Murtha's War

Representative John Murtha believes that now is the time to turn tail and run. Of all the possible lessons a Viet Nam veteran could have learned, why is it that this least satisfying lesson is the one that sticks with him?

Murtha called for a withdrawal because "The war in Iraq is not going as advertised. It is a flawed policy wrapped in illusion. The American public is way ahead of us. The United States and coalition troops have done all they can in Iraq, but it is time for a change in direction. Our military is suffering. The future of our country is at risk. We cannot continue on the present course. It is evident that continued military action is not in the best interests of the United States of America, the Iraqi people or the Persian Gulf Region."

In this speech, and in subsequent comments on the matter, Representative Murtha went on to express concerns that our troops are ill equipped and underfunded. In this assessment he is correct. His error is in concluding that the solution is leave the theater and retrench and rebuild here at home where it is "safe".

The proper conclusion is for congress to discover the will to inform the American people that we are at war. War imposes costs upon the participants. Those costs are not only financial, but also come in the form of self sacrifice to achieve the collective objective. No American not wearing a uniform or related to a soldier has been asked to sacrifice anything since this war began.

The debate at this time cannot be about whether we should or should not have entered into this war, or even if we were misled to get us there. The only debate is how we are going to win it now that we find ourselves engaged.

The mistake in this war, much as was the case in Viet Nam to vastly oversimplify matters, has been a failure to commit the necessary resources to achieve the only legitimate objective in a war: victory. War should in all cases be the last possible avenue taken, but once undertaken the effort should never have less than the full support and commitment of every person in this country. Whatever resources are deemed necessary, they should be doubled. At least. If our troops are sent into battle they need to be sent not only with the resources to win, but with the permission to do so. Political correctness and cultural sensitivity are tools for the diplomats and politicians. If we are at war then those tools have already been proven insufficient. Once the enemy has been compelled to lay down his arms, then the time returns for the implementation of the tools of peace and amity.

The surest way to keep our troops from needing to face the dangers of the battlefield is to make it absolutely clear to all potential foes that if they take it to that extreme there will be no quarter given and we will not falter until the mission has been accomplished. Once an enemy knows that as a fact encountered in the field rather than political and patriotic posturing then we will be safer.

We've cut back on oil consumption some, but not as a result of the war effort. That sacrifice has been due to rising prices brought on by expanded global demand especially by such explosive economies as China and India, as well as disruptions in refining and delivery of final product caused by natural disasters. Many of us eat less beef now, again due primarily to increased costs since the war began. Those costs went up not because cattle products were diverted to the support of our troops ; they rose primarily through the twin goads of Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution and fears generated by mad cow disease. Once again no war sacrifice there.

Ask any American what specific meaningful step they've taken to support this war effort, and unless they wear a uniform or have someone in their family who does, the only response you are likely to get is a blank stare. The yellow or American flag ribbon on the back of the SUV doesn't count.

For all practical intents and purposes, Americans have not been at war. Until we collectively realize that, agree with the motivations or not, once at war we are all at war and every effort possible must be expended to quickly and completely achieve military victory then we are going to continue the losing tradition started in Viet Nam and will continue to lose respect and credibility around the world.

John Murtha made that sacrifice personally. He more than most should know that victory and retreat are not synonyms.