Posted by
The INFORMER (Cokie907@yahoo.com) on Thursday, July 10, 2008 2:19:22 PM
Reflection..... July is an important month for just such an activity. This is my 3rd July at the helm of the Meat and Potatoes Blog and as a dogged loyalist who knows the stakes in our fight, YOU realize my proclivity for drawing parallels through history. Having a historical perspective is absolutely essential because without it, we cannot understand the present. Nor can we predict the future with any degree of success for as the saying goes: "History repeats itself." So why pick July for a trip in the Meat and Potatoes "time machine"?
It was 2 years ago on July 10th 2006 that our country was at the end of it's rope on the Iraq War. Every day, our televisions were filled with images of people picking up body parts and battling raging infernos, started by car bombs. Sunnis were killing Shiites, Shiites were killing Sunnis and thousands were dying each month, to include many brave Americans. President Bush was entertaining Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi, an avid Elvis fan and the two decided to take Air Force One down to Memphis for a visit to Graceland. Here's what I wrote about the historical lessons of such a visit:
"Did you hear about the visit last week by President Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi to Graceland? No doubt you saw the entertaining antics of Koizumi as he donned Elvis sunglasses, strummed his air guitar and even belted out a couple of lyrics. It was great fun and made for a terrific "photo op" but there was something much more important in play.
Just think about it! We had the son of a man who had killed the enemy during World War II, hanging out with the son of a man who was the enemy. Go back 60 years and ask someone if these barbarians from Japan, who commit suicide with their aircraft will ever be our friends. They'd say that you're crazy right?
Fast forward to present day where our brave men and women battle a fanatical enemy during much different times. The media stands by to undermine every success and alert the enemy when new tactics are utilized. The American public is divided bitterly and many are UNinformed about what is at stake! It would be easy for our troops to become disenchanted and lose hope unless they become students of history and look to the lessons of the past.
This visit by Koizumi provides just such a lesson. It reminds the deep thinkers in our society that enemies can become friends but only if they are vanquished by the opponent who holds the moral high ground. Just as we helped Japan rebuild its burned and smashed cities so they could become a manufacturing TITAN, we will help the middle east rebuild so their oil supplies can bring them untold riches.
This will require vision and steadfast leadership, which we are thankfully getting from President Bush. Living by his own words stated the day after 9/11, "We will not tire, we will not falter and we will not fail", he is remaining committed to spreading freedom in the middle-east, so that terrorism cannot survive over the long-term and America will remain FREE!"
Fast forward one year from this event and Democrats were then in control of the Congress, attempting to wrest control of the war away from President Bush and violate the U.S. Constitution. Remember, the Speaker of the House is not the Commander-in-Chief, nor is the Senate Majority Leader. The Constitution is clear that the President is Commander-in-Chief and Congress can ONLY control the funding of the war, nothing else! The Democrats were using every "back-door" methodology they could think of, to undermine the war and bring about a defeat such as: requiring soldiers to spend an extended time period at home before returning to the front, restricting which units could be used in Iraq and Afghanistan and mandating that troops be pulled out by a certain deadline. President Bush went to the podium ONE year ago today and made it clear that he was Commander-in-Chief and we were staying in Iraq, I said this:
"President Bush is on the tube right now and he's pounding the podium in a way that is reminiscent of "The Father of 9/11". Now, Bush isn't having a Clinton-esque "Chernobyl-Style" meltdown. Oh no, he's pounding the podium to make the point to subversive left-wing reporters that we are not backing down in Iraq.
In case you missed it yesterday, a Democrat-led Congress again attempted to steal power away from the Commander-in-Chief by attaching an amendment to a bill on Capitol Hill that would have severely restricted troop deployments. Once again, these pussies who could have cut off funds for the war MONTHS ago, are trying "back door" tactics to undermine the effort.
Let me summarize and keep the President's message simple, in fine "Meat and Potatoes Blog" fashion: All you wimps, cowards, pussies, subversives and ignorant fools out there who don't know what's at stake in Iraq. We are NOT leaving while I am president because Iraq is the battlefield with al-Qaeda and Iran. Once al-Qaeda has been vanquished and Iraq's sectarian violence has been quelled, the political process can continue safely and America can begin to withdraw. Now EVERYONE GROW UP like adults and buckle down, make the World War II generation proud and show some resolve, for a change."
This week we were told by the mainstream media, formerly the purveyor of news dissemination in America, that Iraq has turned around in massive fashion and troop reductions are being planned for the future. Fifteen of the eighteen "benchmarks" for political progress have been met and the violence is a mere pittance of what it was 2 July's ago when President Bush took that trip to Graceland. It is clear now that IRAQ IS A SUCCESS despite Democrat attempts (and weak-kneed Republicans mind you) to engineer a pull-out. President Bush is to be commended for his steely resolve and as the final arbitor, history will judge him well.
Congratulations President Bush but more importantly, congratulations to our beloved American fighting men and women. As our most valued national treasure, you have taken your place in the history books and you will be there forever.