A Poll question for vets only, please

[unhappycamper]

Sorry for the limited choices, but I'd like to get a feel of the veteran pulses on DU. Any and all responses appreciated.

[ohio_88]

1. There is no single answer to your poll.......

Not only do I hate the Iraq occupation, but what sane person would not hate all wars.

However, it would be very hard to argue that it is not necessary for the U.S. to make some kind of response to Islamic extremists who have clearly stated their intention to attack as many U.S. citizens and military personnel as possible.

Doesn't that mean some kind of violent response is necessary? I'm just not convinced that what we are doing in Iraq is the right way to go about protecting our citizens.

Isolationism is not the answer. Spain pulled out of Iraq and they were attacked by bombs planted in their train system. How and where do we fight these people determined to kill and maim innocent Americans?

[TahitiNut]

2. War is always (theoretically) avoidable ... but requires SOME degree of cooperation.

WW2 is often cited as the "necessary" war. Some would claim that even it was avoidable. I would claim it wasn't reasonably (or unilaterally) avoidable. Lest we forget, that's what Neville Chamberlain thought, too. If we look back further than Chamberlain, we can see some of the roots of WW2 in the armistice of WW1. We can rearrange angels on the head of a pin until the cows come home and never resolve this dispute with 99% or greater agreement ... predominantly because we cannot reaonsbly assume perfect political foresight.

Some would argue that even the Revolutionary War was avoidable, looking at the condition of former British colonies (and the British Empire) today. It's not at all clear, however, that such conditions would have come to pass in the absence of the Revolutionary War.

There has NEVER been a more avoidable war (and occupation) than Iraq, imho ... in any nation's history. Never before has the assymetrical power been so egregiously abused by the more powerful nation. The invasion and occupation of Iraq is one of history's most egregious war crimes, imho.

[Jackeen]

3. I've no idea where that poll is going.

"I hate the Iraqi Occupation?" I don't think there's a person on any side of the aisle that is dancing in the streets over the expense and effort we're going through. That is far from saying that everyone believes that it should stop immediately.

On a more general level, sometimes you just have to fight, unpleasant though it may be.