Second, and more importantly, the signal we should be worried about is to others in the future who might have to decide whether to fight with us or stand neutral. For example, if it comes to a fight with China over Taiwan, we might want a reputation for steadfast commitment to victory as we try to convince India, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, Indonesia, South Korea, and Japan--and the Taiwanese for that matter--to fight with us. That a foreign policy writer cannot see beyond the Shia south of Iraq when determining effects is simply amazing.
A reputation for steadfast commitment to victory is good, but actually achieving victory is better. Even better would be a military that didn't have its morale impaired by a bitter, cruel occupation in a losing cause, backed by a budget with room for military spending. Added to that might be a President whose insane policies haven't delegitimated our use of force, along with allies who actually trusted and admired us, instead of the the contempt and mistrust of the entire civilized world, thanks to our criminal behavior and the neo-con decision to drive a truck through our alliance networks.
Each day we spending losing the war is another nail in the coffin of Taiwan. That simple, Brian.
[Taiwan] [US] [Iraq]
Wow. Well at least you seem to know Taiwan, but I think I'll stick with Brian when it comes to the rest of the world and the military.
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