by Barbara Stanley

Created on: July 31, 2008   Last Updated: September 09, 2008

Is there a law that states that we, as America, must publically pronounce, publish in our newspapers, send telegrams, or otherwise make known to our enemies the date we intend to leave Iraq? I believe we must set a deadline for leaving the business of Iraq to Iraqi citizens, otherwise, we will never leave. We must, at some point, turn the country over to those who live there. We currently support the citizens of Mexico as if they were the greedy, alimoney hungry, ex-wife of the United States for which we will pay child support forever. How many nations of people can we support with the wages of the middle-class peoples of our country? We can continue to borrow money from China until there is no hope in Hell we can ever pay it back, and believe me, that day is fast approaching.

Yes, there must be a timeline for leaving. It does not have to be broadcast to all the world. If my President tells me that he has set a deadline for leaving and has shared that deadline with the President of Iraq, I will feel much better. After all, it is the government of Iraq that must know there is a deadline, otherwise, he becomes another ex-wife nation with millions more offspring to support.

If we continue to take the wait and see attitude before setting a timeline, we will never set one. If your neighbor steals your lawnmower and your friend offers to mow your lawn until you recover from the broken foot you aquired when the thief backed over it during his get-away, how long would it take you to heal knowing you had an easy out from yardwork? My guess is that the healing would take much longer than necessary as long as there was a willing substitute. Is Iraq taking advantage of our good nature and desire to live in peace no matter the cost to us? You bet they are.

I need to know that both our nations are working toward the day of Iraq's total independence. I do not need to know when that final day will be as long as I am assured that my great-grandchildren(speaking of the future, of course)will not still be fighting this war.

We cannot just abrupted leave without preparing a nation of people for living in total freedom. I have a good idea for financing our troops endeavers on behalf of Iraqi citizens. Require them to repay the billions of dollars we have given them thus far without a single piece of paper stating where and for what the money was spent. A small interest fee would not be out of order. China charges us interest on the loans she makes to use. That is only good business sense. When the peoples of Iraq become wealthy again, in time, they will never give back to the ones who made it possible. I am afraid it is an upfront, pay-as-you-go kinda war.

So give it up, already, all who clammour for a public announcement for the timeline. Americans may be generous to a fault, but a large number of us are actually quite intelligent. Of all the things we need to know about what is going on in the world,I believe we can live without the knowledge of the specified meeting place.

Learn more about this author, Barbara Stanley.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.