Standing

I was going to close the previous post with this but decided it should stand alone.

Some would say that the fact that I never served in the military means that I don't have standing to comment on whether this war is worth the lives of those soldiers who have died, and will die in the future. Well, all who read what I write are entitled to their opinion and they can give whatever weight to my words that they deem is deserved. In my opinion, what we are doing is necessary for the safety and security of, not just the US, but the entire free world. That is the primary reason but the way we are doing it, by attempting to reform and democratise Arab/Islamic culture and societies, is a desirable goal in its own right. "Freedom isn't free" is cliche but, like many cliches, it's the simple truth. I am saddened by every death that takes place in Iraq but I believe that the outcome we are striving toward is worth fighting for. That's not to say that we should simply accept these deaths as the price of war. We should question why they happen and work to minimize them as much as possible. But to pull back, leaving the job unfinished, would be to render the sacrifice of those who have been injured and those who have died utterly meaningless. Many have decried what they perceive as the lack of an "exit strategy." Our exit strategy is to finish the job.