A Former Marine's Perspective on the War

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

Nice post. Two quick hits. First, I don't know your friend and I haven't been to Iraq, but I don't believe for a second that we are intentionally letting the insurgency fester for the sake of handing out government contracts. Skepticism of government is good and healthy, paranoid conspiracy theories are not. As for private contractors, yes they are very highly paid. But what people don't realize is (a) the contractors are usually former members of the SEALs, Delta, and Special Forces and (b) the contractors actually save the government money. With respect to the second point, soldiers' salaries comprise a wee part of the cost of fielding an army.

As for the war in general, I was opposed to it regardless of whether SH had WMDs. SH kept the radicals in check, albeit brutally, and I didn't think he threatened the U.S. But, I am equally opposed to withdrawing the troops prematurely. Even if we have a long way to go before we can declare "victory," things are looking better. People used to chuckle when generals said the surge was working and/or accuse them of lying. Now, just about everyone in Congress (save a few reps in the House) agrees that the surge is working and we are making progress. General Petraeus' "clear, hold and build" strategy appears to be working.