I’ve been watching with interest the political build up to Gen. Petraeus’ status report on Iraq to Congress. The Democrats continue to call for troop withdrawals. The Republicans have been running ads – the ones I’ve seen have featured veterans and deceased soldier’s family members – talking about how wrong it would be to surrender.
That word “surrender” really caught my attention. It implies that we – America – say to the insurgents “We give up. You win.” And to some Republicans anything short of full democracy in Iraq may be the equivalent of giving up.
Withdrawal, on the other hand connotes gradual removal of US troops with the implication that the Iraqi military would step up to fill in the void.
Remember when you were in high school and got into arguments with your classmates? How when facts failed to support one side’s argument, that side typically resorted to personal attacks?
I believe the implication of Republican ads decrying “surrender” fall to that level. The words used imply – as the Bush administration has done all along – that anyone not supporting this administration’s policies is unpatriotic.
This latest tactic continues to disturb me. Reasoned debate between reasonable people is vital to resolving differences and moving forward.
Implying that those who disagree with this Administration’s policies are cowards can in no way be seen as reasonable.
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