Horror in Iraq

A dozen marines killed today. Are they a part of the 130 U.S. troops killed today, or is Sky News off the mark with its numbers? Either way, a tragic day for our country.

I understand that it is necessary to show resolve. In the words of Scott McClellan, "we will not be intimidated." But... by that rationale, should we have kept our troops in Vietnam indefinitely? I realize that comparing any war to Vietnam is a little tired, and I even think that Ted Kennedy jumped the gun a bit by calling this "George W. Bush's Vietnam", but I suppose the question lingering in my head is: how many of these fine young men will we send to their deaths? It appears quite likely that many more of our heroic American troops will die in Iraq.

I think it is necessary to balance the killing of our proud young soldiers against the greater goal of this occupation. What is that goal? Well, it used to be protecting us from Saddam's WMDs... that's what got us there. Now, it is freeing a foreign people from a despotic government, and relying on a sort of reverse domino theory to then spread democracy throughout the Middle East. This is a noble goal. I have to confess, though, that I have no idea how likely it is.

So, we have the scales set. On one side, the loss of our young patriots. On the other, a possible democracy in Iraq, possibly leading to more Arab democracies. How many of our dead countrymen will it take to tip the scales? I genuinely do not know, but I do think that there will be... and that there should be... a tipping point.