The Course of Failure

Congresswoman "Mean Jean" Schmidt’s coward smear against war hero John Murtha was yet another ugly spasm of frustration by a Republican incapable of defending the failed policies of the President. She finished her rant by urging us to “stay the course”.

Stay the course...

of inept planning.
of abusing prisoners.
of shifting rationales.
of inadequate troop levels.
of tragically poor decisions.
of deception, spin and rhetoric.
of breaking our promises to Afghanistan.
of too few resources devoted to finding Osama.

No thanks.

Congressman Murtha (who suggested a systematic redeployment--quite different from an immediate withdrawal, which many have mistakenly attributed) understands what most people who have been to Iraq and talked to the troops understand:

OPEN-ENDED OCCUPATION EMBOLDENS THE ENEMY.

When we are gone, the jihad squad will have no legitimate reason to continue to kill, and will have no basis for continued recruitment. They may support a civil war along with disaffected Sunnis, but unless we want to stay and police Iraq for the next fifty years, we will not be able to prevent civil war forever.

By beginning a slow, steady withdrawal, we give moderate Iraqis the ultimate incentive to take control of their country. Otherwise, we will have created a military-welfare state, full of people who resent our presence yet increasingly rely on our costly (partial) protection.