Guest Column: Does America Have a Future in Iraq?

This was sent to me by a dear friend, John Moag, a former Democratic congressional aide and chairman of the Maryland Stadium Authority (the man was a key figure in bringing the Baltimore Ravens to Baltimore and building the new stadiums), and, above all, a lifelong Democrat and generous financial supporter of the Democratic Party. While I don’t agree with much of John’s view regarding the Iraq war — I believe that we must withdraw U.S. troops as soon as possible and bear the responsibility to protect them as they withdraw and the moral responsibility to help Iraqi friends at risk because of work for the U.S. come here on special permanent refugee status — this short message is worth reading. I hope it provokes debate and believe that Mr. Moag would welcome comments.
But I won’t forward on those comments from the usual couple of haters who are up at 3 a.m. in pajamas spewing hate on the comment boards of this Pundits Blog. My advice to you: Go back to sleep and get a life.

Does America Have a Future in Iraq?

By John Moag

I’m only an individual contributor with some dumb friends who also write checks, and I doubt anybody reads this, but I get some relief writing it.

Gen. David Petraeus is apparently having some success. That’s a good thing. Most accounts indicate that at least some of the Shiites and the Sunnis are living, eating, sleeping and training together with a unified goal. That’s an even better thing. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) posed an interesting question a couple weeks ago. To paraphrase: “We have American troops in Europe, Korea, elsewhere in the Middle East, and we may have them in Iraq for a while. I don’t think that’s been a bad thing in the past and I don’t think that’s bad now.”

I can’t disagree with McCain.

It doesn’t bother me in the least — and I would like to preserve — that America is the world’s superpower. That may not be the case in my grandchildren’s generation, when China has all the potential of replacing our dominance.

There is a Democratic process to get through where this subject is somewhat taboo. But there will be a general election, in which this could not be more important.

There is also the current focus on the economy. (Remember: “It’s the economy, stupid.”)

I suspect that both issues that will decide the next presidency.