Right war? Wrong reasons? Wrong war? Right reasons?

Lots of sturm und drang over the “surge” these days. It makes sense to me in a strange way. I’m not entirely happy about the prospect but, it makes sense. What I do find interesting though is the parameters of the debate about the situation in Iraq currently and how those people in opposition paint the arguments they have against further involvement in what goes on in that country. The reason I find this interesting is because there is an intrinsic flaw in their argument which I seem to notice but, I wonder if they do or if I’ve somehow gotten it wrong.

Lots of talk these days centers on the situation in Iraq devolving into a civil war and it not being our business to have any involvement in the affairs of a civil war in another country.

Okay, that I understand.

But, if that is the case my question to the very same people who are arguing we have no business in Iraq because it’s a civil war my question to those people is what about Darfur? What about what happened in Serbia and Bosnia? What about what happened in Rwanda?

In some instances we sat on our hands (Rwanda), in others we were actively involved (Bosnia) and in one we are wringing our hands while the situation is getting worse (Darfur). Let’s say we left Iraq tomorrow, for arguments’ sake, what happens then? I’m all for getting Americans out of harm’s way, sh*t it makes a lot of sense.

See if Iraq were a stock this would be akin to buying on the way down to hedge your losses, something I learned the hard way and was told never to do, don’t buy a stock on the way down. By sending more troops are we in a sense buying more stock in the Iraqi situation? I understand this argument and it makes sense to me but, when people use the context of saying we have no business getting involved of the civil war of another nation, it’s a moment I am given pause.

What are our responsibilities in the world? What is our role? I think it’s a good question. We have troops on the ground in Afghanistan and Iraq and I wonder too what we’re doing in these countries and whether or not we are doing any good. The question is whether or not our presence there is making the situation worse? If we are going to have a discussion about our presence in these countries I think those are the parameters around which we should base the discussion.