An Intelligent Debate. . .

Sometimes One Can Find Sane Rational Debate On The Web
by William Rivers Pitt, et al., at the Truthout FYI Blog

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Almost all "debates" on the web are like a shoutfest on FOX, but I found this at Truthout's "FYI" blog.  It's the best example of a sane, discussed, and rational debate I've found.  Enjoy intelligent debate for once. . .  [ Note:  This a direct copy of Truthout's FYI Blog posting.  (7:00a.m. 3/12/05) ]

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Last Thoughts of the Week on Iraq Withdrawal
By William Pitt,

Fri Mar 11th, 2005 at 04:03:42 PM EST :: Iraq :: (13 comments, 2 new, 459 words in story)

I don't know about you, but I haven't been as happy to see a Friday afternoon come along in quite a while.  Hoo.

In these three threads:

1. How Do We Get Out of Iraq?

2. My Response to Anti-War.com on Iraq Withdrawal

3. Mother of Fallen Soldier Responds to Iraq Withdrawal Debate

...I had a semi-sneaky ulterior motive.  I wanted to see how many people could come up with something approximating a workable plan for getting us out of the bear trap over there, and I wanted to see how many people merely demanded that it be done without ofering any solutions.  I also wanted to get this debate going so the progressive community can get up off the mat and stop accepting the permanence of our presence in Iraq as some kind of given.  Because the people on this forum are so ridiculously smart and informed, I'd say the vast majority of the replies had excellent suggestions rather than empty sloganeering.

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I've taken a beating for starting this debate, for being the guy who put forth the argument that simply pulling out of Iraq is potentially harder and more dangerous than it seems.  Putting that argument forth is absolutely necessary to this debate; without it, the discussion is a waste of time.  The beatings have come here to a degree, on other forums, via email and via telephone.  T'was worth every second, because those three threads above are as good as it gets when it comes to discussion and information.

But take this with you over the weekend: If you are someone who says "Out Now!" about Iraq, be sure after you say that to offer a plan that can overcome Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Perle, Bolton, Negroponte, Feith, Perle, Halliburton, Bechtel, KBR, the brain-dead mainstream news media, congress, a broken electoral system and an American populace stripped of its public voice.  After you come up with that plan, I will ask you about the rest of the economic/social/petroleum ramifications, and ask for your plans to deal with that.

In other words, talk is cheap.  We owe it to women like Cindy Sheehan and her son, and all the other mothers and fathers and sons and daughters, both here and in Iraq, to do more than shout "Out Now!"  It feels good; getting out of Iraq is absolutely the correct thing to do.  But if we cannot come up with a way to do it, we are spinning our wheels.

Enjoy the weekend.  The beatings will cease once morale improves.