Demoralizing

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After reading Jed Babbin's piece in NRO today about Kerry and troop morale I realized my previous post may not have quite hit the mark.

What John Kerry has demonstrated, through his words and actions, is that he does not believe in our mission in Iraq. Babbin points out that our troops do, and there can be nothing more demoralizing to our troops in the field than the knowledge that their President, entrusted with their lives, would choose to waste those lives on a mission he does not believe in.

He has said it's a mistake. But he also said he would not "cut and run." Meaning he will keep troops there, for a time, for reasons that do not include "victory". Babbin notes that this will give the troops the impression that they are wasting their time and blood:

To say, as Kerry does, that we should begin withdrawing our troops in six months and — with the help of the phantom allies he will get to take over in Iraq — be out altogether in four years, says nothing about finishing the job. Kerry makes no commitment to ensure that Iraq doesn't revert to chaos after we leave...

Kerry's message does not promise the men and women who are risking their lives
that their sacrifices will buy anything different from what dozens of lives bought in Somalia.


Perhaps Mr. Kerry can answer the question about how you ask someone to be the last man to die for a mistake.

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