We have been at war in Iraq and Afghanistan for eight years with an army of 10 divisions. You can’t expect 10 divisions to fight two wars and police the world, so we use the Guards. They pull too many tours. You can only pull so many before your luck runs out. We have lost 5,000 and thousands have been wounded.
Roadside bombs took their toll. If we had infantry on those roads, we wouldn’t have lost so many. There will be some troops in Iraq and Afghanistan for years. Gen. George Casey said to be ready for 10 combat units to be at war for the next 10 years.
Our troops are spread thin. What if North Korea would invade the south? There was no peace treaty signed, so we’re still at war with them and our president isn’t doing anything to make us stronger, just the opposite.
When you ask for change, you have to be careful what kind of change you ask for.
The Germans wanted change when Hitler came to power. The change they got was six to seven million killed and their country in ruins.
How can we pay for 10 more years of war? Can our military stand the pressure? How many more will die? Is it worth it — to put yourself in harm’s way for a people who cannot be your friend?
Quote from the Quran, “Be not a friend to the Jew or Christians, for they are friends to one another, if you are one of them, you are not one of us.” Obama should have quoted that in Cairo.
Remember both parties got us into this mess. They all had the same intelligence reports. We are in real trouble in this country and have no real leaders. And we’re still 5,000 and counting.
Clovis E. Steele
Joplin
Opinion
Voices: 5,000 and counting
- Opinion
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Our View: Santorum's Achilles' ear
Rick Santorum knocked everyone for a loop this week, not just with his victory in Missouri but with the landslide size of the thing.
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Our View: Are school loans next 'debt bomb'?
The late American middle class struggled for decades to keep pace with an American dream slipping from its grasp.
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Our View: A better way of limit terms
A Missouri House committee on Tuesday endorsed a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow lawmakers to serve 16 years in the state Legislature, either the House or the Senate.
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Your View: Is it our fault?
When did coveting things and money take over character? What happened?
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Your View: No way to run a school
All throughout the state of Missouri, you’ll hear much discussion about teacher tenure and the indefinite contracts that go along with that. Most — if not nearly all — jobs in the private and public sectors have no such career protection.
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Your View: Prime suspects
If it’s too cool in the house, you can turn up the heat if you think you can afford it.
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Our View: Worldwide concern
There is growing concern worldwide that Israel might launch an attack on Iranian nuclear plants.
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Other Views: FAA deal up in air five years
The Federal Aviation Administration bill was delayed 23 times, but the agency finally has a law giving it $63 billion and full operating authority for the next four years.
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Don Ray, columnist: Obama's pipeline excuse an election-year cop-out
On Jan. 18, President Barack Obama announced he was rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline project — a project that had its beginnings some 40 months ago (September 2008).
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James Whitford, guest columnist: Broken people or broken system?
Are the people broken or is the system broken? If you walk into Watered Gardens, our rescue mission, it may seem the people are broken. But it’s a rescue mission. It just feels that way. And sometimes, it just looks that way.
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