a great city to visit. I go every July.

PS. I really loved the irony on your defense of the VC industry and the nuances of probabilities over time vs. the current minor scandal in Iraq.

So in the realm of politics you can not be anything other than a complete chump.

You know the kind of amatuer that bails at the bottom of the J curve.

Earlier I said, I didn't believe you were qualified to post about politics because nothing you've said demostrated any actual knowledge, or history.

But now I have to question how this lack of critical thinking bleeds over into your business.

[Sim]

Hey Charlie - Don't you think Vietnam is a more suitable comparison than WWII?

I think you've got to try harder and attempt to see beyond the bush propaganda.

The Iraqi war isn't a case of sacrificing short term variability (or losses) for long-term gain - it cannot be described by a J-curve.

What the current administration has done, is create a breeding ground for terrorists, further "necessitating" preemptive war. It seems to me that they are starting a cycle of escalation not seen since the cold war. Continuing to act unilaterally and with precipitation will probably lead to more examples of terror throughout the world.

Unfortunately, if your Bush had a concept of foreign policy (or any idea that the world beyond America mattered) before he took office, much of this mess could have been prevented. Terrorists are responsible for their actions, but Bush was also responsible for protecting the country - and he has failed. Unfortunately, he is continuing to fail by provoking more hatred against America.

"Winners never quit, and quitters never win."

You don't need to have a history degree to see that that is an unqualified statement. It's ok - Relying on a cheesy catch phrase is easier than thinking on your own, right?

By your reasoning - any action taken, must be taken to completion, regardles of how flawed the logic used to justify the action was.

Despite the fact that the movement to occupy Iraq was based on lies and overstatements - you unfortunately remain committed to a cause that will lead to more suffering

[Jerry]

Charlie:
I'm sorry but last I checked we still live in a democracy. As such, everyone has a right (maybe even a duty) to "comment" on (if not then at least have an opinion about) politics.
If we can allow a person who, by their own admission, had little to no knowledge of the world beyond these borders to become President, then surely anyone can comment.

Moreover to question the courage (or, as some have done, the patriotism) of those who question this war is, to this student of history, un-American and, ulitmately, unpatriotic.

In 1961, Eisenhower (I assume he's okay in your book...I mean, you mentioned D-Day and all) said:
"Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together."
How does the citzenry become knowledgeable if not by questioning the motives and actions of the administration? How do we help each other stay alert if not by using Constitutional right to free expression?

I just completed Bob Woodward's Plan of Attack. So call me a liberal for reading that book (despite Woodward's painstaking attempts to be centrist which, in truth, result in George Bush coming across pretty well). In reading that book, I was struck by the difficulty of managing the decision to go to war. Once the wheels were in motion, and they were set in motion on September 12, 2001, it was impossible to stop. Part of that has to do with the determination of people like Dick Cheney to "get Saddam." But part of that has to do with the immensity of military machine.
Now I don't mean to imply that this war was begun because of the military--indeed, most military leaders were against it. But once the dogs were let loose...and no less a patriot than George Washington warned of the consequences of letting loose the dogs: avoid the
necessity of those overgrown military establishments which,
under any form of government, are inauspicious to liberty and
which are to be regarded as particularly hostile to republican
liberty. In this sense it is that your union ought to be
considered as a main prop of your liberty, and that the love
of the one ought to endear you to the preservation of the other."
Washington's point in his farewell address was that unity at home was the best defense. Then he was speaking about the potential disunity that might come as the former colonies pulled apart. But the same holds for people of different beliefs and polticial persuasions. It is against this very effort, this unity, that we must stand guard. Perhaps the worst legacy of this President will be the increase in political polarization and disunity.

[Jerry]

One more thing, Charlie. I'll say because Fred won't: His father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all Generals in the Army. His father served in Vietnam and was an instructor at West Point. I don't think you're in any position to lecture him on either military history or duty.

I thank the dear Lord that he, his father, his grandfather and great-grandfather were of that ilk who understood that knowledge and activism are as important as duty.

[Jerry]

One more thing, Charlie. I'll say because Fred won't: His father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all Generals in the Army. His father served in Vietnam and was an instructor at West Point. I don't think you're in any position to lecture him on either military history or duty.

I thank the dear Lord that he, his father, his grandfather and great-grandfather were of that ilk who understood that knowledge and activism are as important as duty.