Edwards plan is beyond irresponsibility, but then again, I don't like a lot of what he proposed, for instance in trade.

I, still, don't quite see the parrallels between Dan's 'Vietnamization has been implemented. Our Enemy is suffereing from serious entropy. Now let's do what we should've done in Vietnam.' and Conan's answer to the 'What is best' question from Conan the Barbarian. Not the same thing.

Or maybe you've given me one too many Big Boots to the head and I'm not seeing what should be an obvious connection?

I know John Edwards has talked about cutting off funding, which is just irresponsible. Ultimately Bush is the commander-in-chief. Having a commander intent on a wrong-head course is bad. Having no commander-in-chief (the Edwards/withhold funding plan) is worse.

John,

I will remember “Castle Argghhh!” in the future

We forced the Germans and the Japanese to embrace defeat. With the exception of the first few months in Iraq, we have tried to buy the self-esteem of the Iraqi Sunni Arabs (with catastrophic results).

a517dogg,

We can't be sure of Maliki's friends, only his enemies: al Baath and al Qaeda. Let him take care of those first. Then we can talk about American maximalist demands. Because then such demands make sense. Before then, let's focus on defeating our enemies.

Subadei,

Did you mean “majority” or “minority”?

Sorry, if I could restate.

That likelyhood grows with every day that our forces preserve the minority (sunni/baathist) enemy factions of the Iraqi majority (shiite.)

Hopefully that clarifies

It clarifies, and I agree.

Sean,

On the subject of Clinton, I enjoyed her smackdown of Edwards and Obama. The bikini-models of the Democratic field looked pretty for the cameras, and Clintoln replied by holding a press conference on her trip to Iraq, with maps, showing exactly where in the middle east she thinks troops are needed.

I will probably vote for McCain or libertarian in '08, but the difference between Clinton and Edbama is the difference between Davin Lexen and Golda Meir.

I think I surprised Ry (who posted your link at the Castle) when he found out I agreed with you on the issue of killing bad guys.

Which mostly means Ry has forgotten what I was saying some time ago.

One reason the occupations of Japan and Germany were so comparatively easier is that we had stomped them both flat and they were under no illusions they'd been beaten.

Why would it be any different now? Weapons we give to the Iraqi army will disappear. We will find them by being on the wrong end of them sooner or later. Maliki just wants more weapons so he can build his personal power and not be reliant on Sadr. What happens if Maliki stops being our ally?

[1] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/29/AR2006102900403.html?nav=rss_business/special/5

That likelyhood grows with every day that our forces preserve the enemy factions of the Iraqi majority.