I'm guessing you'll never see this on CBS.
Barry Stuard, an engineer with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Multinational Division – Central South, Camp Echo, Diwaniyah, Iraq, measures a window at the new 8th Iraqi Army Division barracks in Diwaniyah, Iraq, March 27, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jason T. Bailey
For more photos, why not go take a look at the Defend America site?
Of course you won’t see that in the corporate media. They and Bush have an understanding that there will be zero discussion of the permanent bases being built in Iraq for American troops.
Happens to be a picture of a civilian village being rebuilt, paul. But thanks for playing.
What percentage of New Orleans is still without power?
Good to see we’re spending taxpayer money rebuilding villages in a foreign country half a world away. There are homeless Veterans who need help in America, but apparently it’s better to use US money and manpower to build villages for foreigners. I remember a time when being conservative meant putting Americans first– and it certainly didn’t mean big government reconstruction projects.
Jim
Ever hear of the Marshall plan, Jim?
Nice cherry picking of the one of the very few nation building projects in the last hundred years that has succeeded. I’ll see your Marshall plan and raise you “Haiti, Somalia, Nicaragua, and Lebanon.”
The Marshall plan had the advantage of dealing with nations who were already exposed to democracy or constitutional rule, were largely ethincially homogeneous (or at least had a strong national identity), and had an exsisting strong state-run infrastructure. None of those factors exist in Iraq.
A better analogy might be the British attempt at nation building in Iraq pre and post WWII. If you’re not up to speed on that I’ll save you the research – It didn’t go well.
Is it safe to say that as a Marshall plan supporter you also support other Truman initiatives like the formation of the UN?
Jim
So, they’re just not capable of being helped and we should have just left things as they were? Is that your point?
If you want the list of nations and peoples that are currently in strife and need help, it would most likely exceed the message limit of this post. Reference White Man’s Burden by Kipling and “We are the Cops of the World” by some folk singer.
I am all for helping out those in need– I believe it is my Christian duty to do so– But I think it’s only sensible to help out fellow Americans first, then when our house is in order, we can go help the rest of the world.
I’ve also seen time and time again how big government is unable to effectively help people. My fiscal conservative blood boils at stories like this:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,1734939,00.html
(excuse the guardian link but the WashTimes isn’t big on covering these kinds of stories).
Are Iraqis capable of helping themselves? They are litterly sitting on a liquid gold mine. It boggles the mind that they are unable to help themselves out.
Is it wrong to want to help American citizens first, before helping foreigners who don’t even like us?
Jim
I don’t think we do a bad job in this country – I’m not saying we have a perfect system, but have you ever seen real poverty? In the third world, I mean.
Trying to spread democracy is a good thing.
Democracy is a wonderful thing in a society where individuals respect the rights of others. But democracy without rights is mob rule. Or to paraphrase an old adage – What is Democracy when three wolves and two sheep decide to vote on what to have for dinner? Walter Williams does a far better job on this topic than I could hope to do:
http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/walterwilliams/2006/03/01/188010.html
I really hope you’ll read that column; it’s excellent and written by a conservative.
I apologize but I didn’t read your opinion on the Palestinians using the power of democracy to bring Hammas into power. I also missed your thoughts on Iranians voting out a reformist President in favor of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as President. I won’t violate Godwin’s rule, but you can think of other historical examples that point out that Democracy in itself isn’t the be-all-end-all.
Which brings us to a fundamental Conservative v. Liberal argument – Where does government’s responsibility end and the individual’s begin? I happen to be in the Conservative camp, arguing for limited government intervention, both at home and abroad. I take it you are to the left of my position on this Gauis?
Jim
ps – I agree with you that we do a pretty good job helping out the poor. If the poor really want help, 99% of the time they can get it. But I’d still rather see tax dollars spent building a house for a poor American vs nation building abroad.
I’ve only been blogging a short while. I believe in a strong defense – and that means taking the offense when necessary. I quite agree that just voting is not an indication of anything but mob rule. Elections can be a farce (as in the election of Hamas).