Return on investment...

Yesterday on the Sean Hannity radio show, Pat Buchanan appeared as a guest. After a discussion of the Meiers withdrawl, the conversation turned to Iraq and the "War on Terror".

Buchanan drew an analogy to the Reagan White House, for which he served, and its policy in Lebanon and its chosen strategy to defeating the Soviets.

Unfortunately we're told that the only correct patriotic position is to support the Iraq war indefinitely, for otherwise would be to somehow disrespect the sacrifices made by the 2000 dead Americans whose lives were spent in Iraq trying to build George Bush's Wilsonian vision of world-wide "democracy".

In any case, listeners were reminded of the history lesson some of us learned when Ronald Reagan sent Marines into Lebanon. Once he recognized the reality of Middle East politics, Reagan understood that he had made a mistake and reversed himself. Similarly, Reagan realized that direct confrontation of the Soviets in their own backyard would be costly and success would not be assured. Therefore, he used a variety of approaches other than direct pursuit of an overt military war thousands of miles from American soil.

Unfortunately, George Bush has either not recognized his error or is unwilling to reverse himself and his strategy in the War Against Islamofascism.

We have now lost 2000 Americans in Iraq, as well as tens of billions of dollars, spent to create a theocracy likely to end up close allies with Iran (whose Chief Anti-Semite recently said Israel needs to be wiped off the map).

A reasoned review of America's foreign policy towards the Middle East shows very little success over the past decades, but much damage done to the people there as well as our own economy and military.

We are now preoccupied with Iraqi nationalists who want us out of their land instead of pursuing the illegals streaming into our country every day or the islamofascists whose populations in Europe and Central America are increasing rapidly.

Representative Ron Paul addresses the Iraq war effort in this recent column. Perhaps instead of exporting war around the world, we could try bringing capitalism and prosperity to the People of Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Iraq, Iran, China and others whose governments enslave the People while enriching themselves and their cronies.

On second thought, perhaps we could use a lesson or two about the realities of capitalism in this country and some anecdotal truths about the secret agendas of our leaders.