Who watched Bush's Speech?
@elusivedarkness (531)
United States
January 10, 2007 8:54pm CST
What do you all think about it? He gave some good rhetoric, but I don't know if it's going to work in the real world. Iraq is a real mess. Adding troops is not going to stop the sectarian violence that is ripping the country apart. On the other hand, if we pull out of Iraq, we risk creating a terrorist outpost in the middle east.
6 responses
@aimee750 (1116)
• United States
11 Jan 07
I watched it. I understand we can't just pull out and expect everything to be ok. However according to most of what I have heard this plan is not going to be the answer. I don't know what needs to be done but neither does Bush. I can't wait for his term to be over.
@elusivedarkness (531)
• United States
11 Jan 07
Yeah, I get the feeling that we aren't going to leave Iraq until we get a new President. That was the case with Vietnam and will likely be the case here. The public is keeping a close eye on the progress in Iraq and if things stay the same or get worse over the next few months, you can bet that the Democrats will cut funding to pressure Bush into a partial withdrawl. I have no idea what to do, and frankly I think the some of the brightest minds in this country are also confounded by this dilemma we're in.
@cliffcliff (1350)
• United States
11 Jan 07
It was a good speech and a good course to follow... leaving Iraq is not an option, keeping the status-quo is not an option. Moving on another forceful, direct plan with strong warnings to Syria and Iran (the weapon supply line) is a good course of action, just dont know why it wasnt sooner
1 person likes this
@elusivedarkness (531)
• United States
11 Jan 07
Yeah, I think, if carried out properly, the strategy could be effective. Syria and Iran are difficult countries to deal with. They are both terrorist states that do not seem to be caving to our pressure. I'm certain that are fomenting much of the sectarian rebellion we see going on Iraq. If we can clamp down on the borders and cut that weapon supply line then that would make a world of difference. I just wish, like you said, that we started this course months ago.
@kesfylstra (1868)
• United States
11 Jan 07
For everyone's complaints about him, he did say one thing you should all appreciate. He said the mistakes are his mistakes. That takes humility. This is a man who is looking to what is right by the world, popularity be darned. As a military wife, I think he is right on. We are protected Iraq AND ourselves by working on reducing the sectarian violence, and now that we have the Iraq govt's agreement that anyone and everyone causing violence will be dealt with, maybe the troops can get somewhere.
@lauriefnp (5111)
• United States
11 Jan 07
I didn't watch it- I'll have to watch CNN later to get the "highlights", if you can call them that. I disagree with the war in Iraq, but unfortunately I agree that if we left now there would be a literal bloodbath in the Middle East. What a mess. Oh, well- I'll hear about it later. The 3rd period of my hockey game is getting ready to start. I have my priorities, you know!
1 person likes this
@elusivedarkness (531)
• United States
11 Jan 07
Haha yeah. Bush didn't really say anything groundbreak anyways. The media reported the troop surge days ago. I agree with you about pulling out. I just wish there were some panacea for the problem in Iraq, but I'm afraid there isn't. The Democrats believe reducing the number of troops in Iraq will ccause the Iraqis to take more control. That may work and it may not. There are no certainities with Iraq. It's just a complete pickel. I just wish we'd never gone over there, but what can you do.
@SageMother (2277)
• United States
11 Jan 07
Ididn't watch the speech.
I just figured he waited for a bit, then went with what he was planning to do anyway. His rhetoric is a day late and about 20 b'zillion dollars short.
@elusivedarkness (531)
• United States
11 Jan 07
Yeah, that's very true. Bush ignored Congress's concerns and went ahead with his plan. He has also fired the generals in Iraq and replaced them with new people. It seems like all Bush does is fire people who disagree with him. Maybe he should wake up and realize that this war will not end.
@Smith2028 (797)
• United States
11 Jan 07
I think it was a spot on speech. It clearly defined a goal, a means and an end. It put the endgame on Iraq and set out what is exactly going on.
He clearly admitted that things are not going to plan and therefore didn't try to rally the public behind this. While this may be a day late a dollar short it was a great speech, not in content or defintion or delivery, but as far as what the nation needed to hear.
1 person likes this
@elusivedarkness (531)
• United States
11 Jan 07
Yeah we all know Bush is no stunning orator, but it was critical that he admitted some mistakes. I'm glad that he's trying to do something to improve the state of Iraq. I'm still concerned that we may fail though. I wish someone had realized that there were rivial religious groups that hated one another before we invaded. I'm just hoping Bush's new stratedy works and Iraq's prime minister takes his duties seriously.
