Oren M. Spiegler – 8/3/08

This page was last updated on August 3, 2008.

Greatest foreign policy debacle; Oren M. Spiegler; Beaver County Times; August 3, 2008.

Mr. Spiegler is such a prolific letter writer, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review gave him a little tribute back in 2003. Google “Oren M. Spiegler” and you’ll get more hits than you know what to do with. Unfortunately, prolific is not a synonym for competent. Mr. Spiegler claims to be a Republican. In my critique of “Breathing more freely,” I cited reasons why “I’m beginning to believe Mr. Spiegler is simply another Republican impersonator.” This letter sealed the deal. You’ll understand why below.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“When President George W. Bush announced his troop ‘surge’ for Iraq early last year, I concluded that this was another of his bad ideas, the actions of a desperate man, and that it would not improve conditions in that godforsaken country one bit.

“As an objective individual, I must admit that I was wrong. Though the surge has by no means transformed Iraq into a Utopia of peace, love, and prosperity, it has largely been successful, diminishing the level of lawlessness and violence significantly.

“Having acknowledged the success of the surge, I say, ‘So what?’ This belated success in the war does not validate a pre-emptive strike against a nation that was not a major threat to us, nor does it hasten the conclusion of the war.”

[RWC] “So what?” I’m sure those Americans who served and sacrificed in Iraq – as well as their families and friends – would take issue with that flip comment.

“… nor does it hasten the conclusion of the war?” Since our goal is to leave when Iraq can adequately defend itself from its enemies, both domestic and foreign, doesn’t “diminishing the level of lawlessness and violence significantly” get us closer to achieving that goal?

“John McCain has boasted that our involvement in Iraq will likely last until 2013, a ‘mere’ 10 years after we entered, and concludes that in a McCain presidency, we may have a 100-year troop presence there.”

[RWC] “John McCain has boasted …?” I don’t think so. If true, you can bet Mr. Spiegler would have provided the quote.

I guess Mr. Spiegler assumed we either didn’t know what Mr. McCain said or forgot. Here’s how CNN reported Mr. McCain’s comment: “Last month, at a town hall meeting in New Hampshire, a crowd member asked McCain about a Bush statement that troops could stay in Iraq for 50 years. ‘Maybe 100,’ McCain replied. ‘As long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed, it’s fine with me and I hope it would be fine with you if we maintain a presence in a very volatile part of the world where al Qaeda is training, recruiting, equipping and motivating people every single day.’” As we all know, this is exactly the same strategy we followed at the end of World War II and the Korean War and we still have troops stationed in Germany, Japan, and South Korea.

These comments from Mr. Spiegler are indistinguishable from what we’ve heard from Barack Obama and his campaign.

“If it were left to President Bush, the war would continue indefinitely.”

[RWC] On what basis does Mr. Spiegler make such a comment?

“The only balance to the Republican lust for war in Iraq is the stated wish of the Iraqi Prime Minister and the Iraqi people for us to leave.”

[RWC] “Republican lust for war?”

Of course the Iraqis want us to leave. I’d be worried if they didn’t. What Mr. Spiegler fails to note is the Iraqis also qualify that desire for us to leave with the stipulation we not leave until Iraq can secure itself on its own.

“The best news for the United States will not stem from the success of the surge, but from the ability to extricate ourselves from the occupation of Iraq, one of the greatest foreign policy debacles in the history of the world.”

[RWC] Blah, blah, blah. If Mr. Spiegler isn’t a Republican impersonator, he sure does a good job imitating one. In my opinion, Mr. Spiegler is a Republican impersonator along with Messrs. William A. Alexander, Arthur Brown, William G. Horter, Edward J. Hum, and George Reese.