Iraq Funding Bill Shows Democrats Do Not Understand History

It has become quite apparent that a large number of the Democrats in Congress are not students of history. Nor are they able to look far enough ahead to forecast the effects of their actions, or lack thereof.

A prime example of lack of foresight and ignorance of history was today's vote in the House of Representatives on supplemental funding for our ongoing military efforts in Iraq. In and of itself, the appropriations bill gave more money than the President had requested - $124 billion versus the $100 billion requested by the the White House. Unfortunately most of those extra funds were for pork barrel spending having nothing to do with the war in any way, shape, or form. However, the one thing that will cause the President to veto the much needed money is the proviso in the bill that the President must abandon the Iraqi people by September 2008.

Of course, the Democrats haven't phrased it that way and don't think of it that way. Instead, they claim it's a measure designed to force the President to bring the troops home because it's the will of the American people. Obviously the Dems haven't been paying attention to their own polls. While the American people do want to bring our troops home, they don't want to leave the job unfinished. For most Americans 'finishing the job' means victory. But not the victory that the Dems propose. This is where their ignorance of history comes in.

Looking back to the 1973-1975, American troops were withdrawn from Vietnam, leaving the South Vietnamese to continue the battle alone. Then Congress – a Democratic majority Congress – cut off funding to the South Vietnamese, leaving them to their fate.

What was the outcome of this double abandonment? Millions of deaths that might otherwise have been prevented. The Democrats got their way on Vietnam, declaring victory and bringing the troops home. But the job was unfinished. That didn't matter worth a damn to them. It didn't matter to them the millions that died at the hands of the victorious Communists in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.

I see the same thing happening in Iraq. First we will withdraw our troops. Then we will cut off funding to the Iraqis. After that, the bloodbath will begin. I can see the millions of deaths that will be the result of the Democrat's cowardly act. And that won't be the end of it because once the jihadis/harabahis have finished killing over there they will again set their sights here. The effect of giving up in Iraq will be bringing the War on Terror back to our own shores.

As proof that the Dems just don't get, here's a quote by New Hampshire's Congresswoman from the 1^st Congressional District, US Representative Carol Shea-Porter:

“We have the reached the beginning of the end of the war in Iraq.”

Unfortunately she has that exactly wrong. What we have here is the end of the beginning of the War on Terror, a war that will be far longer and bloodier because she and her Democratic brethren have decided to give up and accept defeat. Calling it victory changes nothing and cheapens the lives already lost in this struggle. Too many of the Democrats have likened the war in Iraq to the one in Vietnam. Now it looks like they're going to make sure that it turns out the same way.